My husband and I share joint physical custody of our two daughters. We each get 3 and a half days. Though you would normally think this would be hard for two young children, they love going back and forth. At first I was reluctant to agree to equal time between us, but I thought that it is barely more time than your standard weekend visitation (the kind that I grew up doing.) It give me time to read and relax and put the house in order. They are both not in school yet and once my 4 year old goes to school (this September) the agreement will have to be rearranged.
I usually drop the girls off Sunday at noon, but this week my husband is going out of town. He lives with his current girlfriend who could take care of the girls during his designated visitation time, but it never made sense to me for him to have the girls if someone else was going to take care of them. So, of course I am spending a little extra time with my kids and little less time online and reading.
I did manage to start Saint Maybe, the new Anne Tyler book I got and I am really enjoying it. I have also been wading my way through Alice Munro's short story "The View from Castle Rock" and I have no idea how I feel about it. I don't know if I am struggling through it or if I just haven't picked the right opportunity to read it where I could really pay attention to it. Or it is possible it is one of those stories that sneaks up on you, that you aren't getting or aren't enjoying but then at the end it suddenly transforms itself into one of your favorite stories.
I usually drop the girls off Sunday at noon, but this week my husband is going out of town. He lives with his current girlfriend who could take care of the girls during his designated visitation time, but it never made sense to me for him to have the girls if someone else was going to take care of them. So, of course I am spending a little extra time with my kids and little less time online and reading.
I did manage to start Saint Maybe, the new Anne Tyler book I got and I am really enjoying it. I have also been wading my way through Alice Munro's short story "The View from Castle Rock" and I have no idea how I feel about it. I don't know if I am struggling through it or if I just haven't picked the right opportunity to read it where I could really pay attention to it. Or it is possible it is one of those stories that sneaks up on you, that you aren't getting or aren't enjoying but then at the end it suddenly transforms itself into one of your favorite stories.
3 and a half days visitation sounds very unique. Must be nice to have the house to yourself for a little, but not too long as it starts to feel lonely.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to hear you're enjoying your book. That is one of the best things about reading: the enjoyment. As for the other, it may also be that your just not in the mood to read it. I've noticed that if I fallow a poorly written book with an ok written one, I love it, but if that ok book fallows a great one, I'll hate it. Hopefully you'll find some enjoyment out of it, even if it is at the end.
I really enjoyed Saint Maybe.
ReplyDeleteIf you and your ex-husband get along well enough to manage this split-week custody, I think that's probably far healthier and happier for your girls than if their parents are always fighting over them or pitting them against each other, like in some families. And I bet anything that you two get less burnt-out that full-time parents do! :)
If it works for you both, then it is a good arrangement.
ReplyDeleteI recently bought an Anne Tyler from a Pavement book Bazaar and yet to read it. I do not have enough time this month. March is a busy month for us, poor teachers!
Here is my Sunday Salon post!
Everyone is writing about Alice Munro at the moment and I've never read anything by her at all. I'm going to have to do something about this. Mind you, I'm not a big short story reader and I've just been sent a new collection by Sophie Hannah. I may well find that enough for the moment.
ReplyDeleteHaven't read the books you are talking about...but I just bought When We Were Grown Ups by Anne Tyler (i think that is the title name!?)I should read it.
ReplyDeletealso lately I have read tons of bloggers talking about Alice Munro...I am very curious!!