"Need Mommy still."

Well, today was a packed full day ending with a dinner at church (for an amazing gal who has fought cancer and has clamied victory!) and Greg heading off to play basketball (this part of our evening was not planned until we were at the dinner at church). When Greg told me he was going to play I started thinking of everything that I would do when I got home after an exhausting day. Get the kids to bed immediately.Take a bath. Read a book. Just relax.

Well, after all of the kiddos were down, my two year old had other plans. She continued to get out of bed, silently standing just outside of her door. I would pass her in the hallway and tell her, "Dakota, get back in bed." She would quietly obey (which quiet by the way is VERY much against her nature, so I knew something was up), but then 5 minutes later re-appear in the hallway. In these moments it is often very easy to get upset. I often do. But, she was so quiet that I walked up to her, bent down to see her little face and I asked her, "What is it Dakota? Why are you not in bed?" She softly replied with: "I need Mommy still."
I wanted a bath, wanted to read, but in the hustle of getting to swim practice, doing this and that and everything in between, I sometimes I feel like the little ones end up getting dragged along throughout the day. I could definitely make more time for Dakota. I held her in her room and had some quiet time with her. She kept repeating, "I need Mommy still. I wuv Mommy still. hold me Mommy still."

It was well worth trading the bath for a quick shower and writing down this memory instead of reading a book. :-)