Girls' Weekend

When Trevor's gone for a weekend we shift gears entirely. It's so strange, really, because it's not much different from when he's home -- typically he works all day, and is home with us for about two or three hours before bedtime. I suppose it is different, now that I write that -- he's present at the end of the day and in the morning, and any time with your dad is better than no time.

When he's not around, though, I quit cooking. We eat out once, twice a day, and steer clear of the house as much as possible. Knowing that he's not coming home (thus serving as a little break for both the girls and me) makes me want to be in public. I'm proving to myself that we're not hermits, and I'm relying on outside stimuli to enthrall my kids so they don't get bored at home... only to have HOURS before bedtime ahead of them.

Marta's new naptime schedule has helped this, though yesterday she could have taken one and been happier for it. But yesterday we weren't going to skip out on our fun afternoon at the Gemini concert for anything. I'm telling you, my girls were the only kids dancing in the aisles! And I got dirty looks from the parents around me! They weren't in anyone's way, and they were having a blast. It was a KIDS' CONCERT -- I hardly expect them to hold still when one of their favorite groups is within touching distance.

And oh, we had so much fun! Thanks to my parents, who are friends with the Gemini brothers, we were able to chat with San a bit before the show, and received lots of little smiles throughout. The girls felt very special, and had dressed to the nines. This is what I miss about living in the Grand Rapids area -- the events they could be going to, even at their ages. When I was four I was going to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (last row seats!) and the hands-on museum and the Science Center and the Detroit Institute of Art. It didn't make me into an artist or brilliant musician, but I cherish those outings as some of my favorite memories. And to be honest, it's hard for me to be enthusiastic about taking the girls skiing or out to do other wintery activities. Spending my early years in Detroit didn't lend itself to many snowshoeing adventures, and the museums and concerts are what I know. So I guess I have some learning to do with them, eh?

Anyway, it felt great to take them to the show, and afterward we went to The Bob-In Again, because of course we did, we love going there and being able to run around while we eat hot dogs and frozen custard.

They played so well together this weekend, and I can't figure out if it was related to Trevor's absence, our outings or just that they're really becoming best friends. I feel like it's the best friends option -- they seem like it's natural, and they have so much fun together. I wasn't sure if I should step in to play with them, and I didn't, and they came up with lots of adventures and shows to put on for me.

Marta is a bit of a mess today, and Berit has been bringing her all sorts of toys to cheer her up, helping her with things and telling her sweet little stories.

We're all looking forward to Trevor's return, but I think we need this once in awhile, to sort of mash together in an attempt to make the days go by in interesting ways as a family, without school and playgroups and grocery shopping.