Stealing a moment

I've been busy.  Too busy.  I've been taking care of the girls + trying to keep up on dishes/laundry/housework + working part time + sitting down to nurse 18 times a day + feeding our family, etc.  Rinse, Lather, Repeat

Some nights I crawl into bed, aching, and realize I've hardly spent any one on one time playing with my almost 4 year old.  It breaks my mama heart, and I promise myself to do better.  Then another day goes by, and on and on.  There always seems to be something in the way of me sitting down to relax with her, even just for a few minutes.  I'm trying REALLY hard to change that.  I've been buying fun little board games because that is an easy way for me to spend good time with her.

Tonight I caught a free moment.  The baby was asleep, the house was quiet.  She was just kind of wandering around and I put aside my laundry, laptop and thoughts and scooped her up.  I set her up on the counter and ran for the Piggy Paint stash.  She saw what I was up to and was suddenly all smiles.  Melt. My. Heart.  We polished her fingers and toes and I told her some of the things I love about her and how beautiful her heart is, and how much I love her little hands and feet.

Then I ran upstairs and grabbed our new game - "Hi Ho Cherry-O" and a little bowl of raisins and we played a couple rounds.  She was so happy, it was great.  My Little Love. 

Such special, special times.  We are together a lot, obviously, but it's the one on one special time with her that I've been carving out that really is extra wonderful.


What special things do you like to do with your kids ?  How do you sneak this extra time into your day ?