Mommy's Time Out
>> Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Well hello everyone! Remember me? I know it's been awhile since I've been here or even reading some of my favorite blogs. And I do apologize for not keeping up with everyone....but I've been in Time Out.
Since my last post, I did some really deep thinking (ok, maybe not so deep, but some thinking nonetheless) and decided to put myself into a self-imposed computer time-out. I found that I was spending way too much time on the computer and not enough time with my girls and my husband. It really hit me when I caught Nani sitting in her room with one of my coffee mugs and her Little Einsteins laptop. I thought - "how cute - she's learning with the Little Einsteins!" I came in and sat next to her and asked her if I could play too. She looked at me with all the seriousness in the world and said - "Not now mommy - I'm checking my email...." and took a sip of water from her coffee mug.
Stab to the heart.......
I went downstairs and turned off the laptop. And then cried.
How many precious minutes did I lose because I had to check my email one last time? How many moments did I miss because I had to check my friends on Facebook? How many giggles did I not hear because I was downloading music to my iPod? And how many times did I say, "In a minute" - when asked "Mommy, will you come outside with me?"
Too many. And I can't get them back.
Nani started school last week. It's her second year of preschool. She only goes twice a day in the morning for 2 1/2 hours. She also started ballet class. She only goes once a week for 45 minutes. On Fridays, we have MOPS. That's every week for 3 hours. When I add that up - that's almost 6 hours a week that she's not with me. The rest of the time with her is mine.
The possibilities of what we could do with that time are endless.....we could take walks, we could play Barbies, we could bake cookies, we could sit on the swing and read books, we could color or paint, we could chase her sister around and I could tickle both of them until they laugh themselves breathless.
There is a balance. I just need to work harder to find it.
