blessings

This past weekend Andy and I left Sofi and Isaac with aunt Michelle overnight and had some time to reconnect with each other and some good friends. It was a good time for all of us, kids included. Tonight when we got home they seemed just a little bit cuter and sweeter than usual. Sofi had been keeping a journal over the weekend and showed me her entries about going to the airport (to pick up grandpa and grandma home from Mexico) and going swimming. The best part was that I could actually read the words she was writing! She also had entries about people she loves (" I love mi familee" and also Zander, Ava, and DVDs) The spellings were creative but decipherable and she had illustrations to match.

When snuggling later she asked me what the rules of our family were. In my teaching experience I have learned that the best rules are the broad ones, so I chose "We respect each other and ourselves, we love each other, we love ourselves and we love God" She seemed satisfied but asked the house rules. I replied "Wash hands after you go potty, eat in the dining room sitting down and don't jump on furniture". She asked why I've never told her the rules?! I said that I thought she's pick them up by just watching us. So I asked her if she'd been talking about rules at school or something and she said "no. Aunt Michelle just said that there are no rules when we have a girls' night" (you are so busted Michelle!! :-) I said that girls nights must really be something special :-)

Isaac was his usual uncooperative-three-year-old-ness getting ready for bed. He finally came around when I threatened to leave. We got his shirt off and he leapt into my arms and curled up like a baby, obviously enjoying my touch on his bare back. Then he quickly got up and threw a mock super hero puch and then shook his booty singing "hey baby hey baby"! Ah the many sides of a three year old. All of them cute and dear (after a night away)! But frustrating again tomorrow, I fear, when the stress of our schedules sets in.

I am scheduled to be gone every night this week (plus Friday and Saturday) with show choir and curriculum fair, cpr class, church meetings and show choir invitational. Andy is gone Tuesday to spanish class and Thursday to church council. Argh! I'm gonna let Andy go to the church meeting on his own and beg out of Thursday night show choir set up at school in hopes of keeping a little bit of sanity with my kids.

In the car we listened to a recording of Andy reading "The Cat In The Hat" with the kids. It was very good and will be an excellent snapshot of this time in our lives. In the middle of the story Issac interrupted and said "where's Mommy?" out of the blue. The reply was "at work". And my Mommy Guilt looms. I fear that's what will be remembered when he is older..

And that is a glimpse of my life this February 2010. Happy 39th birthday to me!
Mary