Days at Home

Just in the last few months it seems that I am enjoying staying home with the boys more.  I think I have relaxed some of the expectations I had for myself, such as establishing a structured routine and making sure to go on an outing every day.  You see, some days we don't go anywhere.  We might leave the house to go outside, but we never leave our lovely neighborhood.  That used to bother me, as if I had judged that I was not doing enough (being lazy).  These days I am taking the boys out less and enjoying it more.


The last few days have been particularly enjoyable since daylight savings time has created an extra hour of sunlight and the weather has been warm.  We have been walking around the neighborhood and enjoying the beauty of the surrounding greenbelt with its intensely yellow flowers.  The boys have been playing with their bikes in the front yard, and I have been sitting in a chair on the lawn, as we wait for Lance to come home from work.

For the most part, the boys and I have quite a bit of fun in our days.  Sure, there is the ever-present struggle to get a two year-old to have his diaper changed and constant urging the four year-old to put his socks and shoes on, but I have habituated to that now.  Evan is the silliest little boy, and he cracks me up every day.  He toddles around the house making silly noises and saying the funniest things.  I love to watch Benjamin and Evan interact and it brings joy to see how close they are.  They sit side-by-side at the table for breakfast and I even saw them holding hands while eating breakfast!  Today Evan was crying because I told him he could not watch cartoons.  Benjamin said in the most nurturing voice, "Evan, Evan, its okay.  Why are you crying?  You can watch cartoons after your nap".  They then hugged and Evan stopped crying.  Its just amazing to see my first baby playing the nurturer, and being so good at it!  He can make hundreds of perfect football throws, and score goal after goal, but this makes me the proudest.  Yes, we are doing good around here.