The Two Hands Game

"Two hands, Mom!" He'll say, two fists clasped in front of him; his eyes twinkling irresistably.

It's three year-old for "Guess which hand!" Which is Mom for, "Stop what you're doing and play this game with me and savor this normal and happy moment of my childhood."

And so he gets all of my attention and squeals excitedly as I poke a fist. He giggles when I realize he has the prize hidden in his back pocket. Sometimes the treasure is a tiny toy accessory, sometimes it's a a shred of paper or maybe a candy wrapper. Sometimes, much to his amusement, it's nothing at all. But always it's a moment we share just the two of us, playing a silly little game.

And laughing. Because Jimmy oh! He's so funny!

I ran across a challenge today by a blogger called, Coffee with Two Hands. She explains that when you drink your coffee (or tea, or whatever your beverage is) with two hands, you aren't rushing along. You are holding your cup carefully; you are moving slow... You are savoring the aroma, the taste, the warmth... the moment.

It is not something that comes easily when you're a Mom. I'm likely the guilty-est of them all. I am such a multitasking ninja, I can hardly do one thing with two hands; certainly not my coffee! That's why I need that three year-old's "Two hands, Mom!" to stop me in my tracks.

I need to stop and spend more of these precious, happy moments in slowmo... Every now and then I need to ignore the duties of motherhood and cleanliness and business management, all of which scream relentlessly at me, and just drink my coffee... with my heart wide open, and both my hands clasped around my mug enjoying the giggles of my two favorite little boys...

So here's to drinking at least one mug of coffee a day with two hands. Who's with me?

...But should the three year-old come by with that cute, mirthful twinkle in his eye and mischievous little grin on his face, I might multitask a little bit in that moment and play the two-hands game.