Every day I get the honor of being his mama but today he looked at me very serious and told me, Mama, you are my best friend. Last week it was Charlie so I know tomorrow things may change. But six hours later as we were reading a book he reminded me again. You’re my best friend. Still smiling.
Three days a week, with her older brother away at preschool and Jason at the office, I get the opportunity to spend uninterrupted time with Miss Hadley.
Technically these are my working days and while I do get a lot done during the early morning hours and when she’s napping, there is plenty of time allocated for snuggles, cuddles, nuzzles and giggles. As her sole audience member, I get a front row seat to watch her discover and change.
Hadley’s calm, content demeanor make for mellow days, but soon it is time to pick up Carson, Madi demands attention, Jason’s headlights appear in the driveway, and our once quiet home is replaced with toddler chatter and energetic inquiries, conversations about our day, and the sounds of the evening routine.
I relish both the quiet calmness and lively chatter equally. And so grateful for the balance.
I cannot wait for Katherine Center’s new book, Everyone is Beautiful, to be released. Very rarely do I find myself laughing out loud by something I’m reading but I was near tears while reading the first chapter of this book. It’ll be a good, light mom-lit read to have on hand when I visit my sister in Virginia in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I need to cram to finish the 50 pages I have left for my book club book tonight.
It all started with a design magazine I was reading while nursing Hadley this morning. Halfway through an article I realized the home and garden featured was located right down the street from our house. Walking distance. I told myself maybe I’d check it out on my run this weekend or leave a little early to pick Carson up from school and drive by.
On with my day. I had my List of Things To Do.
Time has been passing way too fast lately. I feel like both the summer and these early precious newborn days are slipping away. Hadley has been a champion sleeper which led me to say Yes to projects when perhaps I should have said No, taken more time off and relished this special time. When I’m working I’m thinking about what’s still on The List and as items get crossed off I just keep adding more. And when I’m with the kids I find myself thinking about a client email or a mock-up that needs to be finalized.
Today I realized there will always be emails to return, work to do, laundry to fold and house projects to tackle. But sunny days won’t stick around and Miss Hadley is getting older by the hour.
So I did something I never do. After lunch I sat down in front of my computer and shut it down. Then I went upstairs and scooped up my girl from her bassinet, put her in the Moby and walked out the front door. While she was still sleeping. In the middle of the afternoon on a Thursday. When I should have been working. Or checking things off that never ending List of mine.
It really was a beautiful afternoon, much too nice to be cooped up in the basement sitting in front of a computer. A short 15 minute walk and I was standing in front of the house. I took my time admiring the amazing design and the years of hard work and planning that went into it. I found the owner trimming back bushes and we chatted for a bit. He bought the house right after the article was published and felt very fortunate to be able to live in such a lovely space without putting years of work into it.
Then I continued my walk to the coffeehouse, ordered an iced mocha and spent the next hour lounging on a couch reading the paper. With my girl all snuggled up cozy against my chest fast asleep. In the middle of the afternoon on a Thursday. When I had Things To Do.
It felt very good.
{ daily chatter }