Table for Four

Both Amanda and Benjamin had social invitations that took them outside of Krinkeland for the evening, so that left Elisabeth and Madeline with Mom and Dad. Being down two kids is a pretty good reason to get some errands done, so we went shopping. I know, trying to tick off a tasks list with a two-year-old and an eight-year-old may seem like unnecessary torture to many of you, but, as someone who occasionally takes all four children on the monthly Costco run, two kids seems like a walk in the park.

Actually, with four young children in our family, Todd and I often take the divide- and-conquer approach. Of course, this applies to the times when he is not traveling... but, it is common on the weekends for him to head to Menards with two of the children while I hit the grocery store with the other two. Naturally, there is jockeying for which two-- and the right answer to that question depends on the nature of the errand, the length of the errand, the time of day, how much sleep each got the night before, and a cacophony of other factors that change with the wind.

Sometimes we do things on our own, too, and "stick" the other parent with all four, as when I volunteer at Birthright. (Would I really be able to counsel a woman in a crisis pregnancy with my four hoodlums hovering about?) Other times, I will run an errand and take just one child with me. Elisabeth, in particular, loves to come along whenever it is just her; she craves that one-on-one attention.

So, this evening, after one-too-many shopping stops, the four of us went to dinner. We let Libby pick, which was fun for her, though not so much for us. (Applebee's-- ugh.) It was weird, though, walking into a restaurant and getting seated at an average-sized table. Yes, I could actually listen to one of Libby's stories from beginning to end. Yes, we noticed how much milk Madeline drank before her food arrived (a lot!) Yes, it seemed there was less fighting, jockeying for position, complaining, and overall mayhem.

As whenever I am out with just a couple of the children, I can't help but think, "So, this is what it would be like if I only had two kids." It does seem simpler, calmer. But I miss the absentees. Our family is not complete unless everyone is present and accounted for.