The last couple of weeks since my previous highlights post have been both full and peaceful for me. While Peter took the girls on epic hikes, I stayed home with the other kid and had a lovely, relaxing time. We planned the hikes around my work schedule so that I could be at home while Peter and one kid were off adventuring. This also gave us each some meaningful one-on-one time with our girls.
Our girls generally play together really well so having them both at the same time often has the added benefit of them entertaining each other. Spending a few days just one adult and one kid meant there was a bit more space to fill on the schedule. But, with both girls, those times went by quickly and I was reminded once again of what lovely people I get to raise.
Pearl and I spent time going on walks and reading together. We went out for dinner on our first night together and followed it with a walk along a nearby beach. We had quiet days at home and walks with the dog. For our second night, we watched the original Jumanji together, a movie I loved as a kid and we agreed that maybe Rose wasn’t quite ready for. We made pizza together and baked brownies and generally had a lovely time.
Rose and I had a longer time one-on-one as Pearl and Peter’s hike was a bigger one than Rose’s. We spend Saturday morning at the Farmers’ Market and the library and then went out for lunch together. Rose picked her favourite meals for us to share. She wasn’t as into going for walks but she loved throwing the ball for Winnie the Dog in our backyard and reading together in the sunshine. We picked blackberries together in an empty lot near our house and got decently scratched up. We had a quiet domestic day of baking and food prepping.
For our movie night together, Rose chose the original Parent Trap movie, which neither of us had ever seen. I’ve shown the girls the Lindsay Lohan version that I watched as a kid and initially Rose wanted to watch that because, as she told me, she likes to watch movies she’s seen before. But when I mentioned there was an older version, she picked that instead. (And we recently learned it is based on a book written in German!)
Both girls requested a “sleepover” with me (ie sleeping with me in my bed) for their solo parenting time. My first night with Pearl, I sat down with her to read together, planning to get up and let her sleep while I went to bed at my normal time. But after reading our books together, silently side-by-side, when I told her it was lights out, I felt like I wanted to sleep too. So for all of the nights I had “sleepovers” with my girls, we each read our books together and then put the lights out and went to sleep at the same time. In the morning, we would again have time quietly reading in bed together. I felt so refreshed and rested for those days!
I’m really grateful that I got this time with each of my kids. Social media (in my experience at least) tends to glorify the baby and toddler stage and either gloss over or complain about older kids. And I loved my girls as babies but this current stage we’re in is one I really love and am enjoying so much. Toddlers are tons of fun but getting to know my kids as individual humans and witnessing them begin to become the people they will grow in to is pretty amazing.
Karissa Reads Books 
I have a lot more fun with older kids compared to babies or little toddlers (she’s 2-3). I feel like 4 is when it gets fun, at least from the outsider perspective and interactive with my nieces. I don’t know if you ever watched Saved By The Bell, but the teacher Miss Bliss is the actor playing twins from Parent Trap.
Being an aunt to older kids is super fun! Babies and even toddlers are so parent-focused that it’s hard to be any other adult in their sphere. As a parent, our kids are now at ages where they have a lot more flexibility. They really feel like individuals now.
I didn’t know that about Miss Bliss! I wasn’t allowed to watch Saved by the Bell but I used to sneak it sometimes at the neighbours and thought that was exactly what being a teenager would be like!
I have a t-shirt that references that scene from Saved by the Bell during which Jesse Spano has a meltdown because she’s overcommitted herself while trying to get ready for college, so she starts taking what is basically over-the-counter speed. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Google “Saved by the Bell I’m so excited.”
I do know that reference!