Monday, January 03, 2005

Happy New Year's I Realized

I have resolved this new year to spend more individual quality time with my girls. I pledged the same thing last year and did not feel like I accomplished this.

When my oldest daughter was born, we were inseparable. Then along came her baby sister, and my attention focused on her. When Madison went to school, I was able to spend time with just Darcy. Then they both grew older, and my role as a playmate diminished as they discovered friends and how to play with one another.

Now I feel like I'm missing out by not giving them quality "mother time."

Today we went to the library. The girls like to search for movies while I access the library's database. While I look for my books, they go into the children's section and look for their books.

Today after I had my book, I found the girls in the aisle of the children's section. Darcy was seated with a book in her lap, and Madison was over her shoulder, reading aloud to her. I smiled at my two sweeties and sat down at a table in the middle of the room. I opened one of my books and began reading, knowing they would want to work on some puzzles or listen to books on tape when they finished reading.

I was happily reading when Darcy arrived at my shoulder. She had a book and a cassette that went with the book. Our library has tape recorders at the table with headphones so that kids can listen to books quietly. Darcy asked me if I wanted to hear it with her.

Me: "No, thank you. I'm going to read my book."

Darcy: "Please?"

Me: (laughing at her batting her eyes) "No, I want to read MY book."

She sighed, moved to the other side of the table, and started to ready her tape. As I watched her, it hit me how I was missing a great opportunity. I didn't need to read right now. I had hours to read later, so I put my book down and went to join her on the other side of the table.

We put in the cassettes and plopped on our headphones and enjoyed the funniest book ever together. Later I did the same with Madison.

It started me off in the right direction --to accomplish my resolution this year.


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