Spring Break - Day 4

There are many things that I believe you learn as a mom.  One being that you learn how to "read" your kids, another being that you learn to be flexible and go with the flow when needed.  Both of these "momskills" came into action today.  With different events taking place last night (the oldest going to the circus with a friend and the two littles and I going to church) it was a later night for us.  This was evident when they did not wake up until after 8:00 this morning (and yes, this is sleeping in for us!)  I noticed that even though they had gotten a good night's sleep they still seemed tired, sluggish, and were perfectly content to lay around.  Not quite the "up and at em' and ready to explore the outback of Australia" mode this momma was hoping and planning for.  Now this is where those "momskills" I mentioned earlier came into play.  I noticed the mode my kids were in and decided that a slight change of course was in order for our day to run more smoothly.  So...we swapped our tickets to Australia for tickets to the good ol' USA, for a day "at home"  I think Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz" said it best when she said "There is no place like home"  This is just the stop that was needed today.  The kiddos stayed in their jammies longer, played the wii (which thrilled them), and when they did get dressed we enjoyed a picnic lunch of hot dogs and cheetos (can't get much more American than that) up in their treehouse.  After lunch we played for a while outside before coming in to get my girlie to nap.  And the kiddos played so well together!  There was no fussing or fighting.  It was just one of those magical times that I can't even fully describe, but I feel so blessed to have been witness to.  When we came in, my middle child, Nate asked if he could put Sophie to nap.  Yes, that is the kind of magical time I'm talking about today!  This delighted her, of course, as he is, I think, her most favorite person.  So then I hear him remind her to use the bathroom, and then the next thing I see they are laying in his bed snuggled together with books and he is reading by the light of a flashlight to her.  I hear him really getting into the story, and I hear her giggles and shouts of "Again, again!"  I don't know about you all, but it is these moments that melt a mama's heart.  I can't help but wonder if I would have missed such sweetness had I tried to press on with my own set plans for the day instead of taking note of the precious ones around me.  I may not get it right a lot of the time I admit, but I do feel like we did it right today!  I apologize that I don't have any world travels to share tonight.  I have to admit that I have felt nervous about such, but I hope that you all understand and will tune in tommorow as we plan on travelling on.  The kiddos were asking tonight "Where are we going to go tommorow?"  I think they are refreshed and ready!  Sometimes a day at home is just exactly what is needed.    

Our picnic up in the treehouse

Playing outside

Nate reading to Sophie at naptime