Early to rise

There are times when I can't ask my family to help out with the girls every time I need them. They are always gracious and help out when I need them, but they all have lives and they need to live them. With basketball season starting there are a couple of times during the fall and winter when he's out of town and I need to get the girls off to school. But...I don't want to go in later (I start work at 7 a.m.) because I don't want to get off later. It's a dilemma that's for sure. One day a couple of weeks ago, I had to get the girls to their before school day care by 6:30 ... right when the place opened. I was so proud of them because they had to get by 5 and out the door before they are even usually awake. These are days when I just want to take them on a shopping spree or buy them an American Girl doll to say thanks. But, with Christmas coming up, they are going to have to settle for a big thank you and a hug. Plus, for Amy, being at the before school day care that Diana typically goes to after school was the thrill of a lifetime. She got to hang out with big kids, play with all the games and toys and crafts they have there. She was more than happy to get up early if that's where she was going to be for an hour in the morning.

Our version of family dinner time

Some families eat around the table every meal, every day. They believe that's the best time to catch up on one another's day, talk about what's going on in each other's lives and enjoy a little bit of quiet time that may not be the norm in their family. We've experimented with family dinner time. There are only a handful of times during the week when we are all at home together for a meal (usually dinner because I leave for work before the rest of the family is even out of bed in the morning) so we want to make the most of it and share our days. The sharing lasts a couple of minutes and then the entire focus of family dinner time shifts. One kid is complaining that she doesn't like what's for dinner. Another can't sit still and we are constantly watching to make sure she doesn't fall out of her chair. Then more complaints from ants in her pants that she now doesn't like what's for dinner. It's a stress that's not worth it. So, we don't eat together every night, every meal. It's totally OK to judge me or say I have no patience. When my kids are sitting at the dinner table together - just the two of them - they talk like they are best friends. They laugh recalling their day, share fun stories and, most importantly, they eat. Plates are clean, cups are empty and bellies are full. They are so busy talking and eating when it's just the two of them, they don't even realize what they are eating. It's a science experiment that proves me right every time - family dinner time (at least every night) is overrated. There are plenty of times when I can catch up with my kids day. But at the dinner table, I need them to concentrate and eat. So, I leave them be. I give them their privacy (like most kids want anyway) and let them have their space to eat on their own terms. But, I am listening and watching from the other room. I love the stories they tell, the whispers they think I can't hear and the giggling. This isn't going to last forever and honestly, the short time they are getting along, talking to one another and enjoying one another's company doesn't happen all the time so I am going to eat it up...so to speak.