Oh the Bliss!

This afternoon I had the opportunity to sit in a pretty fantastic, resort-like spa with some gal pals, uninterrupted for over an hour, with no children present. It's beautiful for so many reasons: 1. I was not splashed in the face, not even once. 2. I didn't have to hold my bathing suit up with one hand due to a clinging, grabbing, half drowning Mia. 3. I started, and completed, entire conversations. Whole and complete conversations people! 4. I wasn't constantly counting heads, or saving lives. The two go hand in hand. 5. There was no fear of a floater, and I'm not talking about a child if you know what I mean... This hasn't happened in, I don't know, 6.75 years. And if THAT'S not a blog worthy moment I don't know what is. :)

I'll take that table, the one with the cops. This guy is quiet, what's his deal? Quiet but cute. Those eyes! So I met this police officer the other night at the diner... He came back! Here's my number. He called. Who knew such a quiet guy could talk until the sun comes up? Driving home from Jason's soccer game, Wahoo's? Sure! Is that the sunrise? We talked the night away again. A real first date, happy birthday. Luciana's... you're dating me with the intent to marry. Mr. Lufrano says I'm "the One". How was breakfast with my dad? Walk on the cliffs after church. You're down on one knee. Yes! Of course yes. Always... You're at the end of the aisle waiting for me. I do. Always... Flying Cloud. A puppy! A kitten! We move, we move, we build a house, IT'S A BOY!, we move, IT'S A GIRL!, IT'S A BOY!, new company, IT'S A GIRL!, we move, cut a job, we move. We love. Always. Always.

Not all days will be like this, I get that. But boy, do I LOVE it when homeschooling looks like this and this and this and even this. When we listen to Mozart and pick apart Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, and we break for painting and Bible and poetry and homemade applesauce. And each child works well and plays well independantly, allowing me to focus on one kids at a time. Multiple times this morning I looked around and thought, "Are you kidding me Lord?? This is SO not my doing, You have given me the best job in the world!" Of course, last week I was laying in the couch when Mark came home from work, crying, "I don't want to be a mom who puts her kids in preschool because she can't stand them!" but that was totally how I felt. I was tired and easily irritated and everything I had planned had gone differently than what I so beautifully painted in my mind. This morning I prayed for my homeschooling friends who, my like myself, can feel overwhelme...

At 19 months you have lots of words, your first very clear words were No!, Stop!, and Don't!... I wonder why...:-) You call your blanket "ganket" and your water "ahdoo". You call all of us by our names, Mommy, Daddy, Addie or Ad, Bubba (ben) and Tutu (Troy). You get yourself a bowl when you want a snack and you're pretty good at getting your own snack too - although you rarely eat all of whatever it is you grabbed (usually a bar). You're most hilarious and giddy around 7pm, which is kind of unfortunate because that's your bedtime, but if you stay up later you don't really get crabby, just silly. You love babies!! You love to talk on the phone with Nana, and ask to at least twice a day. You love dogs (goggies) and birds (tweet-tweets) and horses ( MEEEEEeeeeeee!). And you love shoes, especially other people's shoes. When we are at the beach you are most happiest walking up and down the shore trying on (and stealing) other people's flip flo...

Three wise men were carrying heavy loads while on their way to visit the King. They had been traveling a long time, and were tired, but they were anxious to be the first ones there, so they pressed on. One wise man carried a large satchel, the largest I've ever seen. The leather strap of the bag dug into his shoulder and the weight of the contents burdened one side of his body so greatly that he walked with a limp. The satchel itself dragged alongside the man as if filled with boulders, digging a trail in the path behind the traveler. The wise man made a great show of his walk; step, drag, step, drag, umphing and huffing down the road. The second wise man walked hunched over, bending under the great weight of his load as well. Across his back a canvas draped, mountainous object was held in place with giant chains criss crossing his chest again and again. They clinked and clunked together as he walked, rhythmically in time, one heavy step after the next. The wise man did nothing to...