Flexible Age

The coolest thing so far at 18 months has been our most recent surprise at the fact that Anna is more flexible with our schedules, including the ability to stay up later, which means we can start to have somewhat of a social life again that also includes her. Plus she can be kinda fun. Last night Paul wanted to cut the grass at around 6pm. Usually, we'd wait till Anna goes to bed so we can spend time with her, and she'd go to bed by 7 or so and there'd be plenty of light left to cut the grass. The fun thing about last night's grass cutting (fun? What have I become?) is that Paul went ahead with the cutting at around 6:30 and we hung outside to watch/help till almost 7:30. Imagine that, getting stuff done AND hanging out with Anna. BONUS! In the last 12 months leading up to this event, this would have never worked: Anna would have been an eye-rubbing sleepy-head mess by 6:30 and I'd have had to stick with her bedtime schedule/routine. But last night, the weather was nice and cool and dry, the mosquitos were mostly dead or repelled, and Anna was wide awake, fed, and happy. So we just hung out with Paul while cutting the grass. She even wanted to ride in the stroller she saw in the garage so we rode around our yard and she loved it. Simple and fun. It may not mean much to the non-parents who read this, but it represents alot to me.

She used to HATE the stroller, with the exception of her first few months of life when a bumpy, grassy ride at near Shaken-baby-syndrome levels was one of the only 2 tricks that would work to quiet her.

So tonight I am going to try something new, if I can get over my anxiety about it. I am going to attempt to take her out in her stroller to watch the local high school football game in our neighborhood that Paul is covering tonight for as long as she'll care to be there.

Remember my momentum theory? I think it's the root of my anxiety about taking Anna out for stuff like this. Momentum being that for the past year of my life and hers, I have had so many restrictions placed on what we do and where we go and the timing of it all centered around Anna's need for an early bedtime, that now anything off-schedual is a little nerve-wracking for me.

It's so much easier to stay home to watch TV but it would be more fun to enjoy the awesome weather at a high school football game where spacedaddy is working.

Rational thought: Get a grip, you're the mom.