Shifting to 2nd Shift

We are starting a new routine this week. I'm not quite sure what it will look like, or for how long it will last, but we are giving it a try. Nathan started his new job on Tuesday - 2nd shift - four, 10 hour days. That's quite different from the regular 9-5, M-F. It's very different when I'm a stay at home mom, who has young children not yet in school, and who makes dinner every night, goes out with other moms in the morning....it kind of switches up everything I'm used to.

I can already see some neat aspects to it. First of all, it's super fun to wake-up with Nathan here. Now, it's been quite hard for the kids to say goodbye to him two days in a row, as he usually was gone for a few hours before they woke-up. But, it's pretty cool to know he'll always be around in the morning.

Plus, that gives me some freedom in the morning when stores, doctors, dentists and other businesses are open. I can go to appointments or meet with people in the morning hours without having to always ask one of my mom friends to watch a kid. A super neat part of working 2nd shift with young kids, is that Nathan can come with us to our regular morning activities - library, the park, gymnastics, etc. He has never gotten to see those things happen; he usually just has to hear about how they went. How fun!

I am still trying to decide if having him home in the morning makes the day go more quickly, or seem longer. I'm sure that will just depend on the day; but it does definitely shift everything later. For the past two days I've made "dinner" for "lunch" and then nap time begins when he leaves. After nap we've gone out - just to get out of the house - and then had a later dinner, with play time afterwards.

I can see these work hours lending themselves to a bit more TV for the kids, a bit more time spent at the mall....I shouldn't take my wallet.....and a bit less "us" time for the two of us. I am excited that he will have three days off each week, although they will rotate each month.

Come to think of it, this 2nd shift deal only lasts for a few weeks....then onto 3rd shift for that part of his training. Finally his official schedule will begin, and I think it will be 3rd - but who really knows? I guess we'll just have to be flexible....that's the hardest part of all!