This one’s much easier said than done.

Super Mommy Tip:  Spend quality time with each child independently.

I did this over the summer and I can’t tell you how connected it made me feel.  As you know, both boys were gone for extended periods of time.  I knew I wanted to take advantage of this time with the son who was staying home.  I wanted to make it a big deal…something memorable.  I wanted it to be time we spent exploring and having new experiences, not just the two of us having lunch out, going to the bookstore or playing games.  We can do that any day.  It needed to be big!  The stuff memories are built on.  But here’s the thing - it can’t cost lots of money!  Like everyone else in this country, we’re trying to stretch our dollars too.

Here’s what I came up with:  With my little guy, we went to Las Vegas to visit my recently retired mom.  It takes a tank of gas to get there and it was free to stay at her house.  Trey and I took in all the sights.  There are so many free things to do and see there with children.  We even got free tickets to the Mac King Comedy Show.  (Well, they said they were free but we were both required to pay for a mandatory $11 soda).  It was the best soda ever AND THE BEST SHOW.  We really enjoyed it!  We kept going from morning til night.  When our heads hit the pillows, we were exhausted!  The best part of all of it was that I didn’t have to worry about anyone or anything else - just Trey and the fun we were having. 

 As for Ty, we went to San Francisco.  My husband is there one week per month on business.  He usually flies there, but because we were coming, we thought we’d take advantage and drive the route that goes up the coast along PCH.  Everyone has always told me what a beautiful drive it is, but who really wants to take the long way with little kids in the back seat.  So, since Ty is older, we thought we’d finally do it!  Quite honestly, it was a little too scenic for me.  There was a point when my husband and I looked at each other and wondered if we were really in CA.  All these fields and farms looked more like Mayberry than the outskirts of Los Angeles.  Once we arrived in San Francisco, we were ready to go.  We were freezing (temps in the 50’s and 60’s).  There were so many options.  We ended up seeing the Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, Little Italy, Ghiradelli’s,  taking a duck tour and a segway tour.  It was so much fun!  Not only were the experiences fun, but I think my favorite part was the road trip part.  Ty and I drove back home for 5 hours in the car together.  His co-pilot skills were lacking - but he’s learning.  The best part is that I had his undivided teenage attention.  You can discover so much in five hours - even when it’s your child.  Sometimes, in these moments, you really can come to understand “stuff” about them and they come to understand “stuff” about you.   

I find it so hard to be present, yet so necessary with the boys.  This time I spent bonding was the best time I’ve spent all summer.  Yes, it did end up costing some money, but as far as I was concerned, it was money well spent!  There will never be another Summer, 2009 and I’m glad mine turned out the way it did!

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 26th, 2009 at 9:58 am and is filed under Super Mommy Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.