I must admit that when I found out he would be away overseas for almost two weeks straight I was, to say the least, a little apprehensive. He goes away a bit for work, but never for this long, and never overseas. The time he was away also coincided with my lovely sister-in-law (who is my go-to person for help with the kids) also being overseas with her family.
But to my surprise, I have actually loved spending the last two weeks with our three kids on my own. Don't get me wrong, the kids and I missed my hubby like crazy, but being able to spend such a period of time with them on my own has allowed me to 'enjoy' them more, has shown me what good kids they really are and has also given us all a greater appreciation of my husband and all that he does for us.
Just like other mothers, my life is constantly busy, and I always seem to be juggling lots of different things at once. However, with my husband being away, I made a conscious effort to just focus on the kids and forget everything else for a while. So Ruby Two Shoes orders were closed and I took time off work. I let my son have a few days off school and I went out of my way to do fun things with the kids. We went to more parks, watched more DVDs, played more games, read more stories, played more in the backyard together and caught up with friends more frequently.
And guess what....we had so much fun and, dare I say it, the kids have been better behaved than usual. With Daddy away, my two older children have shown greater responsibility, have been eager to help and have been showering me with cuddles, kisses and constant professions of love. Mr Two took to Daddy's absence a little harder - he is a Daddy's boy and didn't really understand why Daddy wasn't here. There were a few days of tantrums and violence from him (but he is typically an over-achieving terrible two so this was expected!). However, with a bit of extra TLC from me and his brother and sister, he has been much easier to live with the last few days.
So tomorrow my life will be back to normal, back to work, Ruby Two Shoes will be back open for orders, I can begin to prepare for the upcoming Mummy Tree and Billycart Markets, and I will have to share that block of chocolate I have been devouring each night with my husband. Importantly however, if the last two weeks has taught me anything, I will also make an effort to spend more time with the kids and my husband just doing what makes them happy - to keep us all happy x Em
That's so true. Living life slowly makes it more enjoyable, just like savouring a tasty meal. It's so important to teach our kids the value of sharing precious moments together and a great way to teach them a more loving and peaceful way to live.I think Mrs Ruby Two Shoes has it all sewn up.
ReplyDeleteLittle by Little