Little Things

We went for an impromptu picnic on Friday night.  A few years ago we decided to save TV for the weekend only during school, and to make this transition easier, we made Friday night extra special by having a family movie night and pizza. 

Only, in good weather, it seems like a waste of a good evening.  So we took our pizza to a park just 5 minutes from our house that we have only visited once before.  It was a gorgeous night.  The mountains were rust and amber and brown and yellow.  The light was some sort of honey-colored magic.

We explored wooded paths overgrown with leaves and branches, played, and watched some people "fighting," as my three year-old called it.  (she'd say "where are the fighting people?")

It was so easy.  And so nice.

Other little things from this week:

Meeting my oldest three at school for lunch.  My little six year-old has decided that first grade is hard and called me from school, crying to come home last week.  In the heat of the moment, I realized that it would be so easy to run on over and pick her up.  Then I realized that the better service for her would be the harder one for me-- to have her stay at school.  But that didn't mean I couldn't come and visit her at lunch this week for a little moral support.

Then I stayed for lunch with my son.  His friends were giggling and talking and enjoying eachother.  I wondered if he would be embarrassed of me and the two little ones.  Instead, he held baby on his lap and all his friends laughed at baby's antics.  He and one friend begged me to come to recess and then followed the baby around laughing some more at how he pumps one arm only while running (and saying "running!" in a breathless voice), and mothering him a bit.  Every time I said I needed to go they'd say "NO!"

(they were so cute, all snuggled in my bed this morning!)

Today, I didn't want to leave my nine year-old out, so I swung by and picked up a little $1 ice cream.  As I walked into the school, other kids were jealously oohing and ahhing at the plastic ice cream cups I was juggling.   When I found her, I could tell by her eyes that she was really happy we had come.  And it was so easy-- just remembering a small thing she liked-- not much extra time but it was a big deal to her.

Reading to baby on a plush velvet couch during dance class, his little pudgy arms pointing out trucks and doggies, his little cute body snuggled up to mine.

Peach pie for an after school snack, slurped and laughed at and enjoyed around the table together.  "Mom, did you do this for us, because we said we liked pie?"  "Yup." (though I'm not making another one for a while!  If we have a craving, I think they'll like store bought just as well!) (by the way, one of the resolutions that I keep meaning to update is no dessert before dinner-- we've really slacked on that one, but we're still eating pretty healthy overall)

Little, easy things.  They are giving me so much pleasure.

(Only, now it's time to go and clean my house!)

(note: I've still been doing their hair every day, but some days it doesn't last long!  But I feel good if I tried)

Check out this cute idea for making dinner fun!  Another way to keep dinner feeling like an act of service and not a chore, and it looks like the kids love it.