You know...

5/15/13

I knew when I woke up at 6 am feeling bright and chipper that today was going to be a good day.

When I walked downstairs, threw in the laundry and started the dishes without huffing and puffing.

The moment that I opened up the blinds and pulled the curtains back, I knew.

Today was going to be a great day.

It was the first day of summer. Well, not technically, but it sure felt like it. But when I read that it is 80 degrees out at 8:30 in the morning, then, yeah, I think it's officially summer.

I hurried to get everything done around the house. Finish those dishes from the night before. Put away the clothes sitting in baskets. Make the beds. Feed the baby, feed the toddler, feed myself {thank you cereal bar}. Get the kids ready, and take a shower myself. Throw the hair up in a bun. Wet hair. Grab a ziplock bag, throw in some fruit. Grab another, throw in some crackers. Nice cold water. Hats. Sunscreen. Did I get it all?

And we are off.

Elliana starts out by walking with me. She loves to walk hand in hand. The baby of course goes in the stroller, as it is already his morning nap time. And we walk. We walk and talk, until finally I tell Elliana she's slowing us down and at this rate it will be mid afternoon before we make it to the park. So she goes in and we continue our walk to the park.

We meet Elliana's friend there and she runs around wild with her. They play in the dirt. And it's fun to watch them interact. To share. To have these conversations with one another about who knows what. We can't understand half the things they say anyway.

After about an hour and a half we decide it's time to head back. G man is waking up anyway. Elliana though is not having it. I have to fight to get her in the stroller, but we make it, and we talk about it, and she calms down. But getting her into the house was the next challenge. Elliana is an outside girl. I don't blame her. But she cried those big sobby tears "Nooooo mama." It was almost too pitiful to watch.

That is, until I remembered the G man needed to be changed and fed, mama needed a nice cold drink of water, and probably a change of clothes and another layer of deodorant. The truth.

But that all lasted all of 5 minutes. Because then Elliana says to mama "Lets go outside, sprinkler." 

Oh. Yeah. That. Never tell a toddler that we will go home and then she can go out in the sprinkler.

They remember.

And because I keep my promises, and because I had no desire to stay inside anyway, we went back outside and I hooked up the sprinkler. The wild, out of control, sprinkler.

Drenched. Soaked. But the giggles. Oh those giggles. They are the best part of motherhood. The best. Nothing in this world could ever compare. So I soaked it in. I grabbed the video camera and soaked it in.

In no time we found ourselves inside, Graham strapped to me in the wrap, making the famous almond butter jelly sandwiches. I say famous because no one can make them quite as good as me. 

And now that brings us to now. It's noon. Elliana is in her underwear. Graham man is in the bouncer. And me? Me is sitting on the couch with the wrap still on, still in that first layer of clothes {and first layer of deodorant} and wondering if we should skip nap time and do it all over again. So yeah, I broke my rule to blog before nap time, but I wanted to write down today and remember the details. First day of summer. G man's first summer day. The first of many to come. 

I think we'll nap. I have work tonight. But? We have nothing on the agenda for the afternoon except enjoying this 80 degree beautiful summer weather.

What more do I need anyway. Besides my husband who's at work, enjoying this day with us.
Summer, welcome. I'm happy to have you join us.