Most nights putting the girls to sleep follows a very
consistent pattern; socks (yes, we’re OCD around here) story, prayer, song,
hugs, kisses and sleep. Most nights even
our prayers follow much the same pattern; Thank you, help others, help us…and
by the way, thanks again. But tonight
was different. I just couldn’t move past
the “thank you’s”…there was so much to be thankful for. And for today that was enough. No soul searching, no prayers to be changed
and stretched and shown new ways to love…just thanks. We are living an amazing life right now--not
without it’s questions or trials or frustrations--but it is so beautiful, I
simply couldn’t bring myself to move past being thankful.
Today would’ve been a typical day in our book…aside from the
fact that we’re getting used to our Emma and Grandma being gone again. The girls woke up late, while John and I were
already eating breakfast…and they shuffled out into the dining room, each with
their signature blanket and lovie in hand, ready for the best hugs of the day—the
ones where I realize how much I miss the smell of their heads while they’re
sleeping. Those first smiles of the day
are the best…especially when Bailey is actually smiling, because she could just
as easily dissolve in a heap on the floor and whine for the next three
hours. But it was a smiley morning. The
best.
Somehow getting everyone bathed and dressed and hair-dried
took so long that we had waltzed right past any hope I had of getting real school work done. Mentally throwing my hands up, I decided to
rush through a shower so we would have enough time, instead, to stop and enjoy
second breakfast in the grass next to the bakery. There I sipped my coffee while the girls ate
crumbly muffins and kept a weather eye out for the raven across the way. Once I was down to just foam in my latte, we
were off to music class where there were friends we haven’t seen in weeks…Bailey
was in danger of bursting out of her skin with joy (read: trouble) while Audrey
made brave steps in her internal battle to be comfortable in a crowd. She’s working so hard, that kid…just showing
up is half the battle.
After class, we hit up the market where the girls helped me
decide what was for dinner. Audrey
decided we needed to take home the biggest zucchini and that we better buy some
more broccoli because it’s her favorite.
Bailey talked me into slipping two smoothies into our basket and without
further ado, we walked through town to Stadtpark, practicing the art of staying
safe on the sidewalk without mom’s hands all the way.
Finally at the park, we picked out the perfect bench where
we sat and ate and talked about everything from the scenery to a bulleted list
of reasons why a person could lose a leg (note: not all of them by means of a
light saber). We practiced our math, our
storytelling and dance skills—we talked about why ducks can swim while pigeons
only get to take bird baths and even had a nature lesson thanks to an
industrious spider who had caught a bevy of little flies in it’s web.
On our way to the playground, we announced the color of
every flower in our path. Then there was
blessed swinging and sliding, climbing and playing house, digging in the sand,
getting hit in the head and even witnessing a kid puke from riding too long on
the merry-go-round.
We wasted an entire day away in the sunshine with each other
before we meandered back home where tickle fights and make-believe
awaited. Add in an evening spent with
the one-and-only Papa--the best Mad Hatter-er in the world--and it's no wonder I couldn't find the time to move past being thankful. Some days it's so overwhelming, there just isn't room for anything else.
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