Taking the Time

Even as a stay at home mom, I find I stay so busy (I thought that would slow down when I stopped working full-time, but you just find that other things fill your plate). But I'm often reminded that if I'm not spending quality time with my kids, what's the point of staying home?

I was reminded of this today as LB and I were on our way home from running errands. As I pulled into our driveway, I noticed that our Japanese Maple was starting to really flourish (we call it our "Melissa tree" because my friend, Nonda, gave it to us when Melissa died). I pointed it out to Lily Baker, who immediately asked if we could go see it.

So we abandoned our car - full of groceries - and went into the front yard and stopped at every single flower we had planted this weekend. LB took her time at each one and then "oohed and ahhed" over our Melissa tree.

She then asked me if we could go into the backyard and I said yes. In my mind, I'm thinking "I really need to unload those groceries!" but realized - what the hey - we didn't have anything that would melt. Those groceries could wait.

So we played restaurant, where LB served yummy burgers that distinctively looked like mulch and sticks. And we giggled.





Then she asked me to swing next to her. And as we swung side by side she looked at me and said, "Mommy, isn't this the best?!"

Oh yes, it was.

And I was reminded of how I need to just hit the pause button on what I think I "have" to do, and just do what's fun instead. Because years from now, my kids aren't going to remember how efficient I was when we returned home from the grocery store. They'll remember that I played with them.

I eventually unloaded those groceries, but let me tell you, playing with LB was ten times more fun!