Mom, Dad Switcheroo

It’s a strange world when I find myself working at DraftFCB and Jeff is home taking care of Phoebe. I am in his workplace and he is in mine. We’re in bizzarro world right now. As far as childcare goes, I could not ask for better coverage. Phoebe gets to be with her Dad every day. They play, they draw, spontaneous puppet shows happen, as well as fun mustache projects (seen here). Not to mention the fact that he is a wonderful cook, caretaker and domestic god. I have often mused that Jeff could teach a course for men on how to rule their domestic sphere as much as they rule their workplace. I’ve never been a particularly good morning person, always staying in bed until the last possible moment, but these days, my man makes sure I don’t miss the alarm, makes an excellent cup of coffee and reminds me to take my vitamins.

This job is only a freelance assignment for now, but it is giving me a taste of what it would be like to get back into the working world. I don’t like leaving Phoebe in the morning and she’s not too keen on it either. The transition is a touchy one for both of us. I miss having the time to lounge around with her in the morning. I miss taking her to school and being the one to see the teachers and her friends. I found a yoga class that meets near her school I managed to get to a few times. That’s history now. But working also means time to do other things being with a child does not allow- like updating the blog I’ve nearly abandoned in the past few months.

In my dreams, I hoped that Jeff’s last job was going to be a new beginning for him and I would be able to stay with Phoebe until she started kindergarten. Now I’m sitting at a desk looking at a computer screen and he’s sliding up next to Phoebe’s desk, drawing her fantastical pictures in crayon. Perhaps he’ll be back at work in no time and this will be just a moment in time where he gets to enjoy his daughter. Perhaps this freelance job will end and I’ll be back with the Mommies at school pick-up. Life is strange and wondrous and I must remind myself that the only constant is change.