A Little Bit Like Old Times

Wasn't I at one time that overachieving Mom who had daily "learning activities" planned for my daughter? Things like indoor finger painting (with subsequent framing and hanging of art), tea parties and picnics in the living room (complete with finger food we cooked as a team!) or even construction of mini collages from old magazines to illustrate that day's lesson or even better the "letter" of the week.

Wasn't it true that at one time Sophia watched less then thirty minutes of tv (per DAY!) and spent the rest of her time out in the world filling that ever expanding little brain of hers with new experiences via trips to the library, children's museum, zoo, park and Mommy and Me classes?

Didn't I once create a list of "must do" activities from a book entitled "100 Games Smart Babies Play" with the goal of playing all 100 games by the time she was three?


Seventeen months after the boy's arrival and I vaguely remember being "that" Mom. The kind of I'm-never-without-my-lipstick Mom who has time to sit in her very tidy home and quietly plan her weekly goals and lessons not unlike a model preschool teacher.

Sophia on the other hand has not forgotten. She relished life as an only and all the fun, entertaining, purposeful activities she and I used to enjoy. She loved going on outings every day, not watching quite as much tv ( okay so she's probably fine with all the tv watching) and getting loads more individual time.

Sigh. If only I had been a lousy mom all along, she'd never know the difference. I could kick myself for not being more forward thinking!

But now that I am starting to have little more breathing room, and because I have given up caring what the kitchen looks like, I'm reincorporating PROJECT TIME!! back into our afternoons. So far this month we've painted and decorated terra cotta planters, used finger paints, splatter painted with water colors, written "letters" to our family and cooked together for snack time. Admittedly not as well thought out as in our pre-twin life but fun mom and Sophia time all the same.

Since she was nostalgic for Disneyland last week I tried to incorporate that into our projects. Here's a picture of the themed snack we made.

A yummy nod to a certain license protected character.


Even during PROJECT TIME! she has to be fabulous.


Since she was eating a face off her plate she insisted on not using her hands.