A date with a boy

It's rare that I spend any alone time with my son, the middle child, the apple cider vinegar of my eye.

He's either with his older sister or his younger sister, or both of them at the same time. And since the younger sister came along, he's forfeited his own room for a shared space with bright pink walls, and his super cool fire engine collection to a little toddler who thinks the fire engine siren is an animal sound.

Didn't Old McDonald have fire trucks on his farm?

So I know he needs some time alone with me, but that time is hard to come by, with a sitter just two mornings a week which I try to reserve for work, or at least work that requires a continuous thought.

But what I could do during those few precious hours I could do at 11pm - something I can't say for spending time with my son, or at least that I wish I couldn't say thanks to his three-time midnightly visits and sleepover parties these days.

But he needs it. I need it. We need it.

And so off we went on a surprise trip to the Georgia Aquarium.

I chased him around the fish tanks, with three second stops in between to actually look at fish.

We named eels. We touched sting rays, against my better judgment. 

 And I held his hand. Only his.

We ate lunch and sat next to each other, admiring his new plastic submarine and intensely discussing why hammer head sharks' heads were shaped like hammers.

He thanked me every other breath - for taking him to the aquarium, for buying him a toy, and for giving him his favorite "Guacamo-wee." 

And I thanked him, secretly, for letting me be his mom.

Because on days when it feels like a job, and boy, that's a whole lot of days, I need times like these to remind me that I'm pretty damn lucky.

Comments

[Boom Trucks]

I love doing mommy daughter and son daughter days with my girls. My son takes them out to the park and plays with toy trucks and i take them to the kids museum and let them play with antique toys there. it's great.

[amanda]

Weeping. Also, ever so grateful our big girls are going to an all day party and we can have some time with the baby. The one that I am finally weaning. Tonight. Sob. I. Am. One. Huge. Fucking. Open. Wound.

Thank you.

[Vivacious_G]

So so sweet. Love this post.

[marty]

Beautiful.

[The New Girl]

Sob, Sob, SOB.

That first picture is so, so great.

[Lisa]

I love this post!

[Fairly Odd Mother]

Yes, it's really, really hard to get one:one time with them when you've got a few, but it's soooo worth it. In fact, you've reminded me I have to do that a little better this summer.

[carolyn]

Now that my 17 year old daughter has a car, a job and a boy friend, I find myself spending unexpected time with my hilarious and smart 14 year old son. What a pleasure! Even a run to the grocery store is an adventure with him. Enjoy your boy!!

[caramama]

I just did a mommy-son day with my boy for his 1 year birthday at the Baltimore aquarium! I do mommy-daughter days to the zoo on my daughter's birthdays, and now I'm going to do the same with my son at the aquarium.

Those special one-on-one days are SO important, says the youngest of three. Great that you are making special time for the kiddos!

[Kim]

I too try to enjoy days just me & DS. I try to cherish those moments knowing it won't be too many more years before Mom is a bad word & I'm just there to embarrass him in front of his friends.

By the time I'm cool again he will be married with his own family and our relationship will have changed - for the better I hope. He will always be the little boy I held hands with when he was 5 (she says with tears in her eyes).

[Issa]

Isn't it great? Mama-son days? Sigh. I adore this post Kristen. Am so glad you had your day with Drew.

I had a date with Harrison on Sunday. Was awesome. It was possible better for me than it was for him.

[Angella]

One-on-one time is so hard to come by when you have more than one kid, but it is so worth it for both the child and the Mom.

I took Emily on a shopping adventure while the boys were at school and we had the best time. Days later, she's still thanking me for our "fun day".

[Debi (Truthful Mommy)]

That is awesome. I agree , it seems like the oldest child had so much of my time and devotion and now the second gets not nearly the alone time with me. It lays on a nice thick layer of Mommy guilt. This was a brilliant idea. My oldest is going to kindergarten in the fall and when she is in school that is my special time with the youngest. Even if its just watching the Wiggles together and actually engaging 1 on 1, she appreciates it. I enjoy it. Sometimes I just forget that they are so different and just because I have already been there and done that, she hasn't. You are an awesome Mommy!I am sure he was thanking you for being so wonderful:) Happy MOthering!
http://motherhoodthetruth.blogspot.com/

[ClumberKim]

My son came first, and only has one younger sister to compete with, but I still love the time we spend, just the two of us. There's some every day (we get up first, and I take him to school or camp on the bus) but we are starting to do road trips together. A couple of weeks ago I took him to another city for a baseball game, stayed at a hotel, and stopped at another special place on our way home. All that togetherness was a little nerve-wracking at times (he pushes ALL of my buttons and we are a little too much alike) but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

[Susan @ Sassafrassery]

Thanks for the reminder. I need to take me daughter to the aquarium for some much needed one on one, fun time, too.

[Laura]

That is so sweet. I've been trying to take some special time with my 6 year old (away from his 19 month old sister) and every time we do it I vow to do it more often. Last week I picked him up during my lunch hour and took him to the park for a picnic (Subway sandwiches) and his face was lit up the whole time and he talked about how much fun it was on the way home. So simple, hardly any effort on my part and I'm left with a son who knows that I made an effort to be with 'just him'.

[sarah]

That's so sweet. I need to do that with my kids too. It's hard for three kids in a family to get individual attention.