Nowadays I end up bringing my oldest son to his bed at night and sitting with him while he drifts off to sleep. This is a practice that sometimes brings me great joy... It is what it is. A little quality quiet time with my son. We start off in "mommy&daddy's room" where we read a story. Then he gets a small glass of water on the edge of our bed. He then says "I want to go to sleep in my room" and off we go. I sit in a chair next to the bed with the lights off and he settles down with his Fisher Price Aquarium on (his "fishies" he calls them), playing a rather tinny lullaby (for 6 minutes, I timed it). He may or may not get one more cycle of the aquarium (which he will reset if he wants), but usually it is enough to put him to sleep. I sneak off back to our bedroom (after usually napping in the chair for a few), and settle down... it's blissfull... most of the time.

I get a little frustrated sometimes wishing my son would go to bed on his own and let me have a bit more "me-time." I sometimes want to get another comic done for my webcomic (follow K'CHK on the links area) or relax on the computer, or watching TV. As I haven't really started my webcomic but the one for now, I just put it off for another time. After all, I will eventually have more than enough time to get more done. As for TV, that's why man invented recording devices and the weekend... Still it gets to me.

New parents probably feel this way. I'm in no way shape or form a new parent, but I have 2 boys both under 5. I understand the time constraints that taking care of 2 kids requires, but I didn't at first. After we found out we were having a second child, I figured we had it all covered. We'd been through the trial and tribulations of finding out what taking care of a child was like. Piece of cake, we thought. Parents expecting a second child: Be prepared to lose whatever precious time you may have had free. A second child is another ball game because now you have two infant egos to feed. When one isn't feeding or throwing an unknown tantrum, the other will be. You may know what to expect from the new child, just don't expect to have the time that you had with your first to deal with it. Become real creative on how you schedule time and you may just get a handle on it... for a little while at least.

As for free time, I take it when I can get it. I don't expect to have it every day, I just bask in the moment when I can settle down and do something not child related...

But the moment when my little boy snuggles in to bed with the fading lullaby in his ears... that's worth a lot more than finding a little free time. It won't last much longer, and I'll just have to get as much in as I can... before he tells me "Daddy, I'm a big boy. I can go to bed by myself..."

Just a tidbit o'ken...