bath time

There isn't any time of the day or week that I enjoy more with my boys than bath time. Bath time always helps me to feel like a good mom, like a great mom, and here is why:
- My boys love it! I wish I could keep my little 4 month old James in there for an hour because I think he would get a kick out of it. The moment either of my boys hit the water, happiness results. When Thatcher hears the word bath, he bolts upstairs in anticipation.
- I am helping them with a physical need. My toddler has become quite independent lately. Sure, he still wears diapers and relies on me to dress him and get food out for meals, but I enjoy doing things for him. I am desperately holding on (and will continue to do so, hopefully not to his detriment) to being his mom and doing mom-like things for him.
- I am completely focused on my boys. Not only is it not safe to take an eye off of my two kiddos under two, but bath time is our time. The three of us are completely focused on each other with no distractions (except the bath toys). I let too many little things get in the way of special moments like these throughout the day. When I give the boys their bath, I know that for twenty minutes or more, my attention will be theirs.
- I love their little bodies. My boys are definitely their cutest in their chubby birthday suits. Enough said.
- I love seeing my boys explore new things. James loves to kick and push his feet against the baby bath. When he kicks, the water splashes on his face, he laughs, and then does it again. Thatcher likes to show James how real kicking is done and does a little kicking of his own. He also keeps busy practicing his bubble-blowing skills, and playing with bath toys and bubbles. The bath seems like a whole new world to discover every time we get in.
- I love drying them off in their soft towels (this has become quite a feat with all the rolls covering chunky James) and I love massaging lotion on my boys.
- There is nothing better than the smell of clean, lotioned babies and happy babies in their pjs.

Bath time=my favorite time to be a mom. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or like I have been neglecting my boys, we go upstairs for some Thatcher, James, and mom time in the bath. I instantly feel calmer and like I am a good mom, despite my recent guilty naggings. Whatever works!

UPDATE: I wrote this entry in anticipation of bath time that happened shortly after breakfast. This particular bath time left me feeling anything but calmer. James decided he was dying of starvation halfway through so I quickly cleaned him up, dried him off, put on a diaper and began nursing him while sitting on the tile floor in the bathroom. Meanwhile, Thatcher had climbed into the baby tub which he often does. After a minute, I noticed the water getting murky. Sure enough, Thatcher had pooped. I put James down (much to his distress), cleaned up Thatcher, cleaned and disinfected both bathtubs and all the bath toys, then finished feeding James. We all survived, but I find it ironic that the most disastrous bath experience to date happened just an hour after I expressed my love for bathing my boys. Typical.