The sweetest, loveliest day we’ve had in a very long time. Waking to rain. Staying home all day. Staying in pajamas all day, at the request of a 3 year old. Snuggles and silliness at nap time. Happy messes. More quiet, focused, lost-in-lala-land play than I’ve seen in forever. Cleaning and cooking with my girl who must have said, “This is so much fun mama!” at least 8 times. Chicken corn soup for dinner, made and ready by 9am. Walnut Blueberry Bars. Laundry that actually got washed, dried, folded and put away in one day. Moving furniture to make more room for our imaginations. A whole, whole lot of books read. The best part? Two kids who each let me rock them – feeling their bodies relax into my arms and feeling their breathing become deep and long as the drowsily drifted off.

My favorite bit from the day: We’re watching a show with kids in a bedroom  (my kids share a room, just a background bit so this story makes sense.) She asks why there isn’t a crib in the little boy’s room on the show. I tell her he’s a big kid and he doesn’t sleep in a crib anymore like her. She looks at me funny and says, “But what about his baby brother?” I tell her that his brother has his own room. She say, “Oh.” Pauses for a moment and says, “I tink that would be very lonely!” And for all of the times I’ve stressed about our house being too small and how they’ll do sharing a room – it really is just fine.

“Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day, I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.” -Mary Jean Iron