untanglingknots.com: Quiet

by Karla ° Friday, June 6, 2008

The house feels eerily quiet this morning. In the background is the gurgle of a brewing pot of coffee and just beyond an open window I can hear the trailing echo of a distant train and a lively orchestrated morning symphony of birds.

The house is quiety today because every Friday Nate goes to daycare, and I'm so happy to say that our new provider, Kristen, has been nothing short of amazing.

I remember how much my heart sank when our first attempt at putting Nate in daycare one day a week ended in an awkward confrontation of me being told that my son was developmentally behind and disruptive to the business. Unlike our last experience however, Kristen is warm and loving and Nate has never come home in an inconsolable state lasting for days. And most importantly, she has never told me not to bring my kid back.

Nate’s been under Kristen’s care since March, and in all this time, she's only mentioned one day where he cried a lot, but that he was easily consoled by plenty of snuggling and his blankie.

Every time I pick Nate up at Kristen's, she excitedly tells me about all the new things he’s learning and how clever he is about interacting with the world around him. Any mention of temper tantrums or periods of fussiness are mentioned more in passing, kind of like ho-hum, normal kid stuff, but here, let me fill you in all of the exciting and new things your ever-evolving child learned today.

Kristen also sends home a report detailing how Nate’s day went, what activities he did, what he ate, when he napped, etc. Totally not something I expect, but a nice touch. And his "report cards" are something that I will treasure forever.

So while I sit here in quiet solitude clutching a mug filled with the wafting aroma of coffee, sounds seem amplified. And without a busy toddler rummaging through a cupboard filled with Tupperware, I swear I can hear the vibrations of nervous energy in my veins, propelling the increasingly loud thump thump thump of my maternal heart at the thought of not seeing my son for nine days while I'm out of the country.

Samson, seemingly sensing my unease, is instincitvely lying at my feet. And I know I should probably say something about what a loyal companion he is, but I just need to stop right here and tell you how comfortable it is to have the entire sofa to myself. Nate is not climbing up and down and down and up and up and down and bouncing and hopping all over the place, and in an unusual fashion, Samson is not trying to mould his great big giant dog body into the last remaining square inch of cushion space.

Samson also loves human contact, which sounds all cute and adorable, except that 90 lbs of dog torso on your lap is so not comfortable. And whenever we have company spend the night, Samson is faced with the difficult challenge of deciding which human to snuggle with. This usually means that he spends the entire night alternating his bedmates between all the human-filled beds in the house, which also means that nobody ever gets any sleep because one minute Samson is all, hi, want to spoon? And just as the seismic afershocks he created from leaping on the bed begins to taper, he’s off again to visit a different human where he's all, it’s been over two minutes since we last spooned together, so let’s take it slow and start with me sticking my cold dog nose in your ear.

I feel sorry for all of the dogs that Samson will be able to run free and play with at the kennel while we’re away because I know he will not sleep for even two seconds if there are other dogs faces to put inside his great big giant dog mouth.

And because he is too shy to do his business in public, I also know that he will not poop the entire time he is there. God help me if have to give that dog an enema when I get home.

Labels: Nate, Samson, Vacation

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Comments:

Just enjoy the few hours of being child free and catch up with your self :-)
Samson really is a big softie!
Hope he (and his bowels) are ok when he goes for his holidays to the kennels!
Love Amanda x

Posted by Amanda : June 06, 2008

I am so pleased that Nate has settled with his new carer, that must be a great weight off your mind. It must be so nice having a dog like Samson ~ he is a real softie and I am sure he will have a great time in the kennel with all those new doggy friends!!
Are you all set for Vegas? I hope you have a fantastic trip
love and hugs ~ Tabitha XXX

Posted by Tabitha : June 06, 2008

I am SO HAPPY that Nate has such a great care provider!

It is a blessing, indeed.

Posted by Anonymous : June 06, 2008

I'm glad you found a good childcare provider. Have fun in Las Vegas.

If you have any unwanted leftovers, can you drop them off at my bf's hotel? He's stuck in Vegas working swing shift for the week and I'm afraid he'll perish of malnourishment from trying to subsist on Del Taco- the only place apart from the strip open when he gets off. He's helpless as a kitten, really. When Nate gets bigger- teach him to cook!

Posted by jess : June 07, 2008

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