Day 8: Dates

Please excuse the delay...Things have been...well..NUTS. As usual. Moving on.

Day 8's challenge was simple and to the point. For E: Calculate the number of weekends until he graduates from highschool. Because it's the time of year that graduations happen, I simply multiplied 15 x 52 for a grand total of 780 weekends. That's a lotta weekends, folks. Lemme tell ya why I disliked this challenge. Firstly, I don't think the challenge was intended to make me say, "Wow. I've got plenty of time!" But truly, he's only 3. We've got time.  I'm trying my hardest to stay in the moment with E lately, and not wish away his younger years. I don't think moms should be calculating the weekends and days until their child is considered grown. We don't need to look at parenting as a deadline. It's a life-long job. There will be plenty of time for playing ball, going to Disneyland, and camping. I know some parents who would probably sit down and write a list of 780 things to do before graduation. What a waste of our time. Just enjoy the moment you're in. Don't spend the minutes of their childhood planning what to do with the future time. Use the time you're in. I've had a bad habit lately of thinking to myself, "If only he were younger and would let me cuddle him still." or "If only he were older and we could do _____________." Wishing these things doesn't accomplish anything but waste the precious moments I have been given with him now. He's just here in this moment. Take it. Now, I'm not saying that I'm going to enjoy every single minute. If he's having a tantrum and kicking me in the middle of the grocery store while I try to keep smiling and give people the "Oh, I'm such a good mom, because my kid is a terror and I can still smile at him and talk nicely" look, but really I'm thinking "ohmygoshthisissoembarrassingicouldjustdropdeadrighthereinthisaisle"--you can bet I won't be feeling too appreciative. You don't have to enjoy every moment. You should even try. Don't plan on it, Sister! You just have to be there present in the moment. If nothing else, it's good mommy-guilt for later. Just picture it-- "E, you have to come weed my garden, because this one time when you were three *Insert horrible parenting moment here*"

Now, for Kade today all I had to do was put a date night on the calendar for the month. This is tricky for us, Ladies and Gentlemen. We don't always know our schedule until the day of. And even if we have a date planned, if someone calls and offers Kade or I a chance to go make some bucks, we go make some bucks. But I am going to make a sincere effort to follow through and make a date night happen for us this month. When we were newlyweds, we went on a date every single Friday even on our extremely meager budget. But as it happens in marriage, we had these tiny people move into our house, and suddenly no more dates. This is okay. We like being at home with our babies or going to do family activities. I had a seminary teacher say, "If you don't date your spouse, someone else will!" Um..yikes. Please, no one else date Kade. I promise I'll do it.  My favorite dates are the times we pop popcorn or make dip and stay up late playing board games and acting like idiots together. Who wouldn't love that? So, here's to date-night. Let's make it happen!