Alone time
Something fairly amazing happened yesterday afternoon. When we got home from work/school/Elena’s, the first thing Zoe did was ask Avery if she wanted to play; the girls then flung off their shoes, ran off to Avery’s room, and plunked themselves down on the floor to play Legos. Together. Without me.
There have been other moments like this: times when the girls were busy playing and not really paying attention to me. But it rarely happens in the afternoons (when I’m most tired and most in need of alone, or least quiet, time), and it rarely lasts. This time, though, the girls entertained themselves for a good 20-30 minutes, giving me time to buzz around the house, put away laundry, and check e-mail without interruption. (Again: amazing!)
I’m mindful of the fact that there will come a day when the girls won’t want to have much to do with me. They’ll want to be by themselves and go straight to their rooms after school. I’ll no longer have a toddler tugging at my pants or pleading “up, pease” with her big, grey eyes, and I’ll have all the time in the world to be by myself. I don’t want that day to come anytime soon – but, for now, I’ll certainly welcome a few moments of solitude!
-M