Soul food

If you're not one given to fits of the green eyed monster, I invite you to read on.  I'm about to share my yesterday with you, and it was a content one.  Pleasant, comfortable, indulgent, and evenly paced.  It involved unexpected calories (usually my favorite ones) and that wormy, springtime smell. 

Signs for an impending good day began early (5:30 a.m. early) when the Younger opened her bedroom door and immediately started yelling "Why is no one answering me?!  Why is no one answering me?!"  Well, child, because in order for us to answer you, a question must first be asked.  Surely my children are not alone in going from content to whyaren'tyouansweringme?!? in 2 seconds.  This is one of those pivotal moments when you look back and say either ahh...that's why my day was rotten or else ahh...that's why my day was lovely because SHE WANTED HER FATHER AND I WENT BACK TO SLEEP FOR ANOTHER 2 HOURS.  Lovely child!  There's a vast difference between waking up to meet the bleary eyed bathroom and breakfast demands of a child versus waking up to the sounds of a throaty purr and a furry face.

The boy had a pseudo day off yesterday whilst the girls were both still going to school, which means that the boy was thrilled to be cheauffer and I'm thrilled to agree to that arrangement.  Which means that I had a couple of uncontested hours to do (and here's where it get's really good) whatever I wanted.  This means I blow dried my hair and went to meet the boy at my coffee shop while the Younger was at her pre-school class, essentially what I would have done anyway, except without children.  Do whatever you want...okay, I'll do what I always do!  Naturally.  But the boy met me there after deposting the girls in their respective classrooms, and there's something kind of saucy/kind of scandalous feeling about placing your regular order and then adding Oh, and my husband is coming to meet me, so I'll go ahead and buy his coffee, too. 

At some point in that hour and a half of chatting/working/maybe-this-is-what-an-affair-feels-like coffee shop time, I both got the boy to agree to bring the Younger back to the coffee shop for lunch for "special time with just us" as well as volunteered to ride along to go pick her up from pre-school.  Somehow, it felt different and (dare I say) fun to go lurk awkwardly in the hallway of a church beside a drinking fountain for ten minutes before a line-up of 2-year olds comes out in all of their I'm-so-proud-of-myself-because-I'm-TWO! glory. 

Then lunch was decidedly lovely, and I was able to pass the Younger off on the boy so he could take her home for her rest time while I went (get this, anyone who is not yet jealous) to go grocery shopping b-y m-y-s-e-l-f in the middle of the day.  Not at 6 a.m.  Even jockying with old codgers around the breakfast cereal aisle was not enough to deter my heartfelt appreciation for that gift of time best spent with myself. 

I didn't have to pack up a could-be-grumpy-could-be-happy toddler to pick up the Elder 'cause, again, the boy was more than happy to do so.  I wallowed in some ice cream.  And supper was delicious.  Can a day get better?!?  Why, yes...

My entry was chosen for a blind date with a book program at our library...i.e. free sushi.  We wedged a wee bit of travel planning on for our upcoming anniversary extravaganza.  And, an hour and a half of kids-free girl time over french fries with a couple of sweet friends capped my night. 

Perhaps yesterday was just the day to kick off our Spring Break craziness.  It was a solid pick-me-up for my soul, which was undoubtedly why I woke up at 6:30 this morning with a determination to paint the ceiling in the Younger's room.  I'm nothing if not as speckled as an Easter egg, but it wouldn't be Spring Break without a quick paint job in some room of the house.  And checking something like that off the list is pretty necessary for the soul, too.