Another Lovely Weekend

Lately, we seem to have found our rhythm as a family of four-- particularly when it comes to weekend outings together.  Last weekend, we had a great time exploring a new area and took a long, long family walk with the kids on our backs.  This weekend, we wanted to keep busy so as not to wallow in the neverending chores around the house (and in order to keep the toddler whining to a minimum).  Fortunately, the sun came to visit, if only momentarily.  Evelyn announced that it really looked like daytime.  We needed to get outside, pronto.  She put on her bright yellow boots and played on her own in the backyard for a while.  It was nice to see her playing happily.  Both Evelyn and Henry ran into a minor cold and we had to cancel a potluck we'd been planning for weeks.  It was disappointing, but I certainly didn't want to share our germs with other little ones and I knew it would not be much fun for anyone involved if the kids were whining or crying.  Hopefully, we'll reschedule soon.  I have a very tasty dish in mind!

This weekend held a few happy highlights.  For the first time in years, I went shopping and ended up smiling in the dressing room.  I've actually gone down another size, which is welcome news in my book.  Needless to say, I bought the jeans.  We also decided to head to the lake for a stroll.  Both kids fell asleep on the way and Chris read a book in the car with them while I headed into a nearby cafe to work on a new project.  It was quite lovely-- for a moment, I was an individual again instead of the stereotypical Mama schlepping her overstuffed bag and yelling after a running toddler while wearing a fussing baby.  I eavesdropped (my bad habit) on a few fun conversations while waiting for my latte and then settled down to business.  In other news, I now know way too much about the various relationships and quarrels between a couple of random strangers.

When the kids woke, we did make it down to the lake.  It was very chilly in the wind, but Evelyn enjoyed it.  The fun ended when one of her sneakers got wet and we decided to walk to an Irish Pub we've loved since we moved out to the Pacific Northwest.  The waitress remembered us and commented on how cute Henry looks.  I think the last time we saw each other, I was still pregnant.  Chris and I shared an appetizer and Evelyn marveled at the pool tables and fluttered about in her socks, stopping back at the table for an occasional french fry.  We ended our day at evening Mass.  Now, if we can all get some sleep tonight, we will really be in business!