I confess: I’m a boring mom.
I like to stay home.
I rarely have exciting ideas or plans.
Any time I act in a spontaneous manner, my husband asks if I’m feeling okay.
So yesterday, something weird happened. At about 3 p.m., I thought, “Hey — what if I asked the kids if they wanted to have a special FUN Night, and they could pick anything they wanted to do…and we’d do it?! Wouldn’t that be cool? Wouldn’t they just love it?”
Chad was out of town and I had been up until 2:00 a.m. the night before, unable to sleep. So clearly, I was delerious. Why else would I let my kids pick anything they wanted to do?
Good news: the kids took it easy on me.
Part One of their plan involved a treat: some fast food. Not surprising.
“Wendy’s!!!” L. cried out. “That’s a great idea!”
No problem. I can handle that.
And Part Two of their plan?
A bookstore.
We must be raising these kids right. Both of them suggested a trip to the bookstore after dinner, and — as I’m sure you can guess — a visit to a bookstore is hardly a hardship for me. Maybe they clamored for a bookstore because they knew I’d enthusiastically comply without delay. Or maybe they genuinely think that browsing through books with the possibility of taking home a treasure or two is genuinely fun. I like to think the latter.
C. spent his bookstore time checking out the Garfield comic books — his current interest (on which his allowance money is spent almost as quickly as it’s received). And L. asked me to find him “new alphabet book!” and “new shape book!” and “new polar bear book!” We spent our evening, quite happily, immersed in the children’s section.
Eventually, L.’s bedtime approached, so we headed home. Happy.
I know I got off easy. They could have asked me to do any number of things that would have pushed me out of my comfort zone. And I would have done any of those — happily. And we would have had fun, because we would have been together.
But I’m glad they chose the way they did. It was truly a delightful evening.
One of our favorite excusions is to the bookstore as well. We are on a first name basis with most of the clerks at our local B&N. My kids’ favorite gift is a B&N gift card. And surprisingly, they don’t spend them all at once. When I asked why, they said, “if we still have some left on our cards, we know you will bring us back.” Yeah, sometimes were are doing something right! Have a great day.
I’m a boring mom too. Spontaneous, never. Home, yes please.
.-= Lisa writes…´s last blog ..#601 =-.
awww such a sweet night and what a memory maker! Glad your boys took it easy on you
That sounds like an AWESOME night out! =D I’d take that any day also. =) (Although I do like being spontaneous which is something my husband is not.)
Glad you all had a great time!
Your kids are great! That would have been my kind of fun too. We used to do that a lot. Wasn’t one of my hubby’s favorite choices but he went along with it.
I’m of the opinion that spontaniety is overrated.
That sounds like so much fun! My husband and I hit up a bookstore on our last date – he thought it might seem lame, but I was thrilled to be able to go look at books for me – did you know they have an entire section of adult books?!
.-= Andrea´s last blog ..Happy Canada Day! =-.
Yeah, you got off easy! But hey, it’s good that it doesn’t take you jumping through hoops for them to have a good time. That says something – that they’re content and secure and learning to enjoy little everyday pleasures (you can always go to Wendy’s or a bookstore!)
P.S. has C gotten into Calvin & Hobbes yet? that’s my fav . . .
I’m the same way. I’m a homebody. But my kids rarely agree on things so I’m not sure a similar evening at our house would have gone so well…
I agree that I’m not spontaneously fun either, but like you, I am more willing to do something like that when Terry’s out of town. It keeps things interesting.
And you definitely must be raising them right to pick a bookstore. Sounds like a good night.
Amanda enjoys the Garfield comics too. We picked up quite a few at a Half-Price bookstore on a visit to TX once.
This sound just like many of the perfect evenings I spent with my son when he was younger. He’s 23, and we still go to bookstores together, even now.
You’re a good mom!
That sounds like a wonderful night! I can’t wait to be able to take my son into a bookstore without him trying to pull every book off the shelf!
That sounds like a PERFECT evening to me.