Gaining some appreciation

When my wife and I decided that we were going to enroll Oliver in day care, we also decided that we were going to stagger our schedules. I took the early work shift which means that I get in at 6 and out at 3. Lisa gets the later shift which means that she gets Oliver ready for day care and comes home later. We've been doing this since he started going to day care in February. I'm very familiar with the afternoon routine of picking up, topping off, day care chores and parenting until Mommy comes home, but every once in a while we take a single car to work and then I get to see my better half lives.

Take today. We are going up to see my folks so we decided to take one car. I suggested that we set the alarm for 4:45a so that we could get Oliver to day care by 6:30. And it would have been a good plan but we were up until almost midnight packing for the trip. So we got rolling at 5:45. I made breakfast and brought it up to my wife. I ate my breakfast while she bounced between eating her breakfast and giving Oliver his. I took a shower while she changed his diaper. Then I got me dressed and him dressed while my wife took a shower. I got everything packed for day care while she got dressed. I carried everything out to the car while she made her lunch and took care of a few last minute things. We got Oliver to day care by 8:00. And that was with two of us doing the work. Sure there were a few extra steps today, but I can hardly imagine what it's like when he isn't being as cooperative and she's by herself.

My wife is making noises about switching shifts. And after a *typical* day like today, I can't blame her. After all afternoons are more fun.