Five uninterrupted minutes is almost impossible. My children sense when I want to write, and suddenly my lap is a writhing pile of children—each fighting for the best spot.
I feared I would never get the chance to write.
My gym—their childcare—called to me today. “Bring the children to me and go write in the café.”
The afternoon would not allow it. A perfect, sunny, 70 degrees. It demanded I take my children to the park instead—a place where diligence is still required, and thus no writing.
Yes, she is wearing a Halloween shirt in January…
Three hours passed as I watched my children make new friends and find current ones with squeals of joy.
The laugh as I swung my daughter on top of a large tree branch so she could tower over all.
The relief of seeing my son play well with other children.
The older he gets, the more difficult the photo capturing…
The adorableness of my daughter acting the big sister to a one-year-old little girl—sitting behind her and holding her tight down a curving slide. Again and again.
And yes, the soaking wet pants as my daughter is reminded again how pull-ups and underwear have very different properties. I swear that park is her Achilles heel.
Nine hours later…. I finally have my five minutes.
Dances with Chaos 
Children do have that amazing radar, don’t they, for when we just want those five minutes to ourselves! Those park days are precious. You made a great choice, to enjoy the beauty of the afternoon and the joyful life of your children, and I am glad you found your five minutes too. Thanks for this wonderful post!
It should be mentioned, those five minutes came around midnight… and then I fell asleep before I could post this.
But yes, it was a perfect afternoon and if the local weather has anything to say about it, we have more perfect days in our future.
Thanks for stopping by!
For someone that hard to capture on film, he looks very photogenic. I think my mom has about two pictures worth seeing ever since I turned seven. Also, do you have done degrees to spare?
Texas has to be nice about something to make up for the summers.. I’d send a few degrees your way if I could.
What you don’t see of The Tackler are the twenty other photos where he’s a blur or turned his head the second he heard the beep of the camera. Lil Diva is starting to do this too–I have to get her distracted to get a good shot. Unless she feels cooperative, which is less and less lately.
I never even try to get time to myself until the kids are in bed — it’s completely futile. The downside of parenthood. I can’t get a decent picture of Little Man anymore either. He’s a blur of movement whenever I try. The one you captured of te Tackler is a keeper though!
This is my reality as well. It’s good to know we are all in this boat together! Makes me feel less frustrated about all the loose ends around here that never get tied up. 🙂
I know you know this already; but as someone whose kids are ten years older than yours, I’ll say it again:
This decade will be gone before you know it. But your words will always be with you.
Be in the moment and the writing will find its way into your life (which isn’t worth recording if it’s not being fully lived).
Carry on.
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The hours you spent with your kids on a gorgeous day in January are well worth giving up or at least waiting for that time to write. They won’t always be sitting on your lap. And this is a lovely tribute to the time that they are.
I think you got the best of your time. Writing will find a spot here and there. Children grow to fast to miss out on the sunny days.
Those five minutes, for me, happen before anyone else in the house is awake . . . it makes for a rather grumpy & tired John at the end of the day . . . especially since I usually use that time to run or cycle.
And that relief that your son is playing well with others never goes away, does it? I think I had an audible sigh of relief from just the same, this past weekend.