Transitions, transitions

Tripped Up Daddy and I both accepted new full-time gigs this past week. His new job with a local company, offers a nice salary, excellent benefits and an easy commute. Mine offers really, really long hours, crappy pay, no benefits to speak of, yet somehow the rewards are amazing. Tripped Up Daddy will take his computer geekiness self out of the house to work full-time at the company he just recently joined. At the same time, I begin my role of full-time Mommy/education director/recreation supervisor/chauffeur/cook/household manager/domestic goddess, and part-time blogger/freelance writer/communication specialist/marketing strategist.

It sounds like we're all in for some big changes. Tripped Up Daddy has not been away from the triplets for 8 to 10 hours a day since they were just a year old. Me? Well, I haven't spent 8 to 10 hours a day with them alone since they were 15 months. The 3 months between 12 months and 15 months are kind of a blur. He was home, yet not, as we worked through the beginning of a long two year transitional period that encompassed unemployment, job search, full-time schooling, full-time work, internship, part-time single parenting, and so much more. Our triplets are nearly three years old - it's a different world for both of us - for all of us.

I think it's pretty amazing that my younger daughters had the opportunity to spend so much time with their daddy early on in life like that. I hope they each established a strong relationship with him that will always hold an extra special bond. Recently I have been fascinated by the role playing Sunshine triplet is doing in her play. Her Barbie-type dolls have a Daddy and a Mommy, with a small girl. Daddy is the doll who holds the little girl and comforts her. While the Mommy doll gets plenty of hugs and kisses from her too, it's still the Daddy she gravitates toward. And, for some reason, there are more Daddy dolls than Mommy dolls in the container (not sure exactly why... these are leftover toys from Lotte's younger years that Sunshine simply happened upon one day). It's interesting to watch your kids play and reflect their life - I hope it means that my daughters will grow up to expect their own children's fathers to take an active part in the child-rearing.

I used to think we were a fairly non-traditional family - a blended family with multiples, a Mr. Mom family. In fact, we're not that unusual at all. More and more families have a stay-at-home dad because of the recession. This television season is filled with pilots that feature stay-at-home dads in some way. However, our Mr. Mom is headed back to work full-time, and Mama is coming home to take care of the kids again while working from home. Maybe we do still buck the trends a bit as we head back toward traditional while it seems like others are doing the opposite. Who knows? Anyway, I hope you're ready to take a ride with us as we move through all these transitions. It ought to be fun!