Hello Monday....

Here I sit.

Monday afternoon.

Syd isn't napping.  But she is up there doing her thing. 

Today, it might be throwing out all her bedding, or undressing and redressing, or playing with her "red  bear", or looking at her books.  Maybe she will doze off.  But I don't even expect that anymore.  

It is pouring rain out.  

All the snow is almost gone.  

But don't get excited for us.  

Another 4-8 inches is expected to land here in the next 12 hours.  Yipee.  

You know when you anticipate something so much that you start to worry and have anxiety about it.  

Too much think time. 

That's how I am starting to feel about spring.  

Maybe this winter thing is safe. 

Maybe the routine and the winter gear is just easy. 

Small chunks of outside time.  Not too many knee injury's when they are padded with pants and even snowpants.  

All the sadness going on last week around our world had me focusing hard on our normal, our simple routine, and now mundane winter rhythm.  Trying to change it up we took a morning and visited a local bakery for a tour.  I tried to give Syd just a quarter of a donut...but, there sat a half and since Henry wouldn't take it...the baker heard her demanding "BIG ONE!"  So he smiled at her and said, "It's all yours."  Splendid.  

....because after the tour we got to decorate a cookie too. 

Taking the morning to relish these two kiddos, on an adventure that included too much sugar...was just what we needed.  I am realizing, this mama needs to say yes more often to these moments.  It has been 5 years being home and I feel like I have started focusing too much on the "must do" stuff.  Worrying about things that don't matter as much as saying yes to little happy moments that bring smiles and sugar highs.  

And I was so strong and didn't bring home any goodies...but later when the last snow storm hit, I so wished Ed and I could have nibbled up a treat while enjoying a glass of wine.  

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Also last week our scout Charley left the house a Wolf, marched across a bridge, and became a Bear. 

I'm not sure about the scout stuff.  I don't think we are embracing it as much as we could or should.  

I think there are unbelievable lessons and opportunities that it could bring our boy.  But when we don't make time for it, it becomes just something we have to squeeze in and get done.  Sadly.  

It is a community with parents all wanting to expose their boys to service opportunities, fun, and growth.  He gets a lot of joy from all that he has done ...all things we need to consider as we look ahead at adding more commitments to our evenings.  

And no, I didn't realize he had this well worn pair of pants on leaving the house for the ceremony. 

As he crossed and I snapped pictures I noticed how that knee flashed so obnoxiously.  

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This weekend we didn't have much on our calendar.  

We have finished much of the painting project we began. 

And late Saturday afternoon we decided it was Hibachi night. 

Ed and I love going to restaurants like this and we have taken the kids a handful of times and they are always entertained, which makes it worth the extra bucks, because we can enjoy the meal a little more rather than scarfing the food down hoping no one loses it.  

It was delicious.

And a perfect ending to a Saturday that should have been spent cleaning our garage and pulling out our grill.  But, that will wait until May...because 8 inches of snow mean, we best keep our snow shovels and sleds out.  

Syd doesn't seem to be falling asleep. 

Which means, I best wrap this up and go get the little pip.

She goes to bed at night so perfectly.  It is rainy and dark...I just don't understand why a nap doesn't just happen.  Oh, well.  Earlier to bed then.  

It's a big week for me. 

Ed is in town, not travelling, thank goodness.

But, he has extra long days with dinner meetings. 

I know that it isn't easy on him, to not be here for the chaotic evenings, and my superb cooking.  And when work dictates these long hours I try really hard not to get crabby and suck it up and tie that supermama cape a little tighter. 

The days are long, but the years are short.  And someday I hope these long days are vibrant memories.   

But I know that I don't always hide my crabby attitude, and I hope he always knows, I appreciate everything he does for our family.  

It's Monday afternoon.

Give a shout out and share one thing you are missing these less than spring like days?

I am missing the opportunity to take the kids outside during that hard time of the day when a little fresh air would give us all that extra little boost to get us through those last two hours of our day.