Jay went back to work full-time yesterday, and since the baby is “instant priority,” the girls got quite a bit less time. So far today his napping has been better (he was awake at the most inopportune times yesterday: When it was time to make lunch, the beginning of nap-time, dinner-time. Then sleeping after the girls woke up and were expecting a walk.

*sigh*

Today I’ve been able to snuggle them during a movie (the last half-hour+ E was asleep) and make lunch before he woke. Then he was willing to nurse while I read them a couple stories.

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When he first woke, Melody was still at the table. So while I changed Elisha’s diaper I asked Natasha if she would please go ask Melody if she needed help getting down. Natasha went off cheerfully (to my relief– she’s been unpredictable lately) and I heard her asking the question. I couldn’t understand Melody’s reply though, from the back room, so I was pleased when Natasha came trotting back to tell me she’d asked.

“What did Melody say?” I said. Natasha gave me a curious look. “When you asked the question, what was her answer?

With a convincingly blank stare Natasha said, “I don’t remember.”

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I had a surprisingly regular amount of time for my writing projects while Jay was home, and didn’t really think about it. Now I have *nap-time* Yesterday it was only one-handed, since Elisha didn’t sleep when the girls did. I plan to spend it also on sleep, since I am feeling in-need.

Beginning tonight (and for the rest of the week, at least), Jay and I will forgo our habit of computer-time in the evening, in the hope that we will be more disciplined at getting to bed early.

We always have the best intentions (if we went down at nine, I’m convinced our sleep-debt would be halved), but it’s hard to stop a favorite project you’re in the middle of: Jay’s got his game and I’ve got my writing.

So for the next week at least we’ll have to get our “fix” at some other time in the day (which is why I’m willing to split nap-time today). I’ve become more and more convinced that daily writing is like daily scales or exercises on a musical instrument. It might be boring or feel pointless, but it improves the overall quality of the rest of the work.

Sometimes this blog is my “exercise” and sometimes something else is, but I’ve been remarkably consistent, either way, so I’m pretty pleased with myself. Right now any consistency is encouraging.