Happy Valentines Day to you all. We really aren’t into Valentine’s Day here. It feels to me like a marketing holiday, but with little kids around, what’s not to love about a day to wear red, play with construction paper and heart stickers, make cookies, and refer to each other by a new name, “Valentine”?
Last night I was still feeling under the weather, today too for that matter. It’s starting to feel like sinus infection. Yuk. When The Narrator reminded me he had tickets to a college basketball game, I groaned. Under normal circumstances I would have enjoyed going, but I just couldn’t handle any more noise and I really want to take it easy and kick this junkiness in my head. So I opted to stay home with T-Rex and he and Little Miss Sunshine headed out for a night of fun.
Can I tell you how much a few hours of one-on-one with that little man did my soul good? When I had him, my heart doubled in size. I’ve heard from older parents that this tends to be the case with each child. However, I feel like my brain was sliced in half. Seriously. I’ve told you before that I can’t remember things or finish things and I’m continually reminding myself that the milk does NOT belong in the pantry! Along with this distractedness I feel I’ve missed so many of the little things along the path of his development. At this age, Little Miss still had me all to herself and I reveled in each new thing she did. One day, T-Rex picked up Little Miss’s sippy cup and started drinking. Soon after was the end of bottles. I didn’t even know he was interested in a cup. Last week, he had a serious meltdown when I tried to put him in the high chair for lunch. He looked me in the eyes and non-verbally said, ” I am NOT a baby and I do NOT belong in a high chair. I belong at the table in a booster like my sister.” The high chair has been sitting in the garage ever since. He also insists on having a fork or spoon at each meal and feeding himself. He proudly shows me each pea he spears as if he grew it himself. I’ve never seen a child want so badly to be big. Whatever he sees older kids doing, he’s determined he can do too. I’m sure it’s quite annoying that Mama keeps showing up to assist him and prevent the inevitable loss of tooth or broken bone that would ensue.
But last night, he had my whole brain. I couldn’t have been more delighted as we colored, drove the cars around the floor, read books, and ate a bowl of ice cream. He was apparently delighted with the ice cream too. With each bite he held up his spoon and with the cheesiest grin said, “AHAHAHAH!!!!” As I put him to bed we cuddled in the rocking chair. He started pointing to the stuffed animals in the net above us saying, “That! That!” I stood up and he grabbed a toy. He repeated, “That!” and the grabbing of toys until he had more than the 2 of us could hold. “Bud, you can’t take all of these to bed, there won’t be any room for you!” He settled on a giraffe and then as soon as I sat down started, “That!” all over again.
It was a wonderful evening.
We echo your sentiments about the marketing scheme most holidays have fallen prey to and have our own “weird” family V-day activities like making pink, purple, red and white tablescapes with things we already have, making cards out of recycled materials or pure creativity, moving furniture around so we can snuggle on the couch in front of a fire and watch a DVD, and just generally love on each other. Cost, $0, priceless! I know what you mean about one-on-one time. The 2nd and ensuing children get a little overlooked, and never cease to amaze me at what they have learned on their own without me. Their independence is staggering to me. Today, on V-day, I echo you in saying “I heart one-on-one time”.
Jenna, your tablescapes sound very delightful and something that Little Miss Sunshine would greatly enjoy. She gets a little obsessive about the decorating as I discovered at Christmas! Hmm..wonder where she gets that. I’ve determined to find more times for one-on-ones and the Narrator is game too, so it should be fun!
Looks like you’re getting a taste of what the Narrator was like when that young. Very determined to do what big sister was doing and had no concept of why he couldn’t. Fun times. The one on one’s are always very precious. As they get older those times seem to disappear. It becomes important to look for them, make them happen, and treasure them in your heart.
Nana, I think we are watching each other grow up and it is quite enlightening and funny! We’ll be making the most of one on one time while we can!