I confess with just one child at home now and being the sole entertainment for him until "the sisters" (as he calls them) get home after school, I am lazy some days. My friend Erin once told me that her mother said, "Show me a kid that won't take his afternoon nap, I'll show you a lazy mother." I've thought of that many times. Some days I let him watch too many videos. I dabble with the watercolor paints with him, for a few minutes, but soon get back to things I need done. But truthfully, I only have a half year with him at home with me full time. I do want to make the most of it, spend time with him, not waste it. I want those lazy mama days to be few and far between. So today I wondered how we might spend the day without being able to go to the park (which is buried in snow). Then I thought of how much he seems to be enjoying playing in the snow with his sisters. So, we bundled up. We both got an ice scraper. We scraped the windows of cars all down our street. He could not have been happier and made sure I knew which were "his" sections. I hope it will bless them to find their car has already been dug out. Many of those neighbors have certainly blessed me...I remember once a neighbor spotted one of my kids in a face off with a street dog. He put her in his car and drove her to school for me. Another one leans out her first story window and hands my kids a fistful of candy every time she sees them.
After scraping the cars, we made a sled run and went sledding. I don't feel so lazy today. In fact, he is sound asleep in my bed as I type. I think it worked.
4 comments:
I know exactly what you mean! I must confess, most days I'm a lazy momma. I truly don't mean to be it just seems to happen that way. I'm either budy doing what "needs done" or I'm just too tired to play. I think being pregnant has made it worse too. I'm glad you all enjoyed your snow day. What fun it must have been & scraping all those cars was a really nice gesture as well :)
That's one wise friend and one cute little guy!! :)
We all have lazy days but like you I try to make the most of each day. Someone once said that we only have 18 of each month with our child so make it count. Only 15 more January's with Evie. We brought the snow inside on a cookie sheet and she LOVED it last year.
Sounds like you have a really wonderful neighborhood. I was thinking the same thing about my situation. As you long for certain things and miss certain things, sometimes I long for the country where we used to live. We lived on 20 acres, and even at a young age, I could let the kids run and play freely because they were safe. They had the best of times. Moving in town was so hard on them all especially my youngest son. They were suddenly very confined - small yard, not nearly the freedom to roam because of safety.
Yet when I look "back" and miss that periodically, God will let me see what He gave me in its place.
Now about the lazy moma thing . . . It takes a lot to be a lazy mother. It is not a matter of keeping your child entertained until they are wore out. What kids don't play with themselves? That is healthy!! I was never the athletic mom who ran jump and played. I did however, take my kids with me everywhere (literally) I went. When I had the last one at home by myself, he was my constant companion in all things, shopping, looking for houses, appointments, etc. Maybe that is the same thing, I don't know. I was not in the yard with him pitching ball only because that just wasn't me, not because I was neglecting him.
I guess I am getting to the point personality plays a big part in the mother we are. I think I told you I had a friend who fed her three boys out of a can all the time. Was she lazy? Well, if she was, she has three of the finest C son's you'd ever want to meet. They've done well in college, etc. No, she wasn't lazy, she just did not like to cook. She cooks more now, but it is still not her favorite thing.
See what I am saying? Don't worry about that Sara. Be yourself and what you want to do with Ben, emphasis on 'you want.' (Not saying you don't already.)
I reminded my mother recently of how she told me when I was a teenager to NEVER stick a cold weiner in my kids hands and call that lunch. She really drilled that one over and over. She had me paranoid for years about serving hotdogs for lunch when I had children!! We laugh about it now. I even hesitated to serve cold sandwiches. :)
But I have learned it is a matter of love. Period, end of the story. My littlest one took many a nap in the backseat of our car as I drove around. He still remembers that and he and I both talk about how we cherished that time we were together just the two of us.
Melanie
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