The New Man of the House

Ron just started a new job, where he's working second shift. So, I'm essentially a single parent in the afternoons and evenings. The first morning of this new schedule, Ron said that he gave Sammy a talk about how he was now going to be the man of the house, and how he needed to look out for Natalie and me.

I laughed it off, thinking it was cute but that it wouldn't mean anything to Sammy. He's not even three years old yet, and he's going to understand what it means to be the man of the house?

Monday afternoon, I got home with the kids and we decided to make some crafts. I needed to make a copy of a pattern on the scanner, so I went into the office to do that, leaving the kids busily digging through the craft box. A couple of minutes later, Sammy charged down the hall past the office, muttering something about "getting her a diaper". Alarmed, I high-tailed it out of the office to see Natalie, bare naked, in the changing position on the living room floor. Since her diaper was only wet, there was no harm done and I waited to see what would happen next.

Sammy ran back down the hall with a dry diaper and looked disappointed that I had appeared. He informed me he wanted to do it all himself, and I told him to go right ahead. And he did. He needed just a little bit of help to get the diaper centered underneath her, but he completed the job by himself.

Then, at suppertime, he insisted that he needed to sit by Natalie. I traded places with him, and he helped her eat her entire supper. Then he entertained her while I did dishes.

Wow! Maybe it was just a fluke, but it seems like Ron's talk might have sunk in.