My Wednesday date..

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Every Wednesday since school started this has been my dinner date.  Isn't he the cutest?  Zoe and John have soccer practice from 5:30 to 6:45 and its just Eli and I.  We sit down at the intimate kitchen island rather than the big dining room table and I light a candle to make it a bit more special.  Eli gets to have his favorite leftovers and I get to eat whatever healthy mom food I am craving.  I love easy nights like that!  He opens up and tells me in detail about his day.  Normally when I ask about his day I just get, "it was good" or when I ask what he did in school he tells me, "nothing."  So you can see why I love this time with him, as he gets very detailed.  He even told me a joke last night that sadly I did not get right away!  It was a knock knock joke and you had to spell CUP, so I spelled it and didn't get the punch line so he told me to spell it again, slowly, so I did, and then I got it!!  Silly 7- year-old boy humor, it's sad how it goes over my head!  Do you get it?


Last night was the last of our Wednesday dinner dates as it was Zoe's last soccer practice.  It's bittersweet because I am happy that soccer is over and that we can all be together at dinnertime, but I will miss my weekly date dinners with Eli.  


I am realizing that it's so important to get that one on one time with each child.  They need that time where the spotlight just shines on them and they are not rushed with their thoughts. I am going to make sure that I make more time with each one on a daily basis and be really present for that time that I am with them. 


I got thinking about all of this today when I ran into a mom I know at the grocery store.  We were talking about kids and how they grow so fast.  She has three kids and her two oldest are in college.  She said the hardest part is dinnertime because it's so quiet with just the three of them.  She misses the chaos and noise of a normal family dinner.  That made my heart melt and I realized that I sometimes take our family dinners for granted and rush through the meal to get to whatever else I deem important that night.  


Sometimes we run into people to get these messages.  Our universe is amazing as we are led to what we need to hear or see.  If we are open to stop and talk more or take pause throughout the day, we will hear those messages.


This was my message yesterday, be present with my family and friends more and slow down. This time will go by in a wink and I want to know that I was present and really got the most of that time!