What I Learned This Weekend

1. The single parents who make the best of it, you have my eternal respect. And I say that knowing my weekend alone with the boys didn't remotely approach the hardships that single-parent homes deal with on a daily basis.

2. The boys will NOT be ignored! You do so at your own peril. They were not shy about expressing their feelings whenever they felt we needed to go outside or they needed something to eat or drink. Part of me was proud of their assertiveness, and part of me was at wits' end if it happened while I was telecommuting or in the middle of a phone call with one of my reporters. During one such conversation, I had to lock myself in the bathroom.

3. I consider myself an involved/engaged father, but I still found myself pleasantly surprised during small moments such as...

--Asher quietly reading to himself (he pores over his books like a Rabbi pores over the Talmud) and running to me for help when he doesn't recognize a word.

--Noe harrumphing and stomping off to his room after I told him to keep his voice down, then in a quiet moment later on offering a smile and a kiss when all was forgiven (The first part sounds bad, but trust me, I'm happy when he shows any kind of emotion that isn't stimmy or withdrawn).

--Noe and Asher riding the Reston trails together on their bikes, and Noe staring down Asher every time he'd blow past him up a hill, a la Lance Armstrong during a mountain stage.

--Any time the boys would be cracking each other up about something and having their laughter fill the house.

4. The boys are really growing up fast. It's exciting, but it also makes me wonder where the time went.

5. People talk about having a regular date night, but I think a mom having an occasional weekend away from the kids can be pretty refreshing. Certainly, work and other circumstances make that tough for most of us. But if it can be had, take it.