Today, Sir Monkeypants goes back to work. I think we’re both tense about it. He’s wondering how he’ll get to spend quality fun time with his three little ones, and maintain his usual go-getting work schedule. I’m just wondering how I’m going to survive.

Back when Gal Smiley was born, Sir Monkeypants took a 3-month paternity leave as well. After about 2 1/2 months, I was more than ready to be a full-time mother of two, and kind of shooed him back to work. Off with you boy! Give me some space to clean my kitchen!

This time around, I don’t feel ready, and it’s scary. I don’t know how I’m going to make the daily schedule work, or how I’m going to make sure that each of our three kids is getting all the time that they need. These past 3+ months that has been home has been like a wonderful vacation for me, and now it’s all over. And I don’t mean vacation in terms of less work — with the new baby around, there’s more than enough chores and running around to do and sleep to catch up on. I mean it’s been a huge mental vacation, a freedom from stress. I can answer the needs of the baby at any time and I don’t have to worry about what the other two are doing. I can take care of any one of the kids, and if another emergency arises, there is someone else there, someone I trust absolutely, to respond to the call. I rarely have to worry about the safety of the Captain and the Gal while I’m busy nursing the baby, or the state of the house while I’m off giving the Wee One a bath. It’s taken care of, and that freedom from worry has been like a fabulous all-expenses paid trip to Club Med in Cancun for my brain.

So now that it’s back to work for me, too, it’s time to move into survival mode. We’ll be basically spending our time inside, trying to find activities to fill the gaps between the baby’s naps, and using the TV as little as possible. My goals for each day: get school kids there and back; get at least a couple of naps in for the Wee One; make it to bedtime with my sanity intact.

Welcome to Day One.