the single dad project

So. Here we are. If you've been by lately, you probably read that Mimi's mother has been a little unwell. After some consideration, we decided that she (Mimi) would go to Japan to check on her mother (and father) and see what she could do to help. We put her on a plane this afternoon and she should be there in a few hours (as I'm typing this).

It is a necessary trip but a hard one for us. I know people go away on business all the time, leaving one parent home with the kid(s), but that hasn't been our way. I think in the 4-1/2 years of Kiddo's existence, the three of us have been separated for exactly one night. I'm pretty sure we growed-ups can handle it, but we've been really worried about the kid. Or we don't think we can handle it and are putting all of our worry on her. Or something.

In some ways, it isn't so different than when Mimi is in rehearsal. Those nights are just Kiddo and I doing our thing, and we have a pretty good rhythm. I am sometimes colossally impatient, so I'm going to have to check that for the next 10 days. And I realize how much I rely on being able to hand Kiddo off to Mama when I need a few minutes to myself. I will try not to hand her off to TV too much.

Anyway, here we go. About two hours after Mimi's plane took off, my heart sank. I think the reality of her being gone for 10 days finally hit me (after all the planning and packing, etc.). A few weeks ago, Kiddo told Mimi that she would "cry and cry and cry" when Mama was gone. Then later she said, "Dadoo will take good care of me when I cry." I hope she will do the same for me.

Oh, and for reasons I may never understand, Kiddo brought home two half-gallon milk cartons from school. She said she made them for us.

I don't want to call my kid a liar, but...

Then this morning, she said that Mimi should take one of them to Japan to give to Baba ("Baba" being kid-Japanese for "Grandma"). Much to my delight, Mimi actually took it. At first we put it in the car and thought we'd just toss it at the airport. Then Mimi said, "It'd be kind of funny if I sent Kiddo a picture of Baba holding the milk carton." So we cut the bottom off with a key so it would lay flat and shoved it in Mimi's suitcase. That should confuse the hell out of a couple of TSA agents.

And because today is New Comic Book Day, I got Kiddo an extra special comic.

There might have also been some guilt involved.

Then after dinner we had a Skype chat with Ciocia Gibs ("Ciocia" being a likely misspelling of the Polish word for Aunt, and "Gibs" being the nickname of my sister Gabrielle) and Cousin Jack, then made a giant puzzle from my favorite things ever made by the game company where I used to work.

Despite the claim on the box, the puzzle is really only about 1/3 of the fun.

All right, bedtime looms. Wish me luck.