We didn't know when, but we did know it would happen some day.
Since February 2009, Ellen (my wife) has been at home full-time, initially as nest-featherer in anticipation of our second born, and then as nest occupier with both boys. She has been chirping keenly ever since whilst Daddy returned each workday evening from the clutches of the corporate world.
As of today, this is now over.
Ellen returned to work this morning and was just a tad apprehensive about the whole thing.
On one hand, she has not been working under the finger-pointing authority and shrill directive of a 'boss' for almost a year now. Maybe a year to the day. I haven't been counting.
But on the other hand, bless her, she was was more concerned about how her flight would impact on little Ben and Ciaran - 2 years 8 months and 10 months respectively.
I reassured her that it would be good for the kids to interact with other kids their age - emphasis on the latter - on a more frequent basis. Also, speaking from experience, I told her that she would find her time with them more rewarding as a result.
I also tried to make her view the whole scenario less from a regime-change point of view and more from a step-change point of view.
Yes, she would be working full time four days a week, but another way of viewing this is 4 days in the office and 3 days at home with the boys. It was almost a 50-50 split. Hardly an exodus.
Yesterday was Valentine's Day, which helped I guess.
She threw herself into baking me a raspberry cream sponge cake for Valentine's Day to take her mind off things and I surprised her with a bouquet of mixed carnations and a box of expensive chocolates.
Anyway, Mummy's off to work again and the kids' successful trial sessions at nursery augur well for the coming weeks and months ahead. They'll be fine.
Ben will soon resume his normal routine of protesting loudly when we take him away from nursery.
And Mummy will soon prefer a morning latte to a morning tantrum.
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