This weekend was a beautiful weekend for our little family. Nothing special was going on. And to be honest, there’s lots to be done around our house. None of us is feeling that well — we’ve all got this nasty cough and lots of congestion in our noses. Tate’s still not potty-trained — although, he’d like you to believe he is. Julian is still not sleeping through the night and he’s begun to wake up at 5:30am. But, you know what? We had a great time anyway.
The weekend started off with Daddy bringing home some salmon filets from the store. We had a great dinner (although Tate didn’t think so) and both of us crashed out early after putting the boys to bed on Friday night. Far cry from former Friday nights of parties, movies and dinners at trendy restaurants. On Saturday, we got up around 5:30am (Julian and I, that is) and Tate got up shortly thereafter. We had a leisurely morning filled with banana bread muffins and coffee. I went and worked out later on while Thomas watched the boys. I came home to two screaming boys who had missed their Mommy during the 30 minutes she was gone. I made everyone lunch when I got home and Thomas went outside to do some work in our completely dead yard. He made some good headway with Tate closely by his side helping along the way. I later came out with Julian and we went for a stroll in the red wagon. Julian was such a trooper with his little sun hat on and his sippy cup in hand. You would have thought he was in Heaven getting to sit across from his big brother and be such a big boy. I kept looking back at them as I pulled them around the block and thought, “I can’t believe how big they are getting!!” It truly seems surreal that Baby Julian is now 9 months old and able to do so much and understand so much more with every day that passes. He has very clear ideas about what he wants and what he doesn’t want. As sweet and easy-going as he is, there is nothing passive about this fella. And there’s Tate. My sweet, big boy Tate. He is growing and changing everyday. Not only physically, but emotionally and intellectually. He has such an fascinating perspective and I so enjoy experiencing it through him.
After spending a good part of the day outside on Saturday, we decided to go out for dinner. We all took showers and got cleaned up (like the good ol’ days) and headed out for a nice dinner. As soon as we got to the restaurant, we realized both boys were sound asleep. We carried them inside and made them a spot on the booth next to us and we ate while they slept. It almost felt like a date night. We were able to have a peaceful dinner with no fussing, no crying, no interrupting. It was a Godsend!
This morning, Thomas woke up with the boys at 5:30 and allowed me to sleep a little–which I desperately needed. I got up and he made waffles. The boys were cranky and tired. I got ready and drove downtown to my job at the church to rehearse the children’s choir. I hated leaving because: 1. I was tired and didn’t feel like going. 2. My boys didn’t feel good and didn’t want me to go. 3. It was a nice day out and they were all going for a walk without me as I drove away. But I went anyway. I stopped by Starbuck’s on the way there and saw a family with two boys who were probably around 6 and 8. The parents were talking casually while the boys played with each other, and I thought, “One day, I can relax a little more and not have to keep such a close eye on them.” I drove down to the church and the kids were delightful. We truly had a great time. I drove back and went to the store on the way home and picked up a few things in peace and quiet. It was nice. I came home and the boys were excited to see me. I was excited to see them. I missed them.
A little later, Thomas took the boys to the park so I could teach a lesson. After the lesson was over, they still weren’t home so I had some time to think and get some things in order before they arrived. It was nice. They got home and I was so happy to see them. I had missed them. Thomas worked outside while Tate played in the yard and road on his scooter. I made homemade mac and cheese while Julian played on the floor after his nap. At one point while I was finishing up, he climbed on top of the dishwasher door and started crying because he couldn’t get down. We went outside and talked to our neighbors a while. I took Julian inside and gave him and Tate a bath. We blew bubbles with our new bubble wand for the bathtub. They both laughed and had a great time. I had a great time and truly felt in the moment. We played on the floor in the living room. We took to the boys to their rooms and Julian played peekaboo around the corner and he and Tate laughed hysterically. We put the boys to bed.
I recount all these details not to bore people, but to have a documented chapter of my life. I know I will forget these little moments where nothing major is really going on. I know I will forget the laughs in the bathtub and Julian playing peekaboo around the corner from Tate’s room and them both laughing hysterically. I know I will forget and I don’t want to.
I write this to keep the memories alive. But I also write to remind myself that the big stuff doesn’t only happen on big occasions. It happens on days that are uneventful. It happens on days when we have nothing planned. It happens on days where there’s yardwork and housework that needs to be done. It happens on days when we’re tired from not sleeping. These memories are memories I want to cherish forever. Being with my little family is so special and so important to me. I never want to take our sweet life for granted.
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