The working Mom and the single Dad

I've been working a few evenings a week lately. It's something I need to be doing and the pay-off is worth it (and necessary!) - but still.... working evenings is something I've avoided as much as possible for a couple of years now.

And at first I hated it because I felt, deeply, the responsibility to be at home with the kids in the evening. Like maybe the universe, as it applies to our home, would unravel without my presence?

And, like everyone else I'm sure, after working all day I just want to go home and relax at the end of the day... or at least what passes for "relax" in my household (it's really not all that relaxing hearing "mommy, mommy, mommy!" every 3 minutes - or having a toddler climbing over you with the next book in the line-up every 5...)

But now that I've been working evenings semi-regularly for a while, I'm finding that I really don't mind all that much.

Maybe I should feel more guilt than I do over finding work to be a welcome break from the chaos that is a house with three kids.

But there it is: I enjoy the break.

As much as I love my children and enjoy the time I have with them, sometimes it is just nice to not have to cook dinner, clean up after, break up squabbles, have every moment of my time and all of my personal space usurped... sometimes it's nice just to extend the adult time in my day.

(now we know why I'm not a stay-at-home-Mom... kudos to all those who can do well!)

I just have to put the image of my poor, out-numbered husband out of my mind while I'm at it.

(and for the record, I DO try very hard to show the appropriate amount of remorse and sympathy for my husband who gets stuck playing single Dad while I'm out ;)