One on One

On Saturdays lately I've been trying to take just one child with me at a time to run an errand, just to have a little one on one time with them. I have to say, it's really been fun. Yesterday I took Jacob with me to Target to buy a few more winter clothes for each of the kids. I love how he's growing up and getting so independent. His little personality is developing so cute. I loved just being able to walk into the store with him holding his little hand without juggling diaper bags, purses, a baby in the carrier and other little hands. It was so fun to see the choices he made for his own clothes. But my favorite was seeing him help me choose clothes for his brother and sister. He was so thoughtful in his choices, choosing not what he liked best, but what he thought they would like best. He wanted the shirt for Sarah with the princess crown on it because he knows she loves princesses. When they didn't have that in her size he was thoughtful about the next best choice based in her interests. And he thought Jonah would like the racecar shirt best, even though Jonah doesn't have a lot of specific interests yet beyond eating and slobbering.

A couple of weeks ago I took Sarah with me to buy a new shirt for myself at Kohl's. She happily sang through the whole store not complaining once about how long it was taking Mom to sort through racks and piles of clothes. Then we went to the dressing room where she proclaimed everything I tried on to make me look beautiful! And when something looked hideous and I said I didn't like it, she just said that it must be because that shirt was too itchy, not because it looked badly. In her eyes I'm not overweight or frumpy, I'm just her mom and she loves me for who I am. Too bad we can't all look at ourselves and each other through the eyes of a child a little more.

I think I'll continue our little one on one outings. They're not big or planned, just time to be together and talk about their little lives. Most other moms, I'm sure, have already figured this out about their children and motherhood. But for me, it's a new discovery and I'm enjoying it. And it helps me enjoy my children just a little bit more!