Jules and I had a great date this morning. We walked to the playground and, step-by-step, he taught me ("this is how you do it") how to "use" a tire swing and how to slide down the fireman's pole ("mom, you're good")... then we rescued old tennis balls from the half-frozen "crick" (which is how you say creek if you're from Western PA) using a stick we spend a good long time searching for.
 |
| Wheeee! |
I wrote his name in the snow with my foot and he bunny-hopped from letter to letter shouting out each one as he landed. We visited with a black cat that crossed our path (which doesn't make me nervous) and sang songs as we scaled the hill home. (He walked nearly 2 miles without whining.) When we got back, I made him a cup of "cocoa with chocolate," explaining (nicely) why his name for the drink is redundant.
In the winter, my inclination is to coze up inside with the boys, doing art projects, reading books, or baking--but I'm trying hard to help Jules and Kai become peeps who love being outside--in all seasons--much more than I do. (Speaking of getting kids outside, I'm looking forward to reading Last Child in the Woods, which my friend Lisa recommended to me recently...) To that end, my "shut up and go" mantra seems working for me right now. Of course, the fact that it was nearly 40 degrees today made it much easier for me to "go" - and for that, I am grateful.
What gets you "going"?
Car Talk. Public Radio is on at our house pretty much 24 hours a day, so it's easy to know what time it is based on what I'm hearing. Every week, Car Talk comes on at 10am on Saturday mornings. Before Car Talk, I always feel like I have the whole day (and weekend) in front of me. Once it ends, I always feel a bit disappointed in myself for wasting valuable time with nothing to show for it. Evidently, in my universe, the difference between 10 and 11am is monumental. These days, the moment I hear the opening notes of the show's theme song, I'm motivated to go, go, go, and make something of my day.
ReplyDeleteI so get this. On that same note, lately I've been feeling like the weekend feels longer if I make plans for Friday afterwork/school. But that takes a lot of motivation...
ReplyDelete