Another week has flown by. A long weekend where I tried to cram a lot of activity into a short space of time, and managed it with few regrets. I mentioned to someone at work that it is now quite odd to be out of the house after 9pm: part of wanting to be home with the family, rather than out trailblazing. Unusually, I saw a DVD at a friend’s house that had me out past this witching hour. Worthwhile, yes, but there’s always a sense that somewhere else I’m missing out on something valuable.
But enough regrets. On to the review of the week. A teaspoon continues to be an amazing tool for both distraction and entertainment, second only to whatever is going on around young Puff. Saturday saw us take a trip to Leichhardt markets (which are paradoxically in Lilyfield, not all that close to Leichhardt) where Puff managed some significant sight-seeing. From there, we went to Birchgrove for coffee and some lunch.
A very tired (by then) Puff was scooped back into the car for the drive home and a nap, before dinner at a Japanese restaurant in Hurstville. There was a bit of a wait for a table (outside, wearing a beanie) but eventually we made it into the restaurant where he wolfed down some vegetables, and then had the rare opportunity to spend time with a whole branch of the family tree at once – even a great aunt and uncle and a second cousin were there! Everyone had a chance to interact with him, and he remained in a spectacularly good temper.
Sunday was a bit more of a day of rest, although we managed a trip to grind and to the evening service of church. This week he showed his first inclination to crawl off the designated play areas at church and try and explore further into the building. Dad was there to head him off at the pass, though it’s a little sad to realise that the days of having him content to sit and play with toys have almost come to an end. Watching the other kids at church – those who are slightly older – with their attempts to walk and their even faster movements is sobering indeed.
Monday (we had a long weekend) saw a visit from uncle Mark, a roast chicken being cooked, and an attempt to take a photo with one of his soft toys – the cuddly monkey. Here’s our best effort.
Tuesday saw Dad coming home late after some important (?) shopping, and only catching the tail end of the bath. It’s cliche to talk about how different my priorities were before Puff arrived, but it bears pausing to observe the new challenges involved in choosing to spend time with Puff, or time in other pursuits. It’s really important to me to be the best Dad I can possibly be, and yet to continue working and learning and making a difference to other people. There are no easy answers, and even to consider the question takes time that could be spent on other pursuits. I suspect this challenge will never be resolved: all that can be done is to try and make the best choice, and keep improving the choices that I make.