Today was one of those spring days in Oregon when it rains, and rains, and then it pours for awhile and then goes back to more rain. Days like this are hard enough under normal circumstances, but we are currently in the midst of the rehearsal-going-into-performance cycle in our household. Which translates to child speak into Mommy is never home. So when she is home it's all about how much attention can we get from her and how close can we keep our bodies to her before she'll crack under the pressure. Now, I realize that my children are exactly that - children, and they are not equipped with the same understanding of time that adults are. They cannot comprehend the idea that 7 more weeks does not a life time make. In fact soon enough this will be but a blip on the radar. But to them it is an eternity and they want Mommy home now!
So, instead of a day at the park I daydreamed about on our recent glorious Saturday afternoon (I found myself gazing out the window during at least one of Iago's soliloquies - sorry, T0dd) we had a day trapped inside. Before anyone suggests I should have just decked everyone out in our rainy day gear and gone puddle stomping, I'll say it crossed my mind. But, one has the sniffles and one has the case of the three-year old-itis, it just wasn't happening today.
Now, if you ask my children what we did today, they are liable to tell you nothing. And they way they were begging me to play hide and seek (for the 2nd time) this evening you would have thought I hid from them all day leaving them to their own entertainment. To that I say, oh hohoho n-n-n-no. I was in pretty good form today. There was craft time and stories. There was couch pirate ship sailing across the mighty ocean to the undiscovered territory of Toyland. There was breakfast, lunch and a lovely variety of fruit mid-morning snack. There was trains, paper dolls and bed trampoline races. There were more stories, and chores (Oh, yes I made them each put away one pile of clean laundry and pick up their toys when done -the horror!) I'm telling you it was a full day. I was exhausted.... it was only 1:30. Hooray for "rest time"
Rest time used to be called nap time. But nobody naps anymore. They both could use naps, but have declared themselves too old. So it's rest time, it is. Piles of books and sleepy children head to separate rooms and they read. Some days, if we are lucky, L will still fall asleep. But, I think she's too busy listening for N (who gets to watch the clock and come out at the appointed time on his own) to come bounding out of the room. For usually mere moments after he comes tearing out she's right behind asking oh so coyly, "is N up yet?" as if she doesn't see him standing directly in front of her!
This is the time of day when I usually begin to crack. We try to limit the tv/computer time. But on days like today it's so easy to give in when N turns to me with his sweetest smile and says, "May I have computer time, please?" So, to the computer he goes and Miss L is right there beside him and for 30 blissful minutes I sit on the couch reading cheap magazines or detective novels. (Rest time may be for housework or dinner prep, but computer time is lounging time!)
When all is said and done it wasn't a bad day. Oh L got 3 time outs and N sobbed as if the world would end when he couldn't watch a video tonight. But those things go with the territory.
If you ask me my favorite part of the day was making the masks below for "Super Snap" (N) and "Captain Bubble" or "Bug Girl" (L). But as you see in the above photo, I think their favorite part of the day was pretending to be kitties in the yarn used for the mask making.
Oh, and a giant shout out to Patrick for making the biscuits for dinner with the kids. YUMMM!!
