Swimming Together

For two whole years I had a little side-kick. Just me and her. We ran errands, had coffee, grocery shopped, walked, played, watched tv, cooked, ate and talked together. Rarely did I go anywhere without her. We have made many a roadtrip just the two of us.
She has been the source of entertaining stories and solid conversations for a long time. She is fun to have around.



Every Saturday all summer long we hit the Modern for coffee and a muffin, then head to the farmers market for whatever we can find and then we look for garage sales and see what kind of treasures await us.
Of course it all changed when Jace came along. There wasn't as much free time, timing is harder when you are juggling a nursing baby and suffering from new-babe exhaustion. Plus carrying a car seat while holding a toddlers hand while carrying a hot coffee is not as easy you'd think. She didn't seem to notice that the one on one attention had been tossed to the side or that we don't make it out as much as we used to. On the rare occasion that we are leaving without Jace she always asks why he's not coming. She likes having him around.



But I noticed.
I sometimes miss the just me and her time. Where walking down the street is a little easier and where no one has to stand at the side of the table bouncing a bucket seat in an attempt to soothe a crying baby (read: me) while trying to gracefully shove a sausage roll into her mouth. Although, if I am being honest that time is normally spent wiping up spilled cups of water and running some one to the bathroom for the third time in half an hour anyways, so it's not like its actually easier.





I decided to enroll Maizey in swimming lessons one evening in January. It was a Saturday night and lessons started the following Wednesday. Just me and her. I had to go in the water with her, so I couldn't take Jace with me. So for two days a week over the last four weeks we have packed our suits and hit the pool. She loves swimming and loved the time with me. We always spend a few minutes in the hot tub after class, warming up and relaxing.



When classes ended on Friday I had planned to take Maizey out for breakfast, again just the two of us, to celebrate, but timing with Brian being in didn't work out so Jace was with Brians mom and she isn't super comfortable just packing him up and bringing him to me if he needed me.



So we postponed until Saturday morning, but then Brian was home and it felt wrong not inviting him, so it wound up being all of us.



Over thick slices of french toast, greasy omelets and hot coffee we toasted to Maizey, for being a big girl and learning to swim and for just being YOU. 



I know she is fine, shes not jealous of him nor does she feel left out or in desperate need for attention. I just needed to satisfy my own craving for a little Missy time. She felt special and I feel re-connected. Which is exactly what I was aiming for.