Rejoicing in the Quiet

When K and L were very small, I used to turn on the TV any chance I got: while K was at school and L was napping, while the girls played quietly and I folded laundry, sometimes when I was fixing dinner, and especially after they were in bed. It was a comfort to me, to hear adults talking, to hear their conversations rather than two babies rattling on. I just needed a few moments of adult-speak rather than babbling and fussing and complaining. My favorite was the Food Network where I could watch Ina prepare a fabulous meal for her Hamptons friends. Or I could see Paula fixing something with lots of butter and sour cream.

Now, though, I seem to be rejoicing in the quiet. I find that I don't want the TV on, I don't need the background noise. Yes, there are three little voices contributing to the noise level in this house but I don't know that I appreciate those sweet baby voices any more now than I did then (even though I should). Part of it is that I want to be a good role model for my kids by showing them that there's more to life than TV. Even when S is out of town and the kids are all asleep, I don't watch TV like I used to. I'm reading more, blogging (!), knitting, or, more likely, catching up on a chore that didn't get done during the day.

I also find that I can be alone with my own thoughts much more easily if there are no distractions. Even though I'm not nursing H anymore, I still find that we need that cuddle time when he gets his bottle. And we do this in the quiet when the girls are at school and with their background noise when they are home. I love that my kids are learning to entertain themselves and finding new and inventive ways to play with the same toys. Their conversations with each other are priceless.

(A brief aside: I do watch one show religiously, although the season ended on Wednesday. My one guilty pleasure is Project Runway. I don't know what it is about that show but I started watching in season 2 and I was hooked. I'm not into fashion, I know nothing about it but it there is just something about that show that keeps me enthralled.)

Now when I'm folding laundry, I listen to H playing on the floor beside me, learning that different things make different noises. This post is not about hating the TV, as I do love to watch movies with S or with the girls. And sometimes those movies come in very handy when I need the girls to be quiet so that H can get a good nap in. This post is about learning to appreciate the quiet and putting aside something that I really idolized for so long.

Our house is much calmer but so much more alive.