may 31

Today was good. Today was fun.

Tomorrow is another one. 

Everyday from here to there

Funny things are everywhere. 

- Dr Suess

Almost everyday May has come to a close. 

Now back to our sporadically scheduled program. 

may 29

After several failed attempts at writing something tonight, I'm just going to share a few favorite shots from this week.  Maybe I'll be able to get a clear idea of what I want to say tomorrow. Ya know, after all that sleep I get at night. 

may 28

It took four hours to wash the dishes this morning. It went something like:

Fill the sink with hot, soapy water. 

Feed Noah. 

Wash a few dishes. 

Change a diaper. 

Wash a few dishes. 

Break up arguments. 

Start a load of laundry. 

Fix Laci's hair. 

Wash a few dishes. 

Put Noah down for a nap. 

Two hours after filling the sink, Ryan took Mia to the store with him, Noah was sleeping. It was my chance to finish a few chores. 

But there was Laci. My sweet, sensitive Laci. Always wanting me to play with her and always wishing for more one-on-one time.

So, we painted. And colored. And talked about life. For an hour and a half. She asked me if she is just like me when I was a little girl. I asked her if she was going to be a mommy when she grows up. 

I told her we are a lot alike, but also different. She told me she is never getting married or moving out because she likes this family and wants to live here forever. 

Now, she is asleep. And Noah and Mia, too. There are new dishes to be washed and four loads of laundry that need to be folded and put away. But, for whatever reason, I'm not too worried about any of it. Calm is not a feeling I'm familiar with lately. So I'm embracing it while it's here. 

may 23 (yes, I realize it's may 27, keep reading)

Well, so much for everyday May. It's now more like almost everyday May. Or everyday May for two-thirds of the month, then MIA for a few days. But almost everyday May is simpler to say.

And I'm Okay with almost everyday May. 

So, carrying on. 

...

Friday, we took the kids to the fair. It was super hot and super loud and super expensive. Everything the fair is supposed to be. Laci loved the animals, she probably would have put the rabbit in her pocket if it fit. Mia is still afraid of most of them, including the plastic ones on the carousel. 

She did like this fake cow, though. She called it the "glass cow." I suppose because it's shiny like glass. My favorite part was when she saw the momma pig feeding her babies, and after studying her for a bit, announced to the crowd, "That's where the milk is!"

And Noah, he's a trooper. Sweaty and hot, but mostly happy.

This was the first time Ryan was able to go to the fair with us, he's usually working. It was nice to have him with is instead of texting him pictures of the kids while he's at work.  

...

So, as for the rest of everyday May...maybe I'll continue tomorrow. 

may 22

When my sisters and I were little girls, we inherited a set of wooden kitchen toys. I don't know the exact details of their origin, but I believe they came out of a preschool and were given to one of my cousins, probably thirty-something years ago.  They are solid wood and sturdy, as if that isn't completely obvious by the fact that they are at least forty years old.  We didn't "inherit" them until Beth was about four, which means I was probably too old, and certainly too tall, to play with them. But I remember playing with them a lot anyway.

 

I remember emptying my mom's pantry of all the canned goods and boxes of crackers. We would fill the cupboards with our "groceries" and "cook" Wheat Thins in little pans on the stove. We probably drove her crazy. Need some tomato sauce? Oh, it's in the bedroom. 

When we outgrew the toys, or my mom got tired of how much space they occupied in the house (not really sure, but I'm guessing the latter), she gave them back to my cousin. Since that time, twenty-ish years ago, they sat in a leaky, spider-filled shed. Insects built homes and chewed small holes in the wood. Water rotted some of the boards and splintered the bottom edges. Hardware rusted and the plastic sink cracked. But, for the most part, they survived. 

We picked them up from my cousin almost two years ago, with the intention of cleaning them up for the girls. After procrastinating and moving them around the shop a dozen times, they are finally back in use. Ryan replaced some of the boards and some of the hardware and built a stainless sink (because he likes metal). The hinges are original, and spring-loaded. Perfect for slamming on small fingers. And I slapped a few coats of paint on them. In the future, I will not try to cover dark green with buttery yellow. 

So far, the cupboard have been filled with various sand-filled toys and weeds picked from the yard. Mia washed her dishes and Laci baked kitty treats. 

And the whole thing just makes me smile.

(I only wish I would have taken true "before" shots. The pics above are post-sanding and board replacement, but you get the idea.)