My kids started preschool this week. Yesterday, I had the rare gift of spending alone time with my son (while my daughter attended her first day of class). Every Monday, I finally get some time alone with Alex.
One of the downsides to Baby Bunching is that you don't get "all that time alone" with the first child. Parents with children three years apart have a little bit of that cherished alone time before baby #2 appears. With me, I never got that time with my first. By the time I was over the crazy new baby phase, I was pregnant again. Sick. Tired. Fat. Hot. Cranky. My interests were not in spending quality time with my son (which I regret now), it was in just making through another pregnancy.
Of course, once Anna entered the picture, everywhere we went, I had two in tow. And while I tried to carve out time of the "mama pie," somehow my oldest was the one spending his alone time with daddy and not me. By the time Alex started school around his second birthday, I had all this wonderful time to spend with my youngest. And since then, the time with one child, has always been with her.
I dropped Anna off at school, postponned my gym plans for later, and took my son out for lunch and ice cream. Do you know what he said to me? "Mommy, it's fun to do things just with you sometimes. I love Anna, but sometimes I love just me and you. Can we share some ice cream?" I'm not sure if the statement before was heartfelt or just said to get him the ice cream. Which he got. Nevermind.
How lucky for both of you that you will be able to spend some one-on-one time with Alex! I often feel the guilt of not having a structured time to spend with my oldest, Erik. That's why I jumped at the chance to take him to H'wood Video while Tommy was at his phase in day. As grimey and seedy as that place may be, it meant the world to Erik--and to me too! :)
Posted by: AmyS | Sep 10, 2008 at 06:46 AM