I’ve complained from time to time about having no childcare, such as this past Friday, Saturday, and the upcoming work week. Having no childcare can be a huge hassle. Just being able to trade off every now and then so you can go to the bathroom or fix lunch without “help” is huge – especially since C is currently hooked on “washing” her hands, so I can’t turn on the water without her crying because she wants to wash her hands!

A few years ago, a friend said that one bonus about having kids was becoming less selfish. It’s something I’ve thought about often over the years, and I’m seeing even more now the truth in what she said. It’s not just that having kids means occasionally going fishing, uck, or allotting massive quantities of time for baseball or soccer. When you have a baby, or a toddler, you literally don’t even have minutes or seconds to yourself, unless you can squeeze in a few Elmo minutes. And let me take this opportunity to mention how much I love Elmo. And Francis. And any other show that captivates C long enough for me to wash my hands after changing her diaper.

But it is really cool getting to spend so much time with C, and we’re really getting to know each other even better than before. I think I am not exaggerating when I suggest that C is closer to her dad than 90% of toddlers are to their dads. It’s in the time we spend together. I’ve always spent a lot of time with her. Even when my mom is not at the beach, I read her books and find the time to play some with her, just because I enjoy her. But this week is a reminder of just how much time I do not spend with her.

I am really lucky that she likes her dad so much, but I just wish I had some backup so I could go to the bathroom in peace!