One Income

Staying home with my children rather than getting a job and putting them in day care never seemed like a choice to me.

It seemed like a gift.

A gift from Adam.

Because of his skills, education, and blistering hard work, he has gifted me with days of time spent with three people I adore.

Back when they were younger and I had long hard days filled with dirty diapers, runny noses, sippy cups and endless Barney, I would relate my angst to Adam.  I would enviously tell him, "At least you get to be around ADULTS."

He rarely said it but I can see now what he was always thinking, "At least you get to be around our children."

Because it's been a sacrifice for Adam.  He adores our children as much as I do and he knows about their daily lives largely from the retelling.  He wishes he could spend more time with them.  He feels sorrow when he can't.

Because he's Adam though, clever and creative, he does know exactly how to weave our children into his life as much as possible.  Take last night for example.  He wearily climbed the steps to our house after his long day.

Then he was pummeled by children running down the hall to greet him.  And those children aren't getting any smaller.

Dad's home and it's really what we've been waiting for all day.  All of us.

We sat down to dinner that had been waiting for him because we'd all rather go hungry awhile than eat without Adam.  Mark wondered if he could trade places with Adam at the table and sit by me instead of across from me.

Adam delighted Mark by saying, "Sure, then I can see your mom better."  Mark repeated it to me several times, happy to have parents that love each other.

We ate and Adam asked Mark about his school day.  He listened to the description of the movie the boys had watched after their work was done.  He listened to Emma complain that they watched it without her.  He mildly pointed out that her work hadn't been done.

After a quick dinner and Family Home Evening where Mark stood next to the couch where Adam was seated with his arm around Adam's shoulder, Adam played Lego Star Wars with Mark for a few minutes.  Precious time for Mark.  Time to share his latest passion.  It was well after bedtime and Mark was sent off and Adam read over the research papers Braeden and Emma have been working on.  He's a much better writer than I am and we needed an expert's opinion.

He gave them his analysis, soothed their egos, praised their work, scrawled his accolades on their papers with a green pen and sent them smiling to bed.

Adam reads the books Braeden reads (late into night...the only time he can) so they can talk about them.  Adam reads the stories and poetry Emma writes and gives her meaningful praise.  He shares inside jokes with them.  He would let them stay up all night, chatting with him if it weren't for me who is ready for them to go to bed so I can have Adam to myself.

After all that.  After all he does for all of us, he wonders how he can see our children more.  He misses them.  We worries he's not being a good enough dad.

Being the self appointed expert of our family, I want to give Adam this ringing endorsement.  You are enough.  You are enough and more.

And we appreciate you.