Mama Love

Ava: "My Mommy."
Cooper: "No, my Mommy."
A: "My Mommy."
C: "NO, my Mommy!"
A: "Myyyy Mommy."
C: (crying now) "Mommy, Ava says you're her Mommy! You're my Mommy!"
Me: "You guys are lucky! I'm both your Mommy! I was Cooper's Mommy, and then when Ava was born I became Ava's Mommy, too! Isn't that great!"
A: "My Mommy."

Ava loves to get Cooper's goat, she knows what gets him upset, and these days it's who's Mommy I am.

It occurred to me this weekend, as we were out with the kids, and they were fighting over who's Mommy I was, that they didn't do that when I was home with them. When I was home, we spent all day together, having fun, but also doing the day to day things; laundry, dishes, cleaning up the playroom. When Joey got home each day, it was a mad rush for Daddy; he was the one they cared to spend their evening climbing on, talking to, sharing with. Which was usually fine with me, I'd had them all day! But I did feel like chopped liver sometimes by the degree to which they emoted over him!

When I returned to work I was so worried about losing time with them, and concerned they would feel abandoned. While they might have been upset in the first few weeks, what seems to have happened is they've found me in a new light! When I pick them up, I get "Mommy, I missed you!" I get tons of hugs until bedtime, and stories about school.

On weekends, the time together is great. The art they do reflects their love of their family; Cooper was asked to draw himself on a schoolbus; he added Mommy, Daddy, Ava and Greta on the Bus. When asked to Draw his Grandparents, again, he added Mommy, Daddy, and Ava to the picture. And, he misses Ava. He asks almost daily when she'll turn 3 so she can move into his classrooom. This weekend he told me he "dreams about when she turns 3."

Going back to work hasn't been so easy, but the kids have made it much nicer, and easier to bear.