The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

There are days, days when big sis has a bad day at school - and little sis instinctively knows...asking "whats matter Lane?" as soon as Lane arrives home. So we sit...and have a snack....and I wait for her to tell me what's up, with Elise kicking up the silly meter to try and make Lane laugh. It amazes me how intuitive Elise is to others' feelings. She is as caring and kind as she is silly and beautiful. Lane finally spills what happened during the day, and other than a hug and smile and one of my famous "I remember when..." speeches from something similar that happened to me - I can't do any more, can't FIX this wrong for her. It's frustrating. Being a teenager is hard, living in a house with a teenager is probably harder! So we spend the next hour or so in the play room, with Elise going full tilt and Lane finally cracking a few smiles...










Elise was whispering "Don't be cranky Lane, it's ooooKay".


Doing the "Teapot song".










Elise imitating Lane's cranky face - now WHO could be cranky after seeing this??


I will be forever grateful for the circumstances that allow me to have the work schedule I have now, for the extra days at home soaking up time with my family, for my husband who takes on extra so we can have more - and I can have more time at home just being a Mom. And I so appreciate it, because there were YEARS, years of being a single parent to two small children - working full-time, taking care of our house, the yard, the shopping, the after-school activities, dinner-time, homework, bedtime and on and on, all resting on my shoulders. I feel so guilty saying that much of Josh and Lane's early childhood is a blur...one huge BLUR of constant activity. So now I can slow down, and just BE Mom to these wonderful little (and not-so-little)people.

More time to enjoy this Sunday afternoon at home -











and more time to stop and smile at this ... silly girl washing her flip-flops.



Life is good.