Enjoying the Girls

For those of you who haven't been around me much, I should let you know that I am a task-oriented person. The rest of you already knew that, so we can continue from there. It's hard for me to slow down, put down the palm and just enjoy my kids sometimes, even though I love them deeply.

This weekend, Brett is out of town at The Grove's Men's Retreat, so I'm getting some extra focused time with the girlios. Of course, I always have plenty of time with them, but this weekend is a little different because I'm not hosting anyone, preparing any gourmet meals or going to work. My urgent to-do list is short, and I've decided to enjoy the weekend and worry about the other tasks on Monday. Anyway, I've had some good moments with the kids this weekend. Nothing special, just reading, hanging out with friends (grown ups and kids) and playing games. Maitlyn and I played Memory yesterday, and she actually could contend with me. Wow! Also, I started formal reading instruction with her about 2 weeks ago, and so we sit and work on phonics about 15 minutes a day. It's been great. She is catching on quickly, and she seems to enjoy the focused attention.

Elspeth gets her focused attention in different ways, like when I have to pin her down to brush her teeth. (It's just a stage, I keep telling myself.) Lately, I have been spending some sweet time with her when she wakes up from her nap. I usually get her out of bed and sit with her for 15 to 30 minutes. Unfortunately, her waking usually occurs right when I need to be preparing dinner, but you just have to seize those moments when you can. I know that Elspeth really needs that time with me and if she doesn't get it, the next 1 hour of dinner preparation is going to be miserable anyway.

Also, can I just say that Maitlyn and Elspeth have been playing together so well lately! They are two peas in a pod. After lunch on Thursday, they played with Little People for over an hour without one single conflict! It amazes me how much they really enjoy being together.

All that to say, I'm enjoying my little ones. They are precious, and I'm privileged to be their mom.