Thursday, June 23, 2011

In need of a clone

Does running around the grocery store for an hour count as getting out and getting active?
It was the kids running, not me.  I just sent apologetic looks to the people they skittered over or cut off.
I did get in a good walk, though. Somehow, when you are shopping with four kids, you forget more than half of your items and end up walking to both ends of the store twice.

A marble jar update:  we are forgetting to add the marbles.  The kids will say "I made my bed" or I finished my job" and I say "okay, good job" but then never remember to actually add the marbles.
We have modified our goal.  After the first two days, we decided to fill the jars to the 8oz mark, which is about half way.  Currently, Connor and Aubrey have their jars filled to the 4 oz mark, and its been almost two weeks since we started.  I haven't figured out yet if this is fast or slow.  I've rethought the prize too.  I don't want my kids to have to 'earn' one on one time with mom or dad.  That's something they deserve no matter what.  In fact, when they start having bad behavior is when I start thinking they need some one on one time.

I got the sudden feeling last week that I was short changing my kids somehow, by mothering all their siblings at the same time as them.  The difficult child consumes most of my energy, leaving little patience for the others. I started wondering if I'd hear more about my oldest's hopes and dreams if it was just the two of us, or about my daughters real thoughts at starting KinderCamp and Kindergarten.
I love to see the interaction between my kids and their siblings, I love the friendships they are forming, the thoughtfulness they develop.  I love that they will grow up with someone else and experience childhood together.

But as a mom, I wish I could stretch more, do more, be more - so that my kids will receive more.

So I have created summer goal number two for our family: carve out time every 2 weeks to take one child on a "date night" of their choosing. This does not include taking turns going to the grocery store with mom. This is all about them, what they have been wanting to do, and doing it with mom or dad's undivided attention.

It shouldn't be as hard as it is, I'm not even shooting for once a week. There are two parents. They can join Dad for a long lunch break during the week.  There are five weekday evenings, not to mention the weekends, and summer nights are long.
It is difficult nonetheless.
But I think making the effort will be worth it.

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