Taylor Buzzard: Advice for Fathers
A guest post by Taylor Buzzard:Greetings, Buzzard Blog readers. Mrs. Buzzard reporting. I am happy to announce that I am back on the blogging band-wagon. Four score and seven moons ago (or, mid-2008), I wrote two blog posts, only to disappear without explanation. Toddlerhood, pregnancy, preparing the home for another child, birth, and adjusting to mothering two sons kept me away from contributing to the blogosphere. But I'm back and I'm sticking around (Justin's holding me to this: he wouldn't publish this post until I had my second post written--smart man.).So, why this sudden change? This past weekend Justin gave me a golden gift. He took our lovable, energetic 2-year-old son to Sacramento to visit his grandparents for the weekend. And, by so doing, he gave me the home to myself for over 48 hours. What rejuvenation I experienced! I took a giant step back from the unceasing demands of daily life, I took deep breaths, and I rested. Who would have thought that two full days alone in my home could make such a difference for this woman, but they did.And I said that I was alone...that's kind of funny, I actually wasn't alone at all. I spent the whole weekend with my sweet 3-month-old son by my side. But, he doesn't talk, or move, or put himself in dangerous situations, or make much of a mess. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have had absolutely zero care-taking responsibility throughout the weekend. That just might have put me into shock.During my personal retreat weekend, I got to thinking about the bigger picture. I began to think beyond what to serve for breakfast, which park to visit, when to go to the grocery store, and how to effectively disciple my toddler. And I realized that Justin prodding me to continue blogging was also God prodding me to continue blogging. It's good for me, it challenges me, and it gets me out of peanut butter and burping.In conclusion, the point of this blog post is to tell men that it is a great idea to get the post-infanthood children out of the house for a weekend and leave your wife to enjoy her home in peace and solitude. Going to visit grandparents is a smart way to make this happen, as you can count on extra hands for crowd control. If you are not yet a husband or a father, tuck this tip away for later use. You will really like the refreshed woman to whom you return.