My husband works the night shift a couple of times a week.

I love my husband and I miss him on the nights he's gone, but I have to admit that I've come to treasure those nights he works too ... because my 6-year-old son Will and I get to spend some precious hours alone.

Will and I have come to refer to the nights Andy works as "Hamburger Helper Night" (my husband hates Hamburger Helper and Will and I love it, so that's what we have for supper when we're left to our own devices).

The evening starts when I pick Will up from Area 30 childcare. Then we stop at the store if we need something (like those fizzy eggs for his bath that disintegrate and produce a little dinosaur or a bag of his favorite candy, Gummi Bears). We usually dawdle a little bit, looking at decorations for whatever holiday is coming up or browsing through the lawn and garden section in the spring.

Occasionally, we'll stop at the video store to pick up some movies or Wii games.

Then we come home. Will helps me make supper, and we eat on TV trays in the living room while watching "Drake & Josh" or "iCarly" (this is a real treat for both of us ... Andy is really big on all of us sitting down at the kitchen table and eating). When that's done, Will helps me do dishes, and then we do his homework.

Then it's bath time. When I help Will wash his hair, he likes for me to make him a shampoo mohawk and hold up a hand mirror so he can see. When he gets out of the tub, I wrap him in his hooded towel with the shark on it and give him a big "warm-me-up hug."

After Will gets into his pajamas, our Jack Russell Terrier Bruiser and I lay down in his bedroom with him, where we read books, watch a movie, or just talk about our days. When his eyelids start to get heavy and he starts yawning, I tell him I'm going to slip out, but that I'll be back to check on him.

It's usually about 10 minutes before he's snoring, and I'm standing in the doorway of his bedroom gazing at the wonder of him (and Bruiser, who stays with Will most of the night, is looking back at me to let me know he's got things handled and I can be on my way). It's then that I thank God for loaning me this beautiful, wonderful, amazing boy who I love so much it makes my heart physically hurt.

Right now, Will is the sweetest, most sensitive child I have ever met in my life. But I know in a few years, he's going to turn a corner, at least for a while, and be insufferable for a while ... just like all kids do.

Even though I know that's coming, I also know I will always have these memories of the quality time Will and I had together when it was just the two of us.

When he's 16 and I've grounded him, when he slams his bedroom door on me, I'll be able to think about Hamburger Helper Night and think, "Wow ... those were sweet days."