Monday started out as one of the toughest starts to a week that we've had in a long time. Thankfully, the week has been improving since that time. It was one of those scheduling mistakes that just kind of unfolded: a Monday playdate for the older girls scheduled before I planned the trip to PA with all three girls. So the four of us had been together non-stop for 3 days on our trip (without Jason) and the Monday we were all going away for the day leaving Terah at home with Daddy. This is not normally a problem, but it was the perfect storm in that I could not keep her asleep until a reasonable hour in the morning without laying beside her and nursing, which did not get me ready for work or the older girls ready to leave. So she was up too early and our departure was just more than she could bear. She wore herself out grieving and fell asleep for Jason before 10 a.m. She was tender much of the day and was very happy to welcome us home!
The first bright spot in my day happened at work in the afternoon when Kali and Alida were hanging out at my office until it was time to head home. I was focused on my work but happened to overhear this exchange, to which I burst out laughing. Kali was teaching Alida algebra at her request:
"Ok, so how do you get rid of the 3?" Kali asked Alida.
Without much pause, she replied, "Throw it away."
Got some work to do on that subject!
That evening we had a very lively family meeting. As we were gathering ourselves and our meeting minutes' book, Terah said, "Mine is mommy playing with me." I love it! She gets that we start with things we appreciate. So so sweet! And this was her first meeting in which she offered an agenda item. That was "Daddy reading me books" and we unanimously agreed that the next day Jason would read her "The Busy Spider" and "10 Rubber Ducks" at her request!
Alida also brought an agenda item. It was "finding a new place for the living room fan." When asked to sponsor it, she suggested that we put it on my head. A lively conversation followed and after adjournment the camera was employed in making it so. Here I am, complete with ceiling fan on my head! We also have some with Kali and Alida taking their turns. If only all family meeting agenda items were so quick and easy and fun to come to agreement on. These are good times for building kiddo excitement about our meetings. The next day Alida wanted to have another family meeting!
Last evening was full of good family time again - Jason working on his conference workshop while the girls and I played Rook and then I got to cuddle with Terah and Alida to read stories. Alida sacked out well before Terah so as I got ready for bed she got in the recliner and waited for me to come. All of a sudden I realized she was reading "Snuggle Puppy" and I quickly grabbed the camera. I figured some you might be needing a little "Terah-video-fix." Here you are:
For those not familiar with the book "Snuggle Puppy," we got it from the library and it's one of those books that's a song, that we don't know. So I made up a tune and it has stuck. Terah's got it, even with the quiet page followed by a loud end. Yep, it's pretty cute!
It's suppertime and I just arrived home from a long day at work, but didn't want to forget these few snippets! I don't want to linger in front of a computer screen any more. I'll end with a section from the Wendell Berry poem Jason and I read together the other morning. It's from his collection of sabbath poems that we have been trying to enjoy our way through (in the mornings with coffee before the kids are up - the latter part hardly ever ends up working but we try). It resonated deeply with both of us:
There are two healings: nature's
and ours and nature's. Nature's
will come in spite of us, after us,
over the graves of its wasters, as it comes
to the forsaken fields. The healing
that is ours and nature's will come
if we are willing, if we are patient,
if we know the way, if we will do the work.
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