It’s been an interesting couple of weeks.

My ex. has had to go to Europe for work (accompanied by her usual day-to-day support – Grandma!) and with our kids being in school, it fell to me to be Mr Mum.

So, I packed and moved from my apartment in Grey Lynn to her house in Howick. (It was more straightforward for me to be in Howick as the schooling is close, as are the extra-curricular activites).

Apart from her calling me in panic from the flight to Hong Kong on the first day to check that I remembered to collect the kids from school, it has been smooth sailing.

However, by ‘smooth sailing’, I mean a ‘complete and utter change-up of my routine, massive reduction in available daytime hours to do my usual work, earlier rising, school lunch making, school uniform/PE gear washing and ironing, dinner cooking, writing proposals and actual work starting at 8pm’.

The initial shock to the system passed after the first weekend. It’s the common idea of ‘oh, another Monday. We did this last week already’ that makes things easier. I am proud of the fact that my kids got to school on time, in good condition, with requisite food, and were picked up on time, every single day. I got them to gymnastics and ice-skating class on time. This is winning.

I have settled in to the routine but I have felt utterly isolated. I have had to fit my life around those of my kids. I work longer hours. I don’t get to see anybody. My usual people are reduced to calls, emails, texts and Facebook status updates.

So this is what working solo mothers do, huh? It’s exhausting. I have a new respect and a deeper understanding of how other people live.

^sd

Sidenote: Living in Howick and working in Auckland-town is untenable. You lose 2hrs to traffic each and every day. I’ve not missed this at all.