Spoil Your Kids, Spoil Yourself

I don't know what was going on today, but I was in one of those moods where I just wanted to indulge my kids and enjoy every little moment with them.

It all started this morning when I gave in to Elizabeth's request to have a homemade cookie before leaving for school.  I just loved the look on her face when I said yes.  I think that's what started the ball rolling.

While out running errands with Rachael, I didn't think twice about buying the tic tacs she wanted or even carrying her from car to store over and over again even though she can walk perfectly well.  I just felt like babying her.  Especially since she won't be a baby much longer.  (Another dreaded birthday is coming up - one that transforms her from toddler to pre-schooler, even though I'm not enrolling her in anything of the sort this year.  She's my baby, that's why.  And she has three more years before kindergarten, so how ridiculous.)

After our too late dinner, Elizabeth really, really wanted to go on a bike ride.  Since that is just about my favorite thing to do these days anyway, I loaded Rachael up, invited Will, and the four of us went around the big block just as the sun was going down.  It was getting late and near bedtime, but when Will asked if we could go around the block again, an easy "ya" came out of my mouth.  Once we came back home for good, I told him to come in and get ready for bed, but when I saw him a few minutes later zooming down the street on one of the neighbor's electric scooters doing some goofy dance moves and making funny faces, all I could do was smile.

Now it was really getting late, but the sky was so gorgeous, and it was so warm and windy with stormy clouds all pink underneath, and Venus showing up - so I made everyone go out on the porch to watch the show and eat popsicles.

Even once everyone was actually ready for bed, I just couldn't resist a little Mother Goose reading time with Elizabeth.  As Brandon was going to put Rachael in her crib, she was whining and reaching for me so I told Brandon just to give her to me.  I just laid there for a good 15 minutes on Elizabeth's bed with both girls snuggled up to me, singing them songs.

Once the little kids were in bed, I knew Kate had just gotten out of the shower and had her thick, wet hair up in a towel - and she hates going to bed with wet hair.  I asked her if she wanted me to dry it with the "wet to dry" hair straightener.  Of course she did, and we had fun talking about all the glammed up girls at school that look like they are going to Prom every day, and old women that do so much cosmetic surgery they look freakish.  Girl talk.  It was fun.  She read "The Hourglass Door" last weekend, and is going through it a second time right now because she liked it so much.  She likes it so much she wants me to read it too.  Isn't that cute?  I hate to admit that I hardly ever read anything lately - at least not entire books - but I was in this savor-every-moment/indulge them mood, so I read the prologue and first chapter on her bed while she laid next to me with her head on my shoulder.

I'm not always this benevolent in my mothering, but every once in awhile it just feels good.