Something Jeff and I started a while ago was asking Ian and each other what the highlight of our day was. It gives us a chance to reflect on the good stuff that occurred and be able to share it with the family. I enjoy this time during dinner and look forward to the answers Ian is going to give. Seeing as how I spend most of my time with the kids, I know what Ian goes through during his day and generally he doesn't give the answer I think he will. What I think might be the most awesome thing of his day sometimes doesn't even rank a mention when giving daddy a recap. It fascinates me how his mind works and I love coming up with new things to discuss with him to see what his take on it is.
Last week we experienced 4 days of non-stop rain in the Washington, D.C. metro area, with increasingly chilly temperatures that rarely got out of the 40s. Having a very high-energy little boy makes it difficult to stay indoors and find new things to keep him entertained without turning to tv watching as an all day activity. We invited one of Ian's best pals, Ethan, for a playdate on Saturday. The boys had soccer pictures to take in the morning (at 8:15am!!), but after that, we went back to our house and they did a great job of entertaining each other. As Jeff put it correctly, why does the addition of one kid make me feel like we have one less? Ah, this was so true. I almost wished that I had twins Ian's age for them to play like this all the time. At 4:00pm, the playdate was over and I took Ethan back home. He was incredibly well-behaved and a joy to have over.
During dinner that night, I asked Ian what the highlight of his day was. Without hesitation, he said his playdate with Ethan. Since they were together for 8 hours, I figured as much that would be his answer. The next day we went to the gym in the morning and Ian made a new friend in the childcare center at Gold's. We had a hard time getting him to leave after being there for an hour. Then I took Ian to a birthday party at one of his favorite places to go, a bounce place called "Kids N Motion". It was a fun-filled day for Ian and despite another day of rain, he got a great deal of activity and play with his friends. At dinner that night I asked Ian what the highlight of his day was. He took an extra moment or two to think about all he did earlier in the day and replied with the following: "I had so much fun with Ethan yesterday that my highlight today is that he was here all day yesterday."
How cute is that?
Funny thta you and Jeff both note that having another kid in your house makes you feel like there's one less kid.
ReplyDeleteI have often heard mothers of three kids say that it's WAY easier with three kids than it was when there was just one! I guess the older ones help out and entertain the younger ones some of the time.
Gee, maybe you and Jeff will consider having a 3rd? hahahaha