Quality Time

I started my Friday night as I usually do, tired and anxious for the kids to go to bed so that I can do the same. After reading to Janie and spending some time snuggling, she began the guilt trip! This happens every few weeks or so but this was the first time in over a month, I would say. She asked when the boys were going to go to a place like Grammie's for a while so that we could just hang out, watch a movie together, eat Hamburger Helper (her fav), make popcorn, do our nails and sleep together. Basically, she was referring to her life before-brothers. Yikes! This was followed by "why can't you just be a stay-at-home-mom?" A common questions that I have become fairly numb to.

So I spent much of my evening trying to figure out how to make this all work. How do you raise twin boys that demand so much right now while maintaining a relationship and the needs of a mature, intelligent but sometimes needy 6-year old girl? And truth be told, our schedule does revolve around the boys. It isn't always easy, in fact it sometimes hurts. You question whether you are doing things right, whether you are giving enough, whether you are selfish at times. As I always say, you just want to make thing great for your kids.

The great part is that we had a fantastic rest of the weekend. We spent some good time on Sat. night playing ball and bike riding after the babies had gone to bed. When I asked Janie what she wanted to do, she said "really??? - we can just do something?" Am I that neglectful? On Sunday, the day was pretty much about her. When the boys took there morning nap, Mike Janie and I hung out outside as she showed us all of her bike tricks. ( I do feel like I have missed a bit. I didn't know that she could skid out or pop wheelies)Then we went grocery shopping, Mike took her bowling, I went on a bike ride with her and then Daddy and she went for ice cream. We topped the day of with a little toe nail painting all while watching Little House on the prairie. She told me yesterday "it was fun hanging out with you today". Oh, and I forgot - Our conversation on the bike ride was all about the cars that she is going to have. Apparently, her first car is going to be a red convertible. Her second, a silver Saturn and her third a silver Jeep. She might get a black convertible for her second car but she is not sure yet. Who is paying for all of this?