I'm becoming all sorts of things since becoming a mother

I'm not known for my perseverance/determination/sticktuitiveness/etc. I find it much easier to stop trying than to try hard.

When I became a mom and started scheduling playdates, I thought, "Wow, this will be my chance to let Kevin play with someone else and for me to talk with another mother about how much I hate parenting!" What actually happened was that Kevin and the other kids needed some help learning how to play together. They didn't just need a referee (although they really needed that, too) but with some of his friends, they needed to know what to do besides sit and look at each other.

Playdates were supposed to be about the kids playing, and me on a date with a friend. Didn't happen. But as time went on and the other mothers and I spent a lot of energy working directly with the kids, playdates became easier and more productive regarding the kids playing and me being able to enjoy time with a friend.

This afternoon we had a babysitter come over to play with Kevin while we were here. It was to be a trial-run for having him babysit sometime so that we can go out - on a real date - and see each other without Kevin in between us or trying to talk over us so that we can't have a conversation without him (how dare we?)

I thought that G and Kevin would laugh and play and run around together while I floated about getting all sorts of cleaning done. Alas, what actually happened was that Kevin and G needed some help learning how to play together. This was weird because G babysits other kids, so I really thought he'd be a bit more proactive. Or even reactive. Just some sort of active.

To make a very long story about the first hour he was here much shorter, I spent a lot of time worrying about what to do. HOWEVER, I didn't think to myself that this will never work. I made sure that I instead looked for ways to help it work. And as I was doing so, I was proud of myself for helping the second hour of our trial run be more about G and Kevin playing and me floating about getting all sorts of cleaning done.

This could definitely work out.