Tuesday, April 2, 2013

my kids and being a mom are my normal

Tim and I just spent 48 hours sans kids.  That's the longest we've gone without the girls.  Since Emma is on spring break, Tim's mom took them Sunday evening after Easter lunch to her house to spend the night.  Monday turned in to Monday night and they stayed another night.  It is now Tuesday and in just a few hours I will see my girls for the first time since Sunday afternoon!  In the past 48 hours I've gone through a whole range of emotions and have come to the conclusion that being a mom to these girls and having these kids is my "normal".  It's what I do.  It's who I am. 

I was sort of lost without them. 

Yes...Tim and I took full advantage of not having kids at home.  We went out to the movies (for the first time in 5 years), we went to bed early and slept all night without anybody in bed with us.  We watched a movie at home on night #2 and ate pizza and didn't have to share any of it!  We got ready in the morning without having to get two little people ready, too.  I went to Starbucks Monday morning BY MYSELF and enjoyed some coffee!  And please understand me when I say we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves...but we often found ourselves talking about something cute one of the girls did or said, saying how much we missed them or wondering what they were doing at that moment.  I won't deny going to smell Emma's buddy once or flipping through pictures on my phone. 

I can't remember life before them.  What did we do?  Where did we go?  Who did we hang out with?  They are my life.  They are my "normal"...and that includes the sleepless nights, the sister yelling matches, the messes, the laundry, the hard-to-please toddler and the opinionated 5 and a half year old.  I wouldn't trade that for the world.  I don't think I ever realized how use to this mom-life I was.  I'm a mom and raising my two girls is my normal.  It's what I do...and I realized, it's hard for me to go 48+ hours without my kids.

So...here's to deepening my love for my "normal" after being kid-less for two days!  Boy how I love these girls!


2 comments:

Laura said...

I know exactly what you mean Emily! I could have wrote this exact same post. Steve & I have also found ourselves kid-less a few times over the last few years & we always talk about them when they aren't around. And I am always overjoyed to see them, even when they would rather stay with grandma.

Anneka said...

I completely agree! My in-laws took Samantha for a whole week when Corban was born. While I loved the one-on-one time I spent with him, I sure missed my big girl! I have yet to be without them for more than a few hours. That would definitely be strange. I also don't know what life was like before kids. It's too difficult to picture. Glad I don't have to anymore :)