Routines

My four year old, Zoe, just went to bed. Every night we watch movies or cartoons until she falls asleep on my shoulder. Then, I carry her up to her bed, tuck her in, and get some work done before I lay down beside her in her princess bed. She calls it this because she has Disney princess sheets and pillow cases.

My wife, Wendy, sleeps with our younger daughter, Waverly. Wavy, as we call her, will be six months old next month. They start to bed around seven, but their routine takes a little longer. Wavy likes to eat her solids, then her formula, and then play awhile before calling it a night. Playing, for her, consists of lying on her back, laughing at her mommy, and trying to catch her toes. She puts up a fight every night, but somewhere around 8:30 or 9:00 she and Wendy fall asleep.

This hasn't always been our routine. Before Wavy was born, we all slept in the same bed in mine and Wendy's room. Me, Wendy, Zoe, and our dog Macy. Macy is a 100 lb German Shepard and Lab mix. Zoe loved sleeping with her mommy, and it was hard on her when Wavy came along. But one night, I'm not sure when, we started watching movies together to buy some time for Wendy to get Wavy to sleep. Now it's our routine. Funny how routines change over time.

For the longest time, I considered myself a musician. I lived to play and actually hacked out a living at it. Then, I wanted to be a writer and scholar, and worked hard to get through an English degree. I taught high school for a little while and somewhere along the way picked up web development and programming. Now I consider myself a programmer, but really it's only some small part of who I am.

I don't make a living playing music anymore, but I still love to play when I can. I never managed to finish my Masters in English, but I still read a lot of serious fiction and poetry. I don't know how long I'll write code, but I'm sure I always will no matter what my next career. Routines are funny that way. One gives way to another, each one leaving its impression, small shifts in behavior that over time inform who we are.

Posted by deryck on March 19, 2007

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