The very long weekend

Here's the thing about weekends when you have small children: Saturdays and Sundays are not your own. 

Not like they used to be, when you could roll out of bed at nine, relax over a cup of coffee, read the paper, listen to This American Life, maybe plan a hike and pack a picnic lunch.

You can still have coffee and picnics, but none of it's on your time table. It's not especially leisurely. Often, it's downright aggravating. You want mellow. You want sweet silence, just for a short time. And what you get is ebullience.

And you have to, at least attempt to, embrace it. Because there are only twelve or so years (which sounds impossibly long to me right now) before your children don't especially want to interact with you. Before they start hiding what they're doing rather than shouting, a hundred times, "Watch this! Watch me!"

I get that.

Which is why I try so hard to also get this:

Comments

[M]

Jumping with joy!

[robin]

beautifully said.

[Scout's Honor]

Couldn't agree more and it only gets worse the older they get. My Memorial day started at 6 AM to get kidlets to carpool for swim practice at 7 AM.

Sigh...

[Laura in LA]

This very thing is on my top 5 list when considering whether or not I can handle having a child.

[kcinnova]

I'm quickly approaching the days where they no longer need me. And I feel a little...lost. It's important to not lose yourself during their growing up years (and I think you are keeping and NOT losing yourself) because if you *become* your children, you will have nothing left when they are grown.

[Jenn @ Juggling Life]

Kcinnova knows what she's talking about.

I think it's also important, once in a while, to trade off with your spouse so you do get that lazy Sunday listening to NPR and reading what now passes for the Sunday paper and maybe dozing a bit at 10 a.m.

[kids play center]

this is by far one of the most interesting blogs I've seen in ages. Keep up the good work.