Okay, so I've discovered a mother's "free time"... BEFORE a child has gotten up in the morning and/or AFTER a child has gone to bed. I've gotten a few things done today in preparation for leaving town tomorrow (cleaning, washing some laundry, etc.).
Today's activities included:
Going to lunch with some friends of mine. Erin wasn't too thrilled with that, and even reminded me that her daddy told her "time will go quickly in Tulsa if you're having fun." Implication: Lunch with Aunt Krista's fun = NOT fun. :) She was surprisingly anti-social and was happy when lunch was finished and we were en route to the Tulsa Zoo.
The Tulsa Zoo - we had a great time there, though it was very hot and meant several hours of following Erin around wherever she determined it was best to go. Highlights: The Lion (who had his face in a corner and wouldn't even look at us), a baby chimpanzee (very cute, and even stood face-to-face with Erin at the glass... I tried to grab my camera but didn't get it in time) and ICE CREAM!!!! ('nuff said).
Small Group - Our small group came over tonight. After lunch, I wasn't sure what to expect from Erin, but she was actually very friendly and surprisingly hospitable. During the Bible study, she talked to her Mom & Dad on the phone and watched a DVD. She did very well, despite being upset briefly after getting off the phone.
Veggie Tales - we watched a couple of movies tonight, and Erin fell asleep on the love seat (where I think I'll leave her until morning... or until she moves to the sleeping bag in my room).
I'm still exhausted, though, and hoping to get some shut eye in preparation for heading to Kansas in the morning/afternoon.
New thoughts about being a Mom:
1) You have to look for deals... we got some discount tickets to the zoo from a friend of mine. It actually ended up being free admittance. (Actually... now that I think about it... I guess I owe someone a bit for those...)
2) If I were a full-time Mom, I would need to lay down the law a bit more than I have this week. I've been a push-over for the most part. I suppose it's an aunt's job to spoil, but I would be more disciplined with my own daughter.
3) They say having your own child is different... I wonder if that's true and, if so, HOW it's different.
4) I guess that's about it for now. I'm about to fall over.
1 comment:
I'd say your observations about parenting are correct on all counts ... deals can make or break your budget, which is why I love "banana day" and I'm addicted to garage sale shopping (I spent $4 this morning on a nice sweater, three pairs of shoes, and a movie!) ... free time for parents is whenever children are sleeping ... laying down the law is VERY important, and I hope Erin didn't push things too much - she's always searching for the boundaries ... having your own child is VERY different than trying to parent someone else's child (with your own, you make the ground rules and there aren't preconceived notions about the expectations from either side). It sounds like Erin has had quite an adventure in Tulsa, and will probably be bored out of her mind this coming week! Thank you, FUN, ENERGETIC, WONDERFUL Aunt Krista, for a job WELL-DONE!
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