No collar required

 

 

Or shoes,

 

or proper form for that matter.

 

Just dedication,

 

patience (because you are very out of practice and because you occasionally whiff it),

and a field of grass with some lofty goals.

a date on the deck

Friday night after the kids go to bed we can slip away to the porch swing and clink our bottles together. We can talk about anything we want to because there aren't any little ears around to hear, and their aren't any little mouths around to interrupt.  We can sit comfortably in silence as we sway back and forth.  Or, we can erupt into crazy laughter as we threaten to bring back younger days with a skinny dip in our pool- under the cover of darkness of course.  I love when you leg bumps up next to mine and when your hand finds its way under my hair to the back of my neck.  The ease of being "not young" and "not old" make this such a sweet time together.  When the sun goes down we linger in the breezy dusk- not wanting to be the first one to suggest going inside.  We sit a little closer, and I tuck my hands under your warm arm. Eventually my head finds its way to your shoulder and it is quiet.  We wonder why we spend so much time behind the screens of the televisions or laptops, and vow to spend more time outside with the sounds of the quieting birds, crickets and the neighboring sprinklers. 

The comfortable-ness of together-ness is grand despite our simple surroundings. Meet you on the deck tonight...

week's report

First of all, I just really want to thank each and every one of you for the touching comments that you made on my last post.  I genuinely appreciate every word.  It was so kind of you to take the time to encourage me, and I've gone back to read through them a couple of times.  Sometimes it is hard to write such raw things down for everyone to read, but occasionally I just need to process things "out loud".  I wish I had the time on any given to day to respond individually to the comments that I receive from you.  Each one makes me laugh, or think, or just appreciate the view from where you sit.  Thank you, always, for leaving them, and know that they never go unread or un-valued.

Well, I certainly didn't mean to be gone for as long as I have been.  Last week just sort of flew right out the window.  I did quite a bit of this:

Three in one week! Each birth with its own little story.  It just never gets old. (okay scrubbing out the tub and toilet with bleach three times in one week- that gets old...but the birth, it is always miraculous to me.)

A fair amount of this:

 

The garden beds are made.  The corn patch is ready for tilling. Most of the seeds are in the ground (carrots, beans, radishes, lettuce, sunflowers).  The other plants (squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli and cauliflower) are hardening off on the back deck.  They will most likely make their home in the warm soil this weekend. It is good get a little dirt under my nails.

Not pictured last week are the hours of homeschooling (I'm looking at curriculum for next year and plan to revisit this topic soon), a bit of swimmer's ear, carpet cleaning (thanks to the puppy- he's on thin ice), park play, weed pulling, flower pot planting, and some movie watching (I know I'm the last person on earth to watch it.  I totally get what all the hype was about.  I may be a little bit in love with Edward.  I also really loved seeing my old ecosystem. Sometimes I really miss the moss). 

We did manage to sneak in a few quiet moments.

Sitting still together. 

 

 Life is full and real and messy and sweet- just trying to take it all in.  Hope to be back soon!