Rainy Day Playdates at the Bookstore

 

Paulo is wearing “Take Flight” from Le Top’s 2010 Fall/Winter collection.

When you schedule playdates in advanced, you hope the weather will be warm enough so you can meet up with your child’s friends at the park. I like meeting at a playground because it gives Paulo a chance to run around and burn off energy so that he naps well in the afternoon. Since we can’t always rely on the weatherman’s forecast, my Mommy friends and I always have a back-up place to meet in case it’s raining or if it’s too cold. That place is our local Barnes & Noble. Unfortunately, this is the back-up plan for everyone else, too. But that’s okay. It works out somehow.

Our bookstore has a train table in the children’s book section. They have a few trains for the kids to play with, and it’s cute (and sometimes not-so-cute) to see them learn how to share. Parents are also allowed to pick up a book from the shelves and read to their children. They have a little table and a few chairs, or you can even sit on the floor with your child on your lap and spend a quiet moment entertaining them with a story or two. Once a week, our bookstore has Story Time. The kids sit around the stage area while one of the staff members reads to the children. At the end of Story Time, they provide a small snack. Best part of Barnes & Noble? They have a Starbucks so I can order a grande soy caramel macchiato with whipped cream and enjoy drinking it while Paulo plays at the train table. Bliss!

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Everyone Needs Playgroup

Paulo is wearing a zip hoodie and cargo pants set from rabbitmoon's Imagination collection.

I’m guilty! I am so guilty of not indulging my second child to the same enjoyable things as I did with my first. Miranda had playgroups, play dates, Mommy and Me classes, anything and everything that I could expose her to that would be fun, educational, and give us extra bonding/play time.

I remember someone telling me that having two kids is like having 10. I didn’t believe it! How can one little person make life complicated to the 10th degree? Well, let me tell you… Now that I have two kids, I AM A BELIEVER! I am so busy with the demands of motherhood, Miranda’s school, my freelance work, the housework, the grocery shopping (I have to go every week now because boys eat so much more than girls!) and all the voluntary roles I thought I would have time for (Classroom Mom, Yearbook Committee, Faith Formation Teacher, helping my parents). I’m lucky if I can keep my head above water. Poor Paulo! He gets whatever is left of my hectic schedule.

I jotted down my little guy’s schedule each day of the week:

• Monday: take Miranda to school, eat, very short nap, pick up Miranda, play
• Tuesday: take Miranda to school, eat, very short nap, pick up Miranda, play
• Wednesday : take Miranda to school, eat, longer nap, pick up Miranda, play
• Thursday: take Miranda to school, SWIM CLASS!!!, eat, longer nap, pick up Miranda, play
• Friday: take Miranda to school, eat, longer nap, pick up Miranda, play

Pretty boring, huh? At least he has weekly swim classes. But any free time I get, I’m either working, doing chores or running errands just so I can survive the day and actually get to bed at a decent time (midnight would be early for me!) But never mind about me. This is precious Paulo time I’m wasting. So… I’ve decided that I NEED take charge of my schedule and plan recreational activities for my little guy. He shouldn’t be penalized for being Child No. 2. He needs to have his own schedule, his own friends, and make his own memories. This sad little dude rarely sees a playground that when he does see one, he pees his pants in excitement! So I’m bringing back weekly playgroups.

His first play date was with my friend’s daughter. This little girl’s big brother was Miranda’s first playgroup friend and they have been very good friends ever since. (Coincidentally, my friend and I had our two kids roughly at the same time so each of our two kids are about the same age.) We met at a nearby playground to enjoy the fresh air and some outdoor fun, but it started to drizzle. Luckily, there was Toddler Storytime at the museum across the way that was just about to start. PERFECT!

The kids had a good time, AND the moms did as well. We both reminisced about our lives five years ago when we were both new mothers and only had one child each. We talked about how much more relaxed we were back then, how busy our lives have become, and how we missed connecting with each other just to talk about life in general (husbands, in-laws, school, broken appliances, the laundry…). We vowed to have our play dates each week for the sake of our second children AND for the sake of our sanity! What a revelation… I NEED PLAYGROUP, TOO!!! This is going to be a good thing.

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