Deep in thought

I'll admit it - life has been crazy at our house lately. Good crazy. We've been enjoying the nice weather when it's been around; indulging in our good fortune of having an awesome neighbor who bought a swing set for her grandson and gave us an open pass to use it when we want (yay!); inviting friends (old and new) over for a Friday night bonfire complete with s'mores and jammied toddlers; and finding fun creatures in our yard like the frog and turtle who stopped by to say hello the other weekend.

We've been continuing our goal of eating healthy and working out consistently - including our volleyball date night every Wednesday. And Nate skipped town for a few days ("it's just a few days" says the guy going to Alabama) recently.

I say all of this as an attempt to explain the slow down of posts on here.

Anyway...I was going through the camera card the other day to see if, amidst all this good crazy, there was any proof the past few weeks happened and I found this:

I'm pretty sure it was a weekday morning and I'm pretty sure he was watching Sesame Street, but I can't say for certain what they were talking about that had him pondering so intently. Regardless, it's nice to know his television time isn't completely mindless and even though his tongue isn't out, clearly, he is deep in thought.

Stormy Weather

It's been raining a lot around here lately. The kind of warm rain that comes with spring and, though it keeps us from coloring on the sidewalk or playing in the sandbox, is somewhat enjoyable because it gives us a reason to pause. To quiet ourselves a bit and exercise our imagination.

There was a break in the storms yesterday, which made me very happy because our evening agenda was a little full and dry, warm weather ususally means the kids will play nicely outside while Nate and I run around like madmen inside to get everything done as quickly as possible.

How's that saying go? "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans."

We all had late bedtimes the night before - and the lack of sleep had caught up with Lindsey. She didn't want to be inside or outside. She didn't want to be held or let down. She was just too tired to want anything. So I just had to let her be mad at the world and cry it out while we tried to pull dinner together, unpack lunch bags and put away groceries. Simultaneously, I had to remember to acknowledge Ryan's monologue every now and then in order to keep the script flowing and not have it stuck on repeat.

The crying baby, the monologue that needs acknowledgement, the boiling water, the recipe with too many ingredients requiring too many measuring utensils, the beeping microwave, the whir of the exhaust fan. It was sensory overload and it fried my circuit.

But just as the clouds roll in to signal the start of rainfall- the cachophony of life's noises indicated bedtimes were near.  And, like rain, though our bedtime routine keeps the kids from coloring on the sidewalk or playing in the sandbox, it gives us a reason to pause - quiet ourselves a bit.

That night, The Cat in the Hat was Ryan's book of choice. Fitting, considering the storyline seemed to mimic reality at the moment. As I read lines about a fish in a pot and Thing One and Thing Two, Lindsey came in, with her first smile of the night, to give hugs and kisses before begging for her bed. And Ryan, who had actually been a charm (monologue and all) that night, sunk deep into my lap and gave a big sigh.

Outside, the rain had returned. Inside, the stormy weather had blown through and left, in its wake, a sense of calmness and serenity.

Bring on the sunshine.