I could use a lot of help in the Intentional Department.
You know what I mean…really meaning your actions rather than sluffing through them mindlessly?
This morning’s book club video for Ann’s new book said this:
“Her words struck me to the core, ‘every moment is this bubble, this gift from God, and I need to enter into it and see the beauty of it.’
Every. single. moment.
Too often, bubbles in my life pop before I see their shimmer.”
True stuff.
Like, down to my bones true.
Parenting littles makes it easy to just get through the day.
One naptime, one sandwich, on diaper at a time.
I’m not the most intentional parent in the world.
Oh good grief, no.
I have a LOT LOT LOT of room to grow in that area.
For sure.
But one thing Andy and I *really* try to do is have one on one time with EACH of our kids.
Henry gets Man Time with Dad.
No girls.
No mom.
Just the men doing men things.
Once the girls are a little older, they’ll get Daddy Dates.
Last week, Andy suggested that we get a sitter for the girls and that I join them at the basketball game too.
Sort of a Mommy/Daddy/Henry Time.
Remind me to leave explaining sports whatsits to my husband.
Or else, the following will come out of my mouth:
“Henry, we want the white guys to win. Not the black guys.”
Wait.
NO!!!
That’s not what I meant!
We want the TEAM IN THE WHITE UNIFORMS TO WIN!!!
I wanted to crawl under my chair and DIE.
I prayed under my breath that a) no one heard me and b) that he wouldn’t repeat it.
I’m sort of hyperventilating right now just thinking about it.
And I watched my boy.
Watching.
How’d he grow up so fast?!
This picture kills me.
It’s bad. It’s blurry.
But the shimmer that Ann talks about? Right there baby.
My boys.
“Mommy did you SEE? A slam dunk!!!”
Because red vines at a basketball game is like a hot dog at a baseball game right?
Oh Red Vines, how I love you!
I love how you are ALWAYS fat free.
And not just sometimes.
I was struck by his tinyness.
By his youth.
By his growing up.
How he isn’t a baby anymore.
But he’s still so little.
And I wonder how long until those shoes propped up on the back of the chairs will be bigger than mine.
Tonight, just the boys will go to the game again (we have season tickets…it’s our college alma mater).
They will have McDonald’s together.
They will go to the game together.
They will hang out.
Just Dad and Henry.
Man Time.
Do you do one on one time with your kids? What do you do? I’d love new ideas!
(and in case you were wondering, all photos taken with andy’s iphone. because i’m practically amish with my un-smart phone.)
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time with your boys = awesome!
redvines = nasty!
lindsey – the pleated poppy´s last blog post ..what i wore wednesday
what is with you people and not liking red vines???!!! we may have to re-evaluate our friendship.
jeannett´s last blog post ..Valentine’s Day
couldn’t agree more. red vines incites gag reflex. glechhh.
man time or daddy/daughter dates. simply the best. it’s good to stick that type of thing on a regular day on the calendar. you know, so you can make sure to work it in. sure, be flexible, but it’s best to have it in there. always easier to work around something than try to fit it in.
and i’m all about the mommy/daddy dates. so important to take intentional time with each other. it’s even fun to get a sitter in the middle of the day and plan a fun lunch outing with the hubs. a sort of mid-day surprise.
loving ann’s book. if it wouldn’t require living in the arctic circle i’d totally lobby to be adopted.
purejoy´s last blog post ..breaking up is technologically hard to do
I’m the type that likes to have our outings planned, etc., but I’m finding we have the BEST times when we do something totally spontaneous! A fun(and cheap!) thing I like to do is take my sons (11 & 7) to a local lake or pond and feed the ducks/geese. I’ll usually stop by the store and grab a few loaves of bread and give each of them their own. They are old enough, where I can just sit back and enjoy watching them interact with each other and everything around them. Also, we get to enjoy the beautiful weather!
The uniform story cracked me up. :) What a fun time for them to spend together.
Brittany´s last blog post ..One Thousand Gifts- Chapter Two and Three
True story… I somehow misread ‘intentional’ and thought you’d written ‘international’…. so i was confused through the whole post and… pretty shocked at you saying you wanted the whites to win! Haha. Now i’ve realised my mistake it makes sense!
Bahahahha! Ditto what Becki said on the international part. I was like, whuuuu? She goin’ overseas?
Moving on…
One on one time with my daughter includes lots of things like fingerpainting, sidewalk chalking, bouncing on the bed (she says ‘bounce, mama?’)… the list is endless because she’s my one and only…. =0)