Lunchtime
The other day when I went to visit the boys at lunchtime it was pretty much our usual routine.
I walked down to the Toddler room, and Ryan was already asleep. Blissfully snuggled on his flannel sheet, with his blanket draped over him. And when I say over him I mean it... it was covering him from head to toe! This may not seem like a big deal. I know lots of kids probably like to hunker down all the way under the covers. But at home Ryan hates to have any sort of blanket on him. If I try and cover any part of him with a blanket he immediately goes from drowsy to wide awake and wildly flailing. The way he acts you'd think the covers were swarming with fire ants! But the teachers told me that every day at school he pulls his blanket all the way over his head and falls asleep that way, and they just wait until he's napping to draw the blanket down to his shoulders. Crazy!
I then walked down to Colin's room. He had finished lunch and was just washing his hands. I then went over to his nap-mat while he walked to pick a book. We read the book to each other (first me to him, then him to me), and by then it was lights-out time. Colin put his book away as the teachers turned off half the lights in the room and turned on some low music. When Colin walked back he insisted, as he often does, "Mommy, you have to rub my back."
There's really no negotiating on this, and I don't mind taking a few extra minutes with my little guy as he winds down for his nap, although he can be very picky. Some days he wants me to rub his back in circles, or up and down. Other days he wants me to gently pat his back. How do I know? Because if I'm not doing it exactly right he'll grab my hand and show me what he wants, saying quietly, "No, like this Mommy."
But he took it a bit farther today. Laying next to me while I rubbed his back (up and down, only on the small of his back) he then said, "Mommy, I want to sleep on you" as he crawled into my lap with his blanket still wrapped around his shoulders. He's never done this at school, and I jokingly said, "But Colin, I'm not a bed!"
Without missing a beat he told me, "I didn't say you're a bed. You're a mommy." as if that clearly explained why he would want to sleep on me. DUH!
There was no way I could go up against that kind of logic, so I gave in and just enjoyed the moment. Sitting on the floor with my back against the wall, Colin curled up in my lap with his arms around my neck and his head resting on my shoulder. It was a truly peaceful moment, and my only regret is that I eventually had to disentangle from his embrace to go back to work.
Are my lunches hectic? Yes.
Do I wolf down my actual lunch at my desk every day while reading emails and working on reports? Yep.
Do I sometimes miss my old lunch routine, where I would sit on our back patio with a book and a sandwich? Definitely!
Was it nice to occasionally catch up on housework (or make a quick trip to the store) during lunch? Of course!
Could I stop my lunch visits and regain a little "me time" every day? Yes.
But would I??? Would trade a chance to snuggle with Colin for a cleaner house? Or for 20 minutes of quiet reading? Heck no! My life is crazy-insane, but filled with hugs, and kisses, and unexpected moments of joy, and I wouldn't change a thing!
I walked down to the Toddler room, and Ryan was already asleep. Blissfully snuggled on his flannel sheet, with his blanket draped over him. And when I say over him I mean it... it was covering him from head to toe! This may not seem like a big deal. I know lots of kids probably like to hunker down all the way under the covers. But at home Ryan hates to have any sort of blanket on him. If I try and cover any part of him with a blanket he immediately goes from drowsy to wide awake and wildly flailing. The way he acts you'd think the covers were swarming with fire ants! But the teachers told me that every day at school he pulls his blanket all the way over his head and falls asleep that way, and they just wait until he's napping to draw the blanket down to his shoulders. Crazy!
I then walked down to Colin's room. He had finished lunch and was just washing his hands. I then went over to his nap-mat while he walked to pick a book. We read the book to each other (first me to him, then him to me), and by then it was lights-out time. Colin put his book away as the teachers turned off half the lights in the room and turned on some low music. When Colin walked back he insisted, as he often does, "Mommy, you have to rub my back."
There's really no negotiating on this, and I don't mind taking a few extra minutes with my little guy as he winds down for his nap, although he can be very picky. Some days he wants me to rub his back in circles, or up and down. Other days he wants me to gently pat his back. How do I know? Because if I'm not doing it exactly right he'll grab my hand and show me what he wants, saying quietly, "No, like this Mommy."
But he took it a bit farther today. Laying next to me while I rubbed his back (up and down, only on the small of his back) he then said, "Mommy, I want to sleep on you" as he crawled into my lap with his blanket still wrapped around his shoulders. He's never done this at school, and I jokingly said, "But Colin, I'm not a bed!"
Without missing a beat he told me, "I didn't say you're a bed. You're a mommy." as if that clearly explained why he would want to sleep on me. DUH!
There was no way I could go up against that kind of logic, so I gave in and just enjoyed the moment. Sitting on the floor with my back against the wall, Colin curled up in my lap with his arms around my neck and his head resting on my shoulder. It was a truly peaceful moment, and my only regret is that I eventually had to disentangle from his embrace to go back to work.
Are my lunches hectic? Yes.
Do I wolf down my actual lunch at my desk every day while reading emails and working on reports? Yep.
Do I sometimes miss my old lunch routine, where I would sit on our back patio with a book and a sandwich? Definitely!
Was it nice to occasionally catch up on housework (or make a quick trip to the store) during lunch? Of course!
Could I stop my lunch visits and regain a little "me time" every day? Yes.
But would I??? Would trade a chance to snuggle with Colin for a cleaner house? Or for 20 minutes of quiet reading? Heck no! My life is crazy-insane, but filled with hugs, and kisses, and unexpected moments of joy, and I wouldn't change a thing!
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