Signs of Love

As much as I love my girls, and would like to be with them all the time, there are times when I (as all moms, I'm sure!) can't be with them around the clock. As a working mom, there are many mornings -- especially now with school being out and my girl getting to sleep in -- that I am leaving for work before the girls are awake. And, although I don't go out as often as I probably should, I do belong to a garden club that meets one night a month and occasionally my husband and I will go out for a date.

During one of these evenings out, several years ago, my girl was disappointed that I wouldn't be there to tuck her at bedtime, and I told her that I would come in to check on her when I got home. Well, she seemed skeptical about this, I guess thinking, "how will I know, if I'm asleep?" So, when I came home that night, I grabbed this little pink Care Bear "Baby Hugs" and tucked that into bed with her. When she got up in the morning, she asked how Baby Hugs got into her bed, and I said that I tucked her in when I came home. This seemed to make her happy, and so it became a routine. If I am out and unable to tuck her in, I still tuck Baby Hugs in next to her, and when she wakes up she knows that Mommy peeked in on her at night.

Another little "sign of love" that I have left over the years, is some mornings when I am leaving for work before she is awake, I will leave a little "lipstick kiss" in the palm of her hand, so she knows that Mommy kissed her goodbye before leaving. It started as kind of a spontaneous gesture as I was leaving one morning, and it's turned out to be one of her favorite little surprises!

It's hard to leave my girls (although don't get me wrong -- it's great to get out with my husband or with friends!), but it's helpful knowing that I can leave a little sign to let them know that I'm thinking of them. My littlest one is a little too small yet to get the signs, but I'm sure we'll have especially for her!