Once upon a time there was an American girl who fell in love with an English boy, moved to England and got married.
The couple enjoyed every minute they spent together, as the English boy worked long hours. The American girl taught herself to cook and spent most of each day researching new recipes and shopping for ingredients to make a wonderful meal for her husband to come home to.
On weekends the couple slept in, woke leisurely and headed off to the movies or a long drive through the countryside, or shopping in the city. The couple was blissfully happy together but knew something was missing. They desperately wanted to have children.
After a year of trying, the couple was doubly blessed with news that they were expecting twins! Yes, I am that American girl and my husband is that English boy. We have been happily married for 7 years.
For the first 3 years of the children's lives my husband worked 12 hour days away from the home 5 days a week. The year the kids turned 2 was the toughest- with our house being sold, we moved into a rented house and my son's tantrums erupted. He would not leave my side day or night and I found it difficult to cope with his increasing demands while caring for my daughter as well. My husband often came home to one or more of us in tears. We knew we needed to make a change.
In March 2010 my husband quit his job and we packed up sticks and moved across the country to a beautiful, quiet, safe and friendly village. The children started at the local pre-school, we found a lovely church and settled in to our new lives.
I cannot put into words how much better, calmer, easier our lives are now. Of course we have our tough times, but we take each day as it comes, and work hard to keep our relationship and family strong.
Fridays are reserved for my husband and I. We drop the kids off at pre-school and spend the day together. We might tackle a project that needs doing, go out to lunch, or cuddle up to watch a movie. It's our way of enjoying our brief time together, the way we used to do before our lives were turned upside down by children and Autism.
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Bravo for taking the time with your husband! I am such a better mom after a date night with my hubby.
ReplyDeleteAutism can be very challenging to manage! Kudos to you for your honest and for your willingness to make changes to accommodate not the Autism into your life but designating couple time as well!
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