When the Routine Needs Some Color

Sometimes I find it so easy to get caught up in routine that I actually forget that my child is growing up.

That he can do and enjoy things that he couldn't last month, let alone last year. I realized how much he had changed when I was off for two weeks in December and was able to spend days on end with him. And I also realized how much I haven't kept up with him.

While I was home with no worry about getting to work the next morning, we did crafts and activities I found on Pinterest. We played play-doh, made bath paint, took a trip to the library, and did fun things that I will get to hold onto the memories of forever.

And then it hit me: there is no rule that says I can only be that fun mom on the weekends. There is no reason we can't paint the bathtub on a Tuesday night, or make a spaghetti collage on a Thursday before dinner. The only reason we haven't is because I bought into the idea that after a full day of work I should be able to have dinner, relax and then put him to bed.

Now sometimes I'm sure I will need to do that after a stressful day at work, but the reality is that my evenings are the only time of day I have to make memories with Jace. Working full-time means, for me, that if I want to have experiences with him, then I have to be willing to shake up the normal routine. Because Jace doesn't yet understand what I do when I'm away from him for eight hours, what he does know is what we do when we're together. So I think it's time for me really enjoy being a toddler mom, and embrace the messiness that comes with some good and crafty fun.