My other pretend alone time

Mama's Little Love Letter has a cold, and no one, least of all Rex, is happy about it.  He's crabby and has been spewing greenish poop for a couple days, and since I hate it when that happens to me, I have tons of sympathy for him.  Plus, he's Mama's Little Love Letter to the World, which is my new nickname for him:  if I had the time to write the universe a love letter, it would be in the form of Rex.  He's adorable and soft and sweet and you just can't get enough of him.  Lately he's become quite a card.  

So the Laurel Hill Preschool Germ Express is running full steam ahead, and in her second week back at school Veronica has already gotten sick.  Now that she's better, we have the answer to her question, "Mommy, where does my cold go when I get over it?"  Clearly, like her old clothes and hand-me-down toys, it goes to her baby brother.  And I'm sure this is not the last time.  

The good news is that, in his funky state, Rex has really gotten into riding in the double stroller. It actually makes him chortle.  The stroller is one of those double-decker jobs where the big kid rides on top, and the little kid gets tucked underneath where he still has a view, albeit only that of people's knees and small dogs.  It's really cool.  Veronica has named it Strolley. If you buy it new, the stroller costs about a zillion dollars, but we somehow found one used and in good shape. It's bright orange and quite fancy.  My husband likes it because it's easy to steer and has a small turning radius, the obvious things a guy would like.  I like it because both kids are self-contained in one place, and since both seats face forward, when I'm pushing it I can't see either one of them.  In fact, I can barely hear them.  It's like I'm out for a walk by myself.

Taking a late-afternoon walk with the kids in Strolley has become, like my morning shower, one of Mommy's pretend-alone zones.  I figure if I can string enough of these pretend-alone situations together, I'll be able to go an entire day without children, at least in theory.  And yesterday I discovered that Strolley comes with a bonus: if I strap the stroller leash to my wrist, I can give the stroller a push, let go of the handle and the whole thing rides out in front of me for a couple of paces.  That's when I really get happy - I am walking, unfettered, in the park!  No kids!  No whining! Just little old me.  It's paradise, and even if it's just for a few seconds, I'll take what I can get.