Friday, November 2, 2007

Quality Time

With Joey in preschool three times a week and Ben still taking morning naps I finally have the privilege of spending some real quality time with Tommy. I have always felt a bit of guilt over the fact that each child I have after Joe will never really know the one on one time that he was able to enjoy. With Tommy being the middle child I feel he probably gets the least amount of time with me. Joey had me all to himself for two years. Ben gets a ton of "me time" simply for the fact that Joey and Tommy play together so nicely much of the time. But Tommy? He seems to have missed out.

The past couple of weeks have been great for us. Joey goes to school and when we get back home I put Ben down for his nap. Tommy waits patiently in his room, looking at books, while I rock Ben to sleep. Can you believe it? A two year old who waits quietly in his room for mommy to put baby to sleep? Sheesh. Trust me, I know how lucky I am.
After about 5-10 minutes Ben is asleep and it is all about Tommy. We make cookies together. We read books. Whatever Tommy wants to do, we'll do. Today we did something really special. We raked leaves together. Tommy loves to be outside, and he loves to help, so the combination of being outside with mumma helping rake leaves was so exciting.
I suppose every parent who has more than one child struggles with this. The delicate balancing act of making sure each child knows that they are loved and cherished. I have always put an awful amount of pressure on myself to make everything "equal" with our boys. I know in reality I can't possibly make sure that fairness and equality will always prevail in our house. But I can try.

I love you, my precious little golden bear.

3 comments:

Kellan said...

Yes - I have 4 and I know the feeling! This was a sweet post and adorable pictures of your little helper. Have a good weekend. See ya.

Beck said...

I have no idea how the balance works out in our household, although The Boy has been getting some extra time by having nightmares and sleeping in his parents bed EVERY NIGHT recently.

Family Adventure said...

Kathryn, I love those pictures. And waiting patiently in his room?! You ARE a lucky mom.

But he's a lucky boy, too, to have a mom so cognizant of each child's needs for some 'special mommy time'.
The guilt is always there, I think, but maybe that's what pushes us to do better? :)

Heidi

Words To Live By

Be grateful for each new day.
A new day that you have never lived before.
Twenty-four new, fresh, unexplored hours to use usefully and profitably.
We can squander, neglect, or use them.
Life will be richer or poorer by the way we use today.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could;
some blunders and absurdities crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day.
You shall begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be
encumbered with your old nonsense.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson