Sarah says: Still so good! In my attempt to make this bottle last as long as possible, I'm only drinking it when Jon isn't here! hehe... this way I don't have to share. Shhh... don't tell him :-)
I had an afternoon of sweet bliss again today. I spent quality time with my little lady. Here's the thing, I often feel that my Mary is neglected, mostly by me. It's not that she doesn't get any love or attention, in fact, she gets loads of attention. She LOVES being the center of it all. People constantly tell her how adorable and beautiful she is, and she just soaks it all in. But, for the most part, most of that praise doesn't come from me.
I made the decision many years ago that I would be a working Mom, and I don't regret that decision. But, that doesn't mean I don't worry if my kids suffer as a result of it. I often fear Mary's lack of motherly influence will impact her in the future. I'm gone most of her day, on good days I'm able to brush her hair before heading out the door, but more often than not she's left with a quick hug and kiss, and won't see me for 8+ hours. When I get home, it's dinner, baths and reading time... but the most of that reading time is spent going over the many books Liam is sent home with each week (he gets books from his teacher, books from the reading specialist, and books from the library... not that I'm complaining, I love the help we are getting for him!!), very rarely does Mary get a say in the books, and often is not interested in them. If there's time, I'll quiz Liam on his spelling words that week, or on some math problems. I'm completely aware that Mary often gets put on the back burner, she's a good sport about it though, bless her heart. Mary is totally content coloring a picture, or tending to the needs of her many baby dolls, and I take advantage of that.
I always have intentions of spending more time with Mary on the weekends, but often life gets in the way. Liam will have extra homework that needs tending to, chores have been pilling up (Jon does do most of the chores, but some, mostly taking care of the litter box, are just mine, and need to get done, really really bad), friends will want to hang out, and to be totally selfish... I try to squeeze in some extra me time too (ie.. a long run, followed by a longer than necessary shower). My sweet, sassy, Mary gets skipped again. I almost wish she'd complain about it more, it's harder to avoid something that is pushing in your face. But again, Mary just lets it roll off her back.
But today, TODAY, I made it happen. Everything was done, and the afternoon was quiet. Liam, crazy as he was, played outside for two hours!! (I did make him come in and thaw out once) And during that time, Mary and I got our fix of each other. We played Busy Town, a game that I am convinced was created by someone without kids, but it was Mary's pick, so that's what we did. By the way, you can only see about half the board in his pic, it's obnoxious. We snuggled and drank hot chocolate. We played Barbie, and had a dance party.
Today, my sweet bliss came in the form of a soon to be 5 year old girl. She made me feel like a Mommy again, not just an occasional caregiver. She doesn't hold a grudge against me, she doesn't make me feel guilty, she just takes what she can get and runs like wild with it. She hugs me and kisses me, and warms my nose with hers. She "helps" me in the kitchen, and she allows me to take an extra space to two forward when I'm totally loosing the game so I won't be sad. She accepts me for who I am, she appreciates me, she loves me. And that is the sweetest bliss of all.
With this wine following as a close second, it's totally awesome.
What's your bliss?
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