fall break: wednesday

This morning’s plan was the children’s museum.  It did not disappoint. We missed friends who were going to meet us, but enjoyed the fact that it was less crowded than the zoo was earlier this week.  My kids all have their favorite stops at the museum; Cooper loves the climber and is good to stay with Seneca so I can follow Beckham at a slower pace.  Seneca could stay in the art studio all day and paint the castle.  Give her a smock and a paint brush and she’s good for hours.  Beckham couldn’t wait for the race cars and I appreciated that they weren’t crazy busy.  We enjoyed the hay maze and lunch outside before we came home for naps. 

This afternoon Coop flitted from project to project not committing to anything, although he was great about coming home and writing his sentences right away.  His assignment this week is to write about what we do each day and he’s been good about doing it without me asking.  He worked on ‘thank-you’ cards this afternoon for birthday gifts.  More playing outside after naps.  Endorsement of the day is Trader Joe’s Organic Jasmine Rice that fully cooks in the microwave in 3 minutes.  It comes out perfect and makes for a super quick and easy dinner.  Thanks Eryka for the find!

Cooper has yet to learn the value of putting his shoes in the closet when we get home.  Every time he wants to go outside or it is time to go somewhere, he is scouring the house for footwear.  He is reminded often that I am responsible for my shoes and he is responsible for his.  It is a bummer that I don’t keep track of them.  Today he was bordering on frantic because he couldn’t find his flip-flops and was begging me to find them.  I reminded him that if they were in the closet, they would be easy to find.  He went around the corner into the hall and found them and exclaimed, “it’s a miracle!”  He has been learning about miracles and fully believes in them.  The fact that his flip-flops magically appeared is a miracle is questionable, but I love that he believes it!

I’ve written before, and often, about this job I have as a mother.  There have been several times in the past when Denten is getting ready for work and I am pleading in my head for the opportunity to switch places for the day simply to have a change of pace, a break from the whining, the times where no one listens, the messes and mundane repetitive tasks that make up this job.  Earlier this week I woke up with the thought that I felt a little sorry for Dent that he had to leave us; go to work and do things that didn’t involve these fun kids.  I was excited to spend the day with them, to laugh with them, to watch them learn new things.  I wished he didn’t have to go and miss it all.  I was grateful for that feeling of wanting to be home with my children.  I know it will come and go and I wanted to record the fact that I am grateful for my job.  It’s hard and often thankless.  It can be lonely, messy and aggravating, but I chose this and I love these little ones that I spend my days with.  Love them to pieces.