I woke up this morning determined to make it a great day. It's been a tough couple of weeks around here -- every single person in our family has been sick (minus daddy, that lucky duck), and when sickness hits, that adds just one more layer of stress to our already chaotic lives.
Today, we were all finally feeling better (or so I thought), and then Beckett all of a sudden got the stomach bug (I'll spare you the details). Dear God, please please PLEASE let it start and stop with him.
Needless to say, it's been tough.
And, due to the craziness, the little quality time I usually have with my two oldest babies has suffered (except for when they were the ones who were sick). The twins demand so much of my time (and rightfully so -- I realize they are only five months old!), but I just really have been missing my time with Emma and Finley ...
For example, they've been asking me to paint their nails now for two weeks. And, I keep promising I'll do it -- "Yep, once your brother goes down for his nap we'll do it." And, then once he goes down, the twins are hungry. Or, "Yes, as soon as I get your sisters to sleep we'll do it." And then it takes an hour to get them to sleep and we run out of time. Every night I find myself saying, "We'll do it tomorrow, OK?"
And, I just hate that disappointment in their eyes.
I don't EVER want them to feel like mommy doesn't have time for them. It breaks my heart a million times over just thinking that they could feel that way.
So, tonight, after finally getting the three youngest members of our family to bed at 8:45 pm ... I scooped those sweet six-and-five-year-old's up and took them on a surprise, spur-of-the-moment date to Dairy Queen.
It was perfect.
It was exactly what my heart needed.
And, I think exactly what their hearts needed, too.
Was it my best parenting move to take my kids to ice cream at 9:00 at night? Probably not. But, some days, bedtimes simply don't matter. For the first time in quite some time, the three of us just snuggled up on a bench, ate ice cream, talked and enjoyed our girl time.
I think the smiles speak for themselves ...
As we were sitting their eating, I was overwhelmed with how much I love them, and thinking about how many directions my heart is constantly pulled in as I juggle being a mom to five little kids who all want attention in their own individual ways. And, as tears started to fill in my eyes, I felt a nudge to listen to the song that was playing ...
Ooh-oo
child
Things
are gonna get easier
Ooh-oo
child
Things'll get brighter
Ooh-oo child
Things are gonna get
easier
Ooh-oo child
Things'll get brighter
Some day, yeah
We'll get it together and
we'll get it all done
Some day
When your head is much
lighter
Some day, yeah
We'll walk in the rays of
a beautiful sun
Some day
When the world is much
brighter
Once again, exactly what I needed (thanks, God, for the nudge). I know in my head that things will get easier. Heck, someday all five of my kiddos will likely be out of the house and I'll have nothing but time to myself. But sometimes, when everything seems hard, it's not easy to see.
I'm thankful tonight as I head to bed for the little moments that remind me of how blessed of a mama I am. And for the gentle nudges that let me know I'm doing OK, and that everything is going to be just fine.
But, most of all, I'm thankful that sometimes, bedtimes simply must be broken.
***
How do you juggle quality time with your kiddos?
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