pajama date

One of my goals for 2009 is to have more dates with Steven. This can be a challenge with three children, the youngest of whom is only 3 months old and is still nursing every few hours. I came up with the idea of having an "at home" date each month.

Last night was our first date. I changed the name from "at home date" to "pajama date" because I had taken the older children swimming after dinner and we came home just in time for them to get ready for bed. Alex was ready to be fed so I changed into my pajamas and fed him after we had bedtime prayers. Then I put him in the swing where he was quiet for about 30 minutes before falling asleep. Steven also changed into pajamas and we had our date at the kitchen table, playing games and eating popcorn and Oreos. We played Phase 10 (getting through all 10 phases) and 5 rounds of Boggle. We got the game for Christmas from Steven's parents and have played several times--and I have come NOWHERE CLOSE to beating him. I doubt I ever will but we still had fun anyway.

Next month's date will be a movie night. I'm sure I will come up with some other ideas of fun things we can do at home after the children go to bed.

my word for 2009

A friend of mine, Nancy, did something really cool. She chose a word that she would focus on for 2008. Her 2008 word was JOY. She looked for joy in everything she did. She just posted on her blog what her word for 2009 was. Check her out here.

I got to thinking about that. I like the idea of having a single word that sums up what I want to focus on for the year. I will still have a list of projects and goals, but they will tie into that theme word. My word will also help me know what to focus on in daily life.

So, what is my word for 2009? It is ENJOY. Since my little son Alex was born in October, I have tried really hard to enjoy him. I try not to let my never-ending to-do list get in the way of playing with him, holding him, and just enjoying being with him. Even in the middle of the night when he is awake and fussing, I try to remember that all too soon he will be sleeping through the night and that phase will be over. I may not exactly ENJOY it, but remembering my word will help me to not resent it.

My word will also help me to remember my older children. Sometimes I find myself not paying as much attention to them as I should. It's easy to forget, amid the demands of taking care of a baby, that even though they are older and more independent, they still need me.

Even though it seems as though I do the same things every day, remembering my word will help me to keep things in perspective.

What's your word for 2009?