Nina had minor surgery on July 23rd and is doing great in her recovery. I had July 23rd, July 26th, July 30th, and August 6th off from work and it was nice not to have to work and take care of Niko at the same time. Because, when I did have to work, it was a bit stressful for me to balance doing everything, being a dad, a husband, and an employee. And, at that same time, I had to take care of myself.
Mornings and afternoons weekdays go well for Niko and I as we have camped out upstairs. We have a large sofa with plenty of room for both of us. I bring food and drinks up throughout the day for us and Nina. Nina hangs out in the bedroom as that is the most comfy place for her; she does come out several times for a walk.
The real stress maker with Niko comes in the late afternoon. It’s a struggle for me to get him clean, get his pajamas on, get him to stop playing video games, and get him to stop watching his iPad. One of the easiest things for me is putting him down to sleep.
Finally, after he is sleeping, I have my alone time downstairs. I don’t do anything thrilling; I clean the kitchen, take the trash and recycling outside, eat and drink (lemonade iced tea or plain lemonade), read a book, write some words, take a short walk, read some headlines on the web, and check social media a 1000 times to see what is happening in the world. After all that, I go upstairs and read for a few more minutes and by that time, I know when to turn the book off and drift into a good sleep. I am then woken up by my 2:30 am alarm to get Niko for a quick pee. Then, back to bed until he calls for me.
