One On One Playtime

Susanna Wesley. Have you ever heard of her? She was the mother of Charles (famous Christian Theologian) and John Wesley (wrote Hark the Herald Angels Sing and leader in the Methodist Movement among other things). Anyway I am sure you are familiar at least with their names. Back to Susanna. When I became pregnant with Trey (our third), we were taken aback. Wil and Mags being 2 and 3 yrs old at the time, I freaked a bit. My great friend Kathy brought me a book (knowing how a book always makes me feel better) and that book was about Susanna Wesley. She had 19 children in her lifetime. She was a devoted mother and her mission became to see her children know the LORD and serve the LORD. It was a very inspiring book and literally made my spirit rejoice over my pregnancy. Susanna being the diligent woman she was set time aside each week to spend one on one with each of her children. Now she didn't have 19 children living in her home at the time of this vow. It was more like 7 I believe. Nonetheless reading this sacrifice inspired me to make the same kind of commitment with my own children.

At the time of my commitment, it was rather easy. I did what I wanted with them. A little ball with Wil here and a little snuggle time with my Mags-E girl there. However over the past few months I have seen a shift in Mags and Wil and a little glitch in my system. When Trey come along I slacked a little on the one on one time and tried to just play with Wil and Maggie simultaneously. Uh new plan momma. Maggie no longer wants to chase Wil's stray baseballs or run for his rebounds. She wants to play pretend and Wil wants to eat, sleep, drink any sport and as you can tell in the picture, tennis is his new favorite.

Ok who gets totally exhausted playing pretend? I for one am horrible at pretend but I do the best I can and my baby girl can pretend to be Dora or Ariel or momma all night long without effort. She is so funny. When I mess up and call her Maggie during our pretend time, she'll say "who's Maggie?" Whoa I am getting way off subject here. Sorry.

My point is playing with them one on one has become something that I have to work hard at. But more and more I see the importance in it. Granted I do put too much pressure on myself to play with them because I realize it is a very healthy thing to have them play with each other and on their own but when I spend alone time with them #1- they shine #2 - I get to know their personality and their talents; their strengths; their hearts and the list goes on. Sometimes when I am with them I think of Steven Curtis Chapman's song Cinderella: "so i'll dance [play] with Cinderella [or the prince] while they are still in my arms.....cuz the clock will strike midnight and they'll be gone."

And you say "what about Trey?" and I say breakfast, lunch, and dinner Trey is as close to momma as one can get [get what I'm sayin]? And if you see him out one day without a face, its because I kissed it off!!