Some time ago, perhaps when my parents were children, it was fairly common for the father to head off to work in the morning while the mother would stay at home with the children. From what I understand, it’s not uncommon nowadays for this to repeat, albeit with one change:
It’s the father who stays home while the mother goes to work. And for us, that’s the case. My wife, Stacie, is an attorney, and she trekked off to her new job today, leaving me in charge of young Ellison. As I type this, he’s resting on his play mat, being stared at by the small blue octopus and other kaleidoscopic toys that hang from the zebra-striped arcs above him.
We’re about to set out on our first morning alone together. It will take us down the street to Anodyne Coffee Roasters and then back toward home, where our dog will keep watch in our absence. In a few months, he will start crawling, meaning we will ready the lower level of the house for his roaming ways. But he’s not too close to that yet, so we can enjoy being able to take him with us wherever we go—or wherever I go, which is how it will be during the day for the foreseeable future.
Ellison is napping right now, so I should get his bottles and spare diapers ready. We have an Important Meeting in a half-hour. The day awaits!
