A Perfectly Ordinary Day at the Park

Sunlight frolics through the leaves, chasing the shadows on the pavement.  The breeze slows and the dance changes, becomes graceful and fluid.

Mourning doves coo a soft melody against the lyrical rustling of the leaves.

Kids beckon their mothers, "Look at me, Mommy!" and "Mommy, look over here!".  Moms respond with waves and affirming smiles.  Their gazes linger sometimes as they seem to try, as I so often do, to memorize the sunlight kissing their children's faces, illuminating their twinkling eyes and their wide toothy grins and their dirty skinned-up knees.  

Girls cartwheel.  Boys race.  Gnats annoy.  Sunshine warms.  Clouds roll.

It's a perfectly ordinary day the park, one that will surely fade from memory as these drowsy meandering youthful days filled with sweaty hair plastered to chubby red cheeks and bike rides, turn into hurried days filled with crammed schedules and teenage angst, when there just isn't time enough for one last ride down the slide.

This perfect, ordinary summer day surely won't be one that lingers in my children's memories as they grow and get busy with life.  But I pray that this perfect, ordinary summer day takes up residence in mine.

Photo Dump

Rich and I were talking last night about the fun things we've done with the kids this summer.  Lots of little excursions here and there, though an actual vacation has not been one of them.  But if having (and loving) our new house means no vacation this year, then that's okay with me! 

We also talked about how beautiful our kids are...seriously.  They couldn't be any cuter if they were trying. 

I went through my photos reminiscing about the good summer times we've enjoyed and realized how few I've shared.  So here is a little catching up photo dump.  Enjoy.

Lena's little gang of preschool buddies at Inniswood one very hot afternoon.  She was so happy to see them all!

My company's annual King's Island day!  Rich and I agreed that this was our family's best year there.  The kids are getting bigger and can enjoy more of the rides.  The weather turned out to be perfect: overcast with tiny rain showers here and there, which made the lines short and the crowds small, and it never rained hard enough to shut anything down much longer than 10 minutes.  It was a great day!

 

 Accidental head injuries trying to get our last brother/sister photo...

Which was quickly remedied by a couple of spontaneous hugs and giggles. 

 

Rich's annual family reunion. Hot but beautiful day at a lovely place...it's always good catching up with the extended fam. 

Visiting great grandma.  It was a quick visit, but it's always nice to see how little she changes from visit to visit.  Other than a few mostly minor physical issues, which are to be expected because the woman is in her 90's, Grandma is happy and healthy. 

Early morning walk with Lily girl.  Lori's family had to head out for their vacation early one morning, so we kept Lily overnight and then took her to Mom and Dad's with us, where she had herself a little vacation.  She's the best dog ever.

The 4th of July at Mom and Dad's.  We had a nice, relaxed visit and the kids honed their swing pumping skills! 

Rich set off some smoke bombs, which in turn filled the whole neighborhood with blue and white smoke.  Oops. :)

We snuck to my old high school right before the fireworks started and enjoyed them on a blanket with Mom.  The kids were pooped, but I'm so glad we got to see it together.  It was a great show!

My mad artistry skills, as requested by the children.

Impromptu soup lunch at Panera, followed by a visit to our favorite store: Half Price Books, where we all scored awesome finds!

Hanging with friends at our weekly free lunch volunteer location.  Couldn't get the kids out of the tree that day. 

Hiking with Lori and the boys yesterday.  It was just too beautiful not to be outside, so it was a perfect day for an impromptu invite from my big sister! 

One of Those Days

I had one of those very special days with the kids yesterday.  One of those days that, as a mother who so often struggles under the heavy weight of repetition that makes up such a large part of motherhood...well...it was one of those days that I needed to have.  One of those days from which I'll draw strength and energy and endurance and love when I'm feeling worn down and at the end of my rope with the kids.

One of those days that reminds me why, day after day after day, I continue to pick up the same toys, wash the same dishes, read the same books, fold the same laundry, sing the same songs, vacuum the same floors, play the same games, scrub the same toilets.

(...Hmmm...sounds like I'd be a much happier mother if cleaning weren't a constant part of motherhood.)

Yesterday was an awesome day full of new adventures and fun and sunshine and smiles and laughs and hugs.

I need to make a concerted effort to have more of those days.  Though I'm convinced that it's the moments we try to plan and make perfect and have grand expectations for that always end up covered in vomit or mucus or are overthrown by tantrums or weather or some other perfectly-planned-day-ruiner.

Spontaneity ruled the day yesterday and it was simple and purely joyful.  And I thanked God all day long for filling back up my mommy tank. 

While Lena was in school, Sam and I had our adventure.  We finished his homework at the park (I thought how he sounded out and spelled his answers was so sweet).

Played with a new friend at the playground.

Then headed to Creekside for a fossil finding expedition.

(Yep, his other front tooth is hanging on by a thread. Look how it's all twisted sideways. But he won't let us touch it.  He's so stubborn...wonder where he gets that?)

 

 

We found some cool shells by the water's edge and discovered this giant fossil-covered rock on a walk through the woods.  We spent a long time digging in some rocks, which paid off when Sam found his very own fossil! He was so excited and I was very proud of his patience and persistence. 

I'll miss my one-on-one time with my sweet boy when he starts first grade this fall.  He's growing up too fast. 

 

While Sam was at school in the afternoon, Lena and I set out on our own adventure.  We tried Boyer Nature Preserve right by our house, but it was pretty overgrown and deserted and we both quickly decided it was creepy...guess that's the difference between a nature preserve and a park.  Lesson learned.

So we headed just down the road to Inniswood, which was perfect for us two girls!  Beautiful flowers, gardens, shady spots with benches for resting Lena's tired little legs, wide paths for us to hike down...this is definitely our preferred way to experience nature. :)

She loved this little girl statue and played with it and some of her dollies, which she had packed in her Tinkerbell backpack, for quite awhile.  When she's not Moody McMoodertons, she can be so sweet...

We did a little fossil digging on the paths and found some cool, super smooth stones.   

She was getting tired here.  It was nearly 90 yesterday around the time we were there, though it didn't feel uncomfortable.  But it was also nearing her rest time and I think she'd had enough exploring for one afternoon. 

To keep her going until we could pick up Sam from school, I drove through the Dairy Queen and got her a strawberry Orange Julius (some of which she saved for Sammy).  That, and the ruby "gem" she pried off a plastic crown and stuck to her sweaty forehead, infused her with enough energy to make it home before she passed out. 

They both napped (and I may have laid down for a few minutes myself) when we got home, which is a sure sign of a day well spent...and a mommy tank all filled up!