Give me a BREAK!

I know, I know...it sounds like the beginnings of another post about chocolate. But, in fact, I'm talking about my kids!

The other day I was telling a story to my friend Rachel about some of Emma's less-than-desirable antics and somehow I rambled long enough to start complaining about the fact that sometimes Emma and I need a break from each other! She must certainly get weary with me occasionally, too! I mean, truly...we spend every single day together. Since we live in a foreign country, there are no grandparents to give Josh and I a special night out. There are no "mom's day out" programs around here. Not even church nurseries on Sunday! It is Mom-time/Emma-time, all the time.

Then, Rachel and I struck gold.

We decided that once a week we would trade off. This week, she would watch emma, and next week I would watch clara anne. Sure, we'll still have our littlest babies...but we've now entered the world where only caring for one child feels like a break. Kindly enough, Rachel let me go first (maybe because of my previous rant?)

so today, I dropped emma off at the door for a full morning of play with Rachel and Clara. Then I got into the taxi - without squeezing tightly on to little hands to make sure they don't run in the street, without singing every song I know in the taxi to ensure a smooth ride for a 2 year old, without keeping dirty sneakers from leaving their imprint on the white seat covers. Just me and mantha, who sleeps or remains otherwise content a large majority of the time.

I went shopping at the two biggest department stores in town. I bought josh's christmas present. I found lots of interesting goodies I had no idea existed in our city. I found a play-kitchen here that I was considering ordering from the States for Emma. I walked around in the sunshiny coolness that the noon hour brought. I walked, browsed, shopped and lingered without any thought whatsoever to what time it was.

And then I left, happy to be on my way to seeing Emma again. I returned to my real life, and emma certainly did not disappoint. When I got to rachel's house, she was seated at the table, happily shoving fistfuls of asian noodles into her mouth. They had read piles of books, played hide-and-seek, and pushed dolls around the house in make-believe adventures.

Next week, Clara will come here and perhaps rachel and john will go out for some lovely night on the town celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. And it helps me to remember that as much as I love this little child who is even now sitting at my lap, reaching longingly at the clattering keys on the keyboard, sometimes, we just need a break.