Just the two of us...

Making a book for Daddy
Originally uploaded by B_Williams

Every other Saturday night, there is a "Parents Night Out" daycare here on post. Since Erick is deployed, I have a special card that entitles me to free use of that daycare. Without the card, the fee is not too bad, I think $5 an hour. So, I signed Lily and Leah up and I took Joseph out this past Saturday night. He really needed some one on one time with me, so the timing was perfect. That morning Lily had a ballet dance to do, and there was also a holiday fun fest at the same place. We drove out to the place, it was a 30 minute drive (which is considered a long drive in Hawaii). Lily did her dance, the kids got to play a little at the fun fest, but the evening belonged to Joe and I. On the way home from the fun fest, we stopped at Walmart to find some crafts for our night. We decided to make a book for Daddy, but we made a wooden cover, front and back. That way Joe could use some tools!

This was my first time ever taking my kids to daycare. I have dropped other people's kids at daycare and I always found them to be a little depressing. Well, mostly just the infant room. The cribs look so instutionalized, all steel and plain white sheets... However, I know the babies don't care about what color the sheets are... they just need the basics; diaper changes, milk and cuddles. And there was plenty of everything for baby Leah. There were two workers that night in the infant room, and 8 babies were expected. Now that would certainly curl my toes to watch that many infants, but I also know these ladies are pro's, they have tips and tricks, plus a large dose of patience. And they were both soft and sweet with the babies. I had pumped milk for Leah for 2 days and I had an almost full bottle of milk (took me that long to get 7 oz, my hat is off to the working mom's who pump everyday). The daycare changes the diapers every hour, whether needed or not, so I brought plenty of labled diapers. And the two women in the room had the whole baby in each arm thing happening, they were feeding kids with both hands. So I knew Leah would have some cuddle time. Later, when I picked her up, the one lady said Leah wasn't liking being rocked, so they just laid her down in the crib and she put herself to sleep. I should have told them that when I dropped her off! Leah is a really easy baby.

So, once Leah was in the infant room, I took Lily to the building next door, the older kid daycare. They had a gym with dodgeball to play, movies, a fooseball table, books, crafts... you name it. Lily brought a blanket and pillow, but I don't think she stopped playing to ever need them. Lily was situated, Leah was set, it was time for Joe now. I felt really odd, like I was forgetting something, to not have a baby carseat, diaper bag and two kids to help through the parking lot. It was a nice change to just have one child for the night.

I started the night with fun and did something a little out of character for me. I grabbed his hand and said, "Joe, lets run! Let's hurry to the car, c'mon follow me, this is a short cut!!" And I took him along the side of the building, we ran through the grass field and all the way to our car. When we got there, he was all smiles, out of breath and just beaming! I had him sit up front and by the time I pulled out of the parking lot, he had already started to come out of his shell and was talking a whole lot.

We went to dinner at Ruby Tuesday's, Joe's choice. We shared dessert, and talked about all sorts of stuff. A great dinner. We drove home and immediatly went into the garage. I think Joe really likes to be in there, it is like Daddy's main room, it has his motorcycle and his scent (I often go in there to remember Erick). We got busy making the soccer book, starting with painting. We shared the jobs, I stapled, he hammered. We made it a team effort when we used the power drill. We both painted and glued, he did all the writing on the photos (he picked the ones he wanted to use). By 10:00 pm, he was so tired, but very happy. I told him we could just stop for the night and finish in the morning. We had a great time together, he opened up and talked to me, I was able to give him 100% of my attention. I had just as much fun as he did!

When I went back into the infant room to get Leah, I could hear her crying a litttle, poor baby. She had just been asleep, but woken up a few minutes before I got there. Once I went over to her though, before I even put the crib side down, she quieted down. She knew momma was back and she was happy to see me. It felt really good to hold her and she snuggled right onto my chest. They said she did well while I was gone, and she drank almost all her milk! Next time I will try to have a bit more milk just in case, I'll have to start pumping a day earlier! After picking Lily up, getting all the kids back into the van, I felt really happy. The Parents Night Out was a success! Lily had fun, but couldn't wait to go back home. All the kids were so tired, they passed right out fast asleep.

The next night (tonight, as I write this), when I put them to bed, Lily and I planned our evening together. We are going to go to dinner and dessert and then home to do makeovers! She will do my hair and makeup, and I will do hers. We will use the clothes in my closet to play dress up and of course, we will take pictures of all our beautiful styles! She is really excited about it, and Joseph is looking forward to going to daycare. He thinks it will be fun to play with other kids his age. He also asked about the next time he and I go out. I suggested we stay in the house and cook. And bake. He gave me a BIG smile, I think he likes that idea!!

The Parents Night Out is really meant for parents to get away for a night, to recharge away from the kids. I may sometime sign all 3 kids up and just have time alone, but for now, Joe and Lily need me. And this is an awesome way I can give them my time and attention.