rally

Our valley had sun today so the girls and I spent all morning at the park with friends; swinging, sliding, riding bikes, trading bikes, fighting over bikes, eating each others' snacks, etc...It finally feels like spring! Hooray! Just in case you were wondering what absolute joy looks like:

It's been cold in this part of the world...very cold for May. It's been hard to keep two kids occupied inside when all we want to do run around barefoot in the grass...and, while an umbrella holds a lot of allure for a two-year-old, there are only so many times I feel like I can rally the enthusiasm for yet another freezing rain walk.

I can't blame it all on the weather-it is a combination of lack of sleep (I celebrated prematurely when Aven only woke up twice the other night- last night was 4x and Amelia was up once, too!), lack of organization, and an overwhelming 'to-do' list...which all combine to leave me attempting to balance: a) some inner peace, and b) some enthusiasm all while carrying Aven in one arm, while cooking dinner, and answering questions about dinosaurs, and hanging diaper covers out on the line, and getting the eggs from the chicken coop, and answering the phone, etc....! And with Mike working a lot (he left at 4:30 this morning and we won't see him until probably after 7....x6 days a week since the middle of March!), I'm feeling the single-parent pressure (how do they do it?)

So I've started to have these 'rally' moments. When I feel like I'm getting close to the abyss of frustration where I have no idea how to get it all done and still enjoy my life- I stop and I rally. We turn up the radio and have a kitchen dance party, or I ingest some more caffine, or I take some pictures, or I pile my girls on top of each other on the bed until we're all laughing...whatever it takes, to stop, collect myself, and keep going. With love for what I'm doing. That's really the key- I could just slog through another crazy day...but I don't want to. I want to love it.

The rally is essential...many, many times over the course of the day!

My garden is very scaled back this spring since we're moving and I'm not even sure what I'll do with the plants I've started since I have no prepared garden for them at our new place...hmmm...will have to think about that...Anyway, beautiful peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants are all kicking.

I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner...fun with a typewriter!

Post-bath naked time:

Bed head...and slow mornings reading lots of books...
It still amazes me that I'm actually in charge of two whole people...