We had no plans this weekend. The girls spent the night Saturday with their father's family and I spent the majority of the weekend cleaning up the remnants of the clean out and redo of my youngest's room. That is her in the photo above several years ago.
I like this pace. I like when I have the time to clean and organize the house. I love folding towels and baking cookies and making traditional Sunday dinners (meatloaf and scalloped potatoes tonight).
I realized this weekend that I'm missing my girls being small. I miss playgrounds, the giant roll of paper across the floor to paint on. Do you know what I miss most? Reading books together. All those preschool/elementary age books with the gorgeous illustrations. I miss that. I miss Woo, and Bittle and The Old Woman Who Named Things. Goodnight Moon every night. We went through two copies of that one. Sometimes we read now. We read the Wildwood series together, but somehow it's not the same. It's not the same as going back to those favorite books, over and over and over again.
But more then anything I miss being with them. There was a period of time when my girls were five and seven; when we moved here after their father and I separated. I had not yet started a new job and we spent our days together. We ate lunches together outside and made homemade playdough and I taught them how to cook and bake. We took long walks and had tea parties and K read Elsa Beskow books to her dolls and stuffed animals.
I wouldn't change the wonder of who they are becoming and the independence they are finding, but I miss the time together most of all. I am tired after work and they are frustrated after a day of school. The pace of our lives has changed and my focus and my role has changed.
And that's what it is, but oh how I miss those days.
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P.S. January's contest winner for The Introvert's Way was Lynn!! Lynn email your full name and address to underthebigbluesky@gmail.com and I will send it on it's way.
So many responses to how you are finding quiet this year. Here is hers:
I'm learning to leave the noise turned off for a while when I get home in the evening. It's a small step in some ways and a very large step in others.
Everyone had some great ideas as noted below:
Jennifer said: I've taken to leaving the radio off when I take long drives.
I'm learning to leave the noise turned off for a while when I get home in the evening. It's a small step in some ways and a very large step in others.
Everyone had some great ideas as noted below:
Jennifer said: I've taken to leaving the radio off when I take long drives.
Rebecca said: I'm finding quiet in my life this year by waking up a half hour early each day to take a walk.
Beth said: For the past few months I've been spending at least 30 minutes a day writing. I shut everyone else out and spend that time with my characters and the words-- nothing else.
Karen said: Each morning I sit with coffee and write in my journal, then do prayers I love that time of the day and I love how I've carved some intentions with that hour when I am all alone.
