Silent Night?...

Every parent, especially a stay-at-home parent, needs a little time away from the kids. A good amount of time has passed me by since I've stepped away from my little ones for more than a night's sleep. And it was starting to wear on me. So the other evening after the supper table was clean and everyone seemed distracted, I sneaked upstairs, turned on the heated mattress pad, grabbed some reading material and sunk into bed. I spent five glorious minutes between warm sheets, filling my mind with things that weren't related to Max & Ruby or Dora the Explorer or another game of Go Fish. Five glorious minutes and Kate tiptoed into the room with a shy, "Hi Mom. Want to play a game with me?" Of course, I normally do, but at that moment I would have rather done anything but. So instead Kate grabbed a book and settled in next to me. Five more minutes later CJ peers around the corner with a sly grin. She got the hint, grabbed her favorite edition of "Happy Town" and slipped in next to Kate. And somehow, I was able to feel a little bit of peace with both girls laying next to me, even though they were wide awake. 

That night helped me remember that kids love their parents unconditionally. It is so easy to forget that after a hard day, or several long days without a break. Kids can never take in too much parent time. And I need to remember that my girls following me around incessantly isn't their way of annoying me, rather it is their consistent (sometimes exhausting) way of demonstrating their unconditional, never-ending love for their mom. Man, oh man, it's a difficult but important piece of information to remember.

In case you were wondering where the picture came from... A minute after CJ climbed in Matt came around the corner, found us all in bed reading and ran for the camera. A peaceful moment with little kids is next to impossible to capture on film.