My oldest child is off to the in laws. For many, that is a good thing. I like for my children to enjoy their grandparents, and I enjoy the fact that my oldest looks forward to his visits...though he never really divulges a lot of detail about what he did while there. It's almost like a juicy little secret he has that I'm not allowed in on. The problem is that I enjoy my children so much, even when they've driven me past the point of insanity. Truth be told, I sometimes secretly wish I could wiggle my nose and magically the guilty child would be transported away where they can reek havoc on some other poor soul. But then...when I give up control and let my usually cherubic six year old go off for a visit, I find myself pining away for some time with him. My mother in law and husband make me laugh (I mean that respectfully)!

She called the other day asking for him to spend the night, encouraging me that I might be able to get some things done. My husband came home last night and asked if I enjoyed my day without my son. I laugh, of course, because neither really have got it right. Don't get me wrong...My Bear can be quite a bear! He can torment me to no end with his "as of lately" whining or his "as of lately" extreme loudness, but my Bear does not keep me from getting things done. And with the exception of the moments he's committing the aforementioned, I enjoy being with him. He's a little quirky with random thoughts,has a great imagination, and the conversations we have are just plain fun! Not to mention that when I am feeling the least bit lazy (as I seem to be feeling A LOT of lately), he is such a great helper! Okay, I confess that I sometimes take advantage of my six year old's willingness to please and have him bring me this or take that.

Yes, they both have it wrong. The one who really keeps me from getting things done or keeps me on my toes so that I am so tired at the end of the day is my very lovable one year old. My Little Bunny...and boy is he quick. I have to stay alert with this one. Bear keeps himself busy doing whatever phases him at the time-Legos, reading, tv, coloring, outside...BUT Bunny...whole different story. This one keeps himself busy too. Only he's being busy in a whole different way. Today he left my sight for five seconds...five seconds and he was tearing down the hall into the bathroom, pulling out every possible washcloth he could find. He scattered them from one end of the house to the next. Later he decided it might be fun to stand on top of his elephant sit and ride. I guess he likes the looks of things from the higher view because he kept doing it over and over. Each time, I pulled him off and told him no. You'd think I would wise up and just take the darn thing away. Problem with that is, he'd just find another thing to climb on. He's become pretty efficient at climbing onto the couch. And when he gets up there, he's ready to climb onto the back of it.

When Little Bunny finally wears down, he does so with grace. I love putting him down for naps-not for my sanity, but because I love the way he takes his stuffed puppy in hand and just rolls over to rest. There's no argument or fuss...he just cuddles right in and drifts to sleep. This is the point where a mother is supposed to get things done around the house. At the beginning of summer I found it didn't work because I too needed a nap. As summer continues, I don't quite need those naps, but I can't quite muster up the energy to complete the list of things I'd like to get done...the fun stuff. Instead, I close his bedroom door, do a quick clean up of the kitchen or living room, and then do one of two things: spend time with Bear or just sit and veg with my laptop or IPad. Before I know it, nap time is all over! It is lunch time and the whole mess starts all over again until dinner.

So, today I sit and enjoy the silence while my Bear is away. Because I know that during nap time, I won't be playing or reading with anyone. Instead, I can enjoy that time being lazy...regaining my energy for the after nap charades...and thinking about all the things I should be doing. If I'm lucky, I just might actually get a project done later today! And I smile...because I know this time to myself is simply a blessing from God. It is a time to renew my energy so that I can enjoy my two children!