When the girls were about 16 months old, I wrote a post
entitled, “The Cloak of Oblivion”.
I did my best to engage the girls…reading countless books
every day, playing to their hearts’ desires, and narrating every last detail
seemingly incessantly. Occasionally,
though, I just needed a break…a chance to sit quietly and rest my brain and my vocal
chords, or perhaps indulge in a caffeinated confection.
I tried not to do it too often, but – when the circumstances
dictated – I would load the girls in the car and make a loop through the
Starbucks drive-thru. I rationalized
that the girls were enjoying the sights along the way, and listening to kiddie
music during the 15-minute round-trip.
If I didn’t want to leave the house, I could at least escape across the
baby gate, to the comfort of the kitchen, and enjoy a mini Kit Kat.
The girls were blissfully oblivious to Mommy needing a break…and
that little break really did this mommy good!
As I may have mentioned (tears dripping on my keyboard as I
typed), Baby A has decided she’s too old to nap. All in all, we’re doing OK. B still naps for about an hour and a half,
and A plays [mostly] quietly for an hour-ish, and then she and I enjoy a little
bit of one-on-one time.
This is well and good, and I know it’s part of the natural
evolution as the girls grow older…EXCEPT…it means that I have ZERO time BY
MYSELF during the course of the day.
Additionally, the girls are anything but blissfully
oblivious. They are the most curious of
kitty cats. I am ultimately very
thankful they are so inquisitive…but boy, does it leave me missing my cloak at
times.
There’s zero chance I can sneak into the kitchen for a bite
of chocolate. (Now I understand those “jokes”
about moms hiding in the closet to eat a candy bar!)
The girls are not usually game for a nice little ride into
town, for the sole purpose of Mommy getting a coffee.
Heck, from sunup to sundown, I don’t even go to the bathroom
by myself.
Oh, what I wouldn’t sometimes give for a new cloak…but I
guess it would have to one of invisibility, and I’m thinking that’s not very
likely.
To the positive, I guess I’ll be thankful that my diet is
perhaps a little better these days, my indulgences so limited. That's ultimately a good thing, especially with the holiday candy season upon us (defined [by me] as the time between Halloween and Easter, when all the good candy is available).
4 comments:
I don't think I understood how important 'me' time was until I didn't have any.
When the girls go to bed, I race downstairs to do... NOTHING! Poor Adam - I ignore him completely and sit in front of my computer for a solid hour before I'm ready to engage in any activity... even TV watching with him. Lame, right?
I love, love LOVE spending my days adventuring with the twins, but I just need an hour of time with me, myself, and I.
And, there is almost always chocolate consumed once those little angels are in bed. :)
oh man, i feel for you.
What time does J get home? I would take my me time the minute he walks in the door (good bonding time for him and the girls) and go have some chocolate in the kitchen :) :)
So do you not use the hour while A is busy doing quiet stuff?
I take my me time even if one baby is awake - I make them go get some books and read next to me (still teaching them to read quietly like I do :))
Oh gosh, this is so hard. My girls gave up their naps right when they turned three. I fought it for so long and we all just ended up angry and frustrated.
One of the things I have learned though is to tell them that Mommy is taking her own quiet time in the afternoon. I put on the tea pot and I sit at the computer for 20 minutes. It took a lot of ignoring them in the beginning and reminding them that I would help them when my quiet time was over but now they entertain themselves for the time. Usually, they get so engrossed in their own games that I can get half an hour. I figure it is a win-win. I get some peace and quiet and they learn how to be independent and respect boundaries.
If all else fails, join a gym with childcare! I workout at the Y every morning and the girls get to play with other kids while being supervised by someone else! It's another win-win.
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