We’re rediscovering the small pleasures of life now that Leroy is sleeping through the night and we’re home from Florida. They seem so small, but each small moment adds up and ripples out.
Remy’s class went for a walk to see the lake, and ran into Elise and Joy bringing Griff and Lilou home from music class. Apparently, they were all wildly delighted to see each other. When they went their separate ways, Remy got teary to see them go. He and Griff are especially close and hated to say goodbye.
Friday night, everything went wrong. We invited my aunt and uncle and my mom over for dinner, which should’ve been easy. The kids were tired from school, I ran into a chandelier (long story), mom came over and whacked her head, and Tess hurt her toe. Half of us were crying when aunt Sue and uncle Boo got here. We ended up having a great evening, largely thanks to the fabulous company which also included my younger sister. The only thing that makes a comedy of errors funny is sharing it with people who’ve already seen you at your worst. 🙂
Today the kids slept late, and Dave and I got to cook and enjoy coffee in silence for an hour or so, which is more of a treat than I can explain! We spent this morning with friends, over brunch at home. Everyone held a baby or a pup at some point. We tickled, we teased, we ate tons of great food and chatted about nothing important. We relaxed in sunshine, and savored every minute.
Our house seems to be built for intimate gatherings of friends. Nothing makes me happier than a lazy Sunday with a crowd, and the kids bombing around. It seems to burst with happy and feels just the right size for all of us. I remember visiting it for the first time, exploring the ideas of what this other people’s space could be if it were ours. What would it feel like to do exactly what we did today? We’ve been here seven years and it still amazes me how completely fulfilled those hopes have been.
Spring seems to be coming early this year. We’ll be living in the park again soon, shepherding tricycles and little people up and down the street. But I’m not ready. I crave a few more wintry mornings, reading to the kids by the fire, and casserole nights. These may be small, but small suits us.
To round out the weekend, the kids were absolutely crazy during naptime and after. Getting dinner organized was a little wild, and parenting the overexcited kids took all of the sunny glow from the morning. But here we are on Sunday night – a fridge full of great food, our weekend well spent (in both social time and laundry), and a well-planned week stretching ahead of us. Who knows what will happen next?
