Moments to savor

Early this afternoon, Evelyn took a three hour nap. The time to myself was such a lovely treat that I decided to return the favor and take Evelyn to one of her favorite places-- a local indoor shopping center that features plenty of little rides for tots and a mini world-bazaar food court. It's a small enough place that we let Evelyn walk and run around pretty freely because she's always in sight. She loves the rides, so she only really runs ahead to the next ride before stopping.



After picking up a few birth supplies at Bed, Bath, and Beyond (extra towels and the like) and stopping by the library extension to read some books, we headed to the cafe and shared a little table. Evie sat in a big girl chair and enjoyed the snacks while I got to sip a decaf latte. I know that once the little one arrives, these peaceful moments will be limited (certainly in the beginning while I get the hang of only having one arm per child). It was a great little break.

When we returned home this afternoon, the weather had warmed up significantly and the sun was out in full force so we enjoyed the backyard. To my surprise (and complete delight), Evelyn played by herself beneath a big cedar, digging in the dirt with sticks and then moving over to the rocks and burying them. Every once in a while, Evelyn gave me updates and let me know what she was working on. She was pretty focused and clearly enjoying herself, so I took advantage of the time and read a few chapters of a book on the deck. What a great day!