It's a date

I went on a date yesterday afternoon, though it wasn't with my husband. Mark didn't seem to mind, though. My date was a cute 6-year-old who talked my ear off about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That's right, Ben was my date. Mark and I had been meaning to set aside alone time with the older boys for quite a while now, and we finally got around to it.

While I took Ben out to lunch at Atlanta Bread Company and then to a movie, Paulie and Mark went to lunch and then to Monkey Joe's. The one-on-one time was great. Since Gus's arrival, the time I have been able to spend bonding with Ben has dwindled. He's the oldest, and we expect a lot of him (maybe too much?). So while Mark or I still snuggle with Paul and Gus at bedtime, Ben doesn't get as much of that as he might like. Ordinarily it's difficult to give 100 percent of my attention to Ben at any given time, so it was nice to have a couple hours in which I could just listen to what he had to say.

After lunch, we headed to the theater to take in "Hotel for Dogs." If Mark were my date, I probably would have chosen a chick flick, but I decided to let Ben choose. I recommend the movie for you and your 6-year-old date. Ben and I sat in of those seats made for two, and I even snuck in a little snuggle time during the scarier parts.

Next up is my date with Paulie. I can only imagine where he'll take me.

Slow down, you grow too fast

If you ever need a reminder about how swiftly time passes (though who really does?), consider inviting a baby into your life. Five months ago I had just re-entered the chaotic time that is mothering a brand-new baby. Now here I am wondering how five months passed so quickly. A friend of mine who is also a mother to three boys warned me about this. "Just watch," she said. "When you get to your last child, every milestone will make you cry." Now that we're on what probably will be our last child, my friend's words are proving true.

Do young mothers ever listen to the words of experienced mothers? I don't know how many moms with older kids have told me to enjoy this time because it passes too quickly. Yeah, yeah, I usually think. I think it's just a fact that when you're in the middle of it, it feels never-ending. By the time you think, "Hey, those moms were right," it's probably too late. I've already experienced this first-hand. Exactly how is Ben old enough to be in kindergarten?

So here I am having one of those moments. Gus is now five months old. He's laughing, babbling and rolling over with ease. "Mark, it's going too quickly," I lamented the other night. His first four months were tough. He was extremely fussy, and I often found myself wishing he were older (read: easier). Now I'm already experiencing pangs of regret for wishing away the days of his cuddly newborn-hood. It's as if the universe is saying, "Ha! You wished it, now you've got it."

Of course, some milestones are met with pure joy. I'm delighted to report that Paulie is now almost completely potty-trained. Good riddance, expensive Pull-ups!

My hope is that whether happy, sad or bittersweet, I will slow down and enjoy all my kids' milestones.