Since Caleb was born Nathan and I are outnumbered in the kid-adult ratio. Because of this we’ve decided to become a lot more intentional about having one-on-one time with the boys. I try to get some one on one with each of the boys each day even if it is just one story or a few minutes cuddling or one game of uno. With an 8 week old, though, sometimes that doesn’t even happen. Often Caleb will watch Elias and I play a game from the bouncer, but he is still there stealing my attention away from the game occasionally. That’s why kid dates are important. They are intentional, focused one on one time. We’ve decided to have a goal that each kid gets a “date” at least once a month…but better if each kid gets one with both of us each month. It’s harder to fit in than you think!
This weekend my parents made it super easy for us to get that time with Simon. On Friday, Elias spent the night with Ama and Baba (getting some focused attention from them). In the evening on Friday, Nathan took Simon on a Starbucks date. Simon chose a chocolate cake donut and dictated which side Nathan could take bites from. I stayed home with Caleb. Unfortunately he was pretty sleepy so I spent most of that time sitting on the couch…holding him and staring at him and wishing he could stay this little forever.
On Saturday morning it was my turn to take Simon. I took him to the library where he picked out about twenty books, found a nice comfy chair, and sat down to read. We read and read and he was especially curious about the rainforest books. After we had read a bunch we chose about 12 or so to take home with us. Then I let him browse the movies. We took home Mary Poppins and 101 Dalmations along with a Scooby Doo film I wasn’t too thrilled about. Then we took a tour of the rest of the library and I let him check out our books.
I feel sad to say it, but it’s so rare that I am able to have such focused time with the boys. Even at home when I do have the ability to have one on one time I am always thinking about what else needs to be done. Dirty dishes in the sink. A baby that needs to be fed. It’s hard to be fully present. It was so refreshing to just spend time with Simon and not have to worry about anything else.
Hopefully we’ll be able to keep these kid dates a priority and fit them in each month!