one-child feeling

The kids are at my parents' house for a few days this week. I love that stage of being a kid! I remember staying over at my Oma & Opa's farm with my sister a few times. Once, we had a tent set up outside and we tried to capture all the kittens to sleep in there with us (there must have been about 4 or 5 of them); it was cute at first, but they mewed so much and kept scratching at the sides that we let them go (in annoyance and dejection). I don't remember if we actually spent the night in the tent (I can't see us being brave enough, but maybe we were. Let's go with Yes!) but I do have a lot of fond memories of playing on The Farm. I am so sad that my children don't know the Farm, being on the West Coast. (my childhood was spent back East, where all my relatives are) Many of my summers were spent there, playing and exploring. We made forts with the cousins, we played in the old cars, we hid in the hay barn (I found out years later that were weren't supposed to do that), we chased each other around the house, we played with the kittens (there are always kittens at a farm).

My children won't have those types of memories with their grandparents. But they do have something that I never did: a relationship. Oh, my Opa & Oma are great ---I do recall many tea breaks with cookies, and Oma would wake us up real early to watch old reruns of The Little Rascals with homemade oatmeal. And I remember going for walks with Opa to look for the cows, and I have a faint memory of going for a ride with him on the tractor. But mostly I remember playing and exploring.  My children's grandparents cater their sleepovers for them --- they get their favourite foods, get to watch their favourite movies, get to stay up late, and have special one-on-one attention. I love my Opa & Oma, but my kids have  made! *smile*

I will get them in two days and we will spend the afternoon at the pool with my Mom (I wouldn't dare brave it alone with 5 children! A lake yes, because I know the chances of them going into the water is slim!) Until then, it's just me,  Eden and Hunny. Eden was offered the chance to stay over as well (and I secretly hoped she would agree) but she isn't ready. She doesn't get the idea yet, which I find interesting. She likely won't until she's 4. That's when Rhys finally got it and wanted to stay as well! I didn't mind bringing Eden back home, though. She'll get her chance one day (God willing)

Today we cleaned dishes (not that I would eat off of her "clean" ones), had a bath...three times, did some laundry, played "tickle monster", cleaned a bit of the boys' room, had a nap (I tried to also, but my mind wouldn't settle. grr) sang and danced to music, checked out FB, went for a walk with Daddy, shared a snack, chased eachother around the living room, shot Daddy with a Nerf dart gun, and then snuggled to sleep! Phew! She is an energetic, loud, bouncy, giggly toddler! I know that is very typical for a 2 year old, but I did wonder today if that was what it was like when it was just us and Abi, and I couldn't remember. Eden and Abi have different personalities; Eden is loud and cheeky and bold and Abi is reserved and gentle and thinks first. I remember Abi being a Delight (she still is) and I'm sure I must've chased her around and played Tickle Monster til she giggled and lost her breath too, but you lose the actual memory and feeling. It was nice to have that one-child feeling again today.

As I snuggled with Eden tonight I thought ahead to that one day when it'll just be the three of us again. When all of her siblings have moved out and she's still at home.  That is, if it does happen that way. She may move out faster than her brothers! She does seem to have a pretty set mind!

Earlier this morning, while we were downstairs organizing in the spare room, she tells me, "Pizza. Now." I smile and tell her something non-committal like, "Oh good!", thinking that she's playing pretend cooking or something. She tells me this a few more times, sounding quite insistent. It wasn't until an hour or so later that it occurs to me, Ohhhh! The peaches!!! We have a few more jars of peaches we canned last year down in that room! "Yesh!!!" Eden was quite excited when I finally understood her!

Later, as I was making lunch,  Eden was feeling impatient, so she pulled out a bag of cereal and held it up to me. "Want it. Really dooooooo!" She said to me in a sing-gongy voice. "I need it!"  It's hard to refuse such an earnest request.

What a cheesy grin! I love this girl!

I laughed at the "I need it!" phrase. Where did she learn that? Apparently as a toddler, I said the exact same thing! I "needed" everything!  My Mom says that it was because she was trying to teach us that we Want things, but we don't Need everything! I was pretty sure I knew exactly that I NEEDED everything. (I admit that I still use those words when I want something, teehee)  I guess she really does pick up everything. *huge grin*