This is Life!
Today was one of those days where I was especially overcome with love for my children. Don't get me wrong--I love them to my very core, always. But, in the mundane of all the "dailies", in the sibling squabbles, the whining, the testing of my patience. . . well, let's just say, I will often tuck them in at night while they peacefully sleep, and think to myself, "Tomorrow I will be a more patient mommy, I promise."
But, tonight, I was able to put all the unfinished housework aside, ignore a pile of paperwork in the office, leave dishes in the kitchen to be washed, and go for a leisurely walk in the neighborhood with Jason and the girls and forget about all the to-dos. And, not just go for a walk. But, observe and soak up my children's quirks, personalities. . everything that makes up their 3-year-old and 5-year-old little persons.
Carly of course wanted to ride her bike, venturing out a little farther on her own--far enough where she was independent, but still close enough where we could see her and Jason could call out reminders to stop at various driveways. Carly, with her little pink bike and basket, and a bell to top it all off. I would be remiss if I did not mention that before our walk, her attire was a dress and flip flops. It took some coaxing to get her to change into a shirt, shorts and tennis shoes. She loves being outside, but she loves her dresses just as much.
As we neared the end of our walk and her bike ride, she saw some sprinklers on in someone's yard--so she pulled into a driveway, hopped off her bike, and scampered over to the water. She hopped back and forth in the yard, cooling off and taking a break. (I must mention that she first decided to carefully remove her helmet and place it in her bike basket so as not to get it wet.)
Before we left, when I first joined everyone outside in the driveway, I saw that Hannah had her toy baby stroller with her. It was obvious that she had chosen to bring it along (and Jason had already given her permission.) Mind you, it was an empty baby stroller--with no passenger along for the ride. I realized that it was probably a last-minute decision to bring along the stroller, so for her, it mattered more that she was pushing it, not that there was anything in it.
I really didn't think her pushing it along the street would last long (mainly because as we got started, it rattled along the ground, and I imagined it probably felt to her like she was holding a jackhammer.) But, as we continued, and as I offered to help her, she insisted that she do it and merrily pushed it along. You would have thought we were going somewhere truly important, pushing a royal family member, what with the way she walked and pushed that stroller with pride.
I wish I could have captured every nuance, every look, every phrase from the girls that evening. I'm thankful that I have the memory etched in my brain. One would think that something so simple as going on a walk and basic as appreciating your child's age/stage would be easy. But I've found that often the urgent in life trumps the most important things--and even when the time is taken for a "leisurely activity", one's mind is contemplating the current urgent thing that has been set aside or the next urgent thing coming up.
So, here's to the rosy faces of Hannah and Carly as they finished their bike ride and walk--Hannah stopping with Daddy to say "hello" to a neighbor--Carly racing up the hill on her bike as I gave her an extra push--and to both of them for reminding me that these are the things that life is made of.
But, tonight, I was able to put all the unfinished housework aside, ignore a pile of paperwork in the office, leave dishes in the kitchen to be washed, and go for a leisurely walk in the neighborhood with Jason and the girls and forget about all the to-dos. And, not just go for a walk. But, observe and soak up my children's quirks, personalities. . everything that makes up their 3-year-old and 5-year-old little persons.
Carly of course wanted to ride her bike, venturing out a little farther on her own--far enough where she was independent, but still close enough where we could see her and Jason could call out reminders to stop at various driveways. Carly, with her little pink bike and basket, and a bell to top it all off. I would be remiss if I did not mention that before our walk, her attire was a dress and flip flops. It took some coaxing to get her to change into a shirt, shorts and tennis shoes. She loves being outside, but she loves her dresses just as much.
As we neared the end of our walk and her bike ride, she saw some sprinklers on in someone's yard--so she pulled into a driveway, hopped off her bike, and scampered over to the water. She hopped back and forth in the yard, cooling off and taking a break. (I must mention that she first decided to carefully remove her helmet and place it in her bike basket so as not to get it wet.)
Before we left, when I first joined everyone outside in the driveway, I saw that Hannah had her toy baby stroller with her. It was obvious that she had chosen to bring it along (and Jason had already given her permission.) Mind you, it was an empty baby stroller--with no passenger along for the ride. I realized that it was probably a last-minute decision to bring along the stroller, so for her, it mattered more that she was pushing it, not that there was anything in it.
I really didn't think her pushing it along the street would last long (mainly because as we got started, it rattled along the ground, and I imagined it probably felt to her like she was holding a jackhammer.) But, as we continued, and as I offered to help her, she insisted that she do it and merrily pushed it along. You would have thought we were going somewhere truly important, pushing a royal family member, what with the way she walked and pushed that stroller with pride.
I wish I could have captured every nuance, every look, every phrase from the girls that evening. I'm thankful that I have the memory etched in my brain. One would think that something so simple as going on a walk and basic as appreciating your child's age/stage would be easy. But I've found that often the urgent in life trumps the most important things--and even when the time is taken for a "leisurely activity", one's mind is contemplating the current urgent thing that has been set aside or the next urgent thing coming up.
So, here's to the rosy faces of Hannah and Carly as they finished their bike ride and walk--Hannah stopping with Daddy to say "hello" to a neighbor--Carly racing up the hill on her bike as I gave her an extra push--and to both of them for reminding me that these are the things that life is made of.
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