Dates with the kids

One thing I really wanted to do with the kids before the summer ended was do individual dates with the kids.  Unfortunately, Ian went into the hospital with PCP (pneumonia) a few weeks before school started and was there for 2 weeks.  That in and of itself was quiet the experience in many ways.  For now, I'll address the kid dates that were delayed due to unexpected events.  So I was getting sad about the fact that I wasn't able to do a lot of things with the kids this summer that I would've liked, including their one on one dates that I had promised them.  Luckily, the weekend before school started, after Ian had been home a few days, my mom came on a Friday night to help put kids down while I took Abby on her date to the movies to see "Smurfs".  The next day, after I put Ayla down for a nap, I took Caleb miniature golfing.  It was a pretty quick date, but we had fun.  It was a super hot day so we went and got slurpies before returning home.  There was extra time and Ayla was still asleep, so I took Eli for a bike ride to the Yogofina place.  He rode his 2 wheel bike the whole way there and back and didn't complain.  I know he loved it and so did I!   I was soo soo happy that I was able to have those dates with my kids before school started.  It may seem like a small thing, but I really needed that time with the kids probably, just as much as they needed it too.

But now we've got some expectations to keep up with.  Round 2 of dates with the kids.  Caleb wanted to go get frozen yogurt so we went while Abby was at piano and Eli was at Hudsons.  Ian met us there so I got to be in on it this time.  Then Eli had his date with Ian to get ice cream cones at Baskin Robins.  Ian mentioned that Eli really loved doing that with him.  Eli asked if they could do this all the time.  It meant a lot to Ian and from the sound of it, it really meant a lot for Eli to have that one on one time with Ian.  Abby's turn is next....  what to do?  I think it will be a date with Ian to get Jamba Juice.

Caleb is thinking that these dates will be happening every day, so it might be a challenge helping him to understand how this date sharing thing will work.  All of the kids seem to be overly concerned with "what's fair".  That is a frustrating part of this, but hopefully with time it will work itself out.  I am definitely enjoying the evolution of these dates with the kids.  I love them so much!