A Mother's Stolen Moments

We did it.

After their twelve days of Christmas vacation, the girls are back in school today. Perhaps because I was dreading a morning battle from girls who'd gotten a little too used to staying up late and sleeping in, this morning ended up being one of our easiest ever. As the 9yo pointed out, the ease of the morning was aided by the fact that I got up with the alarm, so that I had some quiet time alone before I had to wake and ring-lead the girls. It is often hard for me to remember, when I'm snuggled in my comforter, that a half hour up in the house alone is worth more to my sanity than another half hour of sleep.

And now, for the first time since three o'clock on the twenty third of December (who's counting?), I have a stolen moment completely alone in my house. Ah.

As a single mother with no family nearby, school vacations often mean a lot of togetherness for our family. Some moments are wonderful, like this little adventure we had in town the other day, and some moments, I'm shocked by my shock at the way two sisters can treat each other.

In our small house, we all need to find the space and time to be alone. It isn't easy. And though the girls can play happily for hours together in their room, we've yet to figure out a way for each of them to have some one on one time with me. It is a gift we all need to figure out how to give each other, a goal for the new year.

My mother made the wooden figure above as a gift for me some years ago (I'm her honky tonk angel). I honestly can't remember whether we had precious one on one mother-daughter moments together when I was growing up. As an adult, I've lived on the opposite coast, and so we only see each other once a year. How lovely it would be to share a stolen mother-daughter moment with her now.

Right now, though, with the house so calm and quiet, I think I'll steal a moment to practice guitar.





Peace.