Another beautiful weekend here in St. Louis! We celebrated by spending every waking moment outdoors, including twice-daily trips to the playground and a nice long morning at the Missouri Botanical Gardens (see Milo and Oliver there exactly 2 years ago). We had a really fun time despite missing Andrew a lot. And just as I was feeling pretty lonely last night, a neighbor friend dropped by with her boys and ended up staying for dinner, which was a welcome luxury, being able to converse with an adult, let me tell you!
This weekend I was reminded of just how sweet Milo is. For a five-year-old, he is extremely helpful and responsible with the baby; keeping him out of trouble, entertaining him, helping to feed him and distract him during dinner preparations. I think sometimes I take for granted what a helpful boy he is– at the playground, a parent of an 11-month-old little girl came up to me to ask how old he was and tell me what a kind little boy he was. Milo was sharing his beloved superhero ball with her, gently rolling it back and forth and speaking to her so sweetly when just moments before he had been kicking that ball with a mighty force and running and sweating and nearly bowling people over. But he saw that baby and immediately shifted gears. It warms my heart to witness his growth and tender-heartedness.
There was a definite sense of calm that came over me this weekend. Maybe it is the knowledge that a relaxing holiday is right around the corner– a holiday that brings to the forefront things we should be appreciating every day– whatever it was, I felt much better about being on my own and started to understand how one would fall into a routine (albeit a slightly lonesome one) if his/her spouse was not able to be around for much of the child-rearing. I am so grateful for Andrew’s companionship and really miss the guitar and banjo that usually fills our house during the evenings! And, the downside is, I am starting the week with a lot of housework catch-up to do while the big boys are in preschool this morning. The amount of crumbs and pieces of dried out play doh on our entire first floor is pretty gross, and the laundry is quite piled up, but knowing that we are not having guests on Thursday for the first Thanksgiving in 5 years (!) takes a lot of the pressure off.
Hope you are feeling some inner peace as well– happy Monday!
Looks like you and your guys has a lovely time!
*oops, had a lovely time. 🙂
Those succulents aren’t yours are they? I have been trying not to kill my own, so far so good, and the cat seems to leave them alone as well. As for Thursday, we’ll be missing you, I wish it had worked out this year for us all to gather but perhaps Christmas will fall into place. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for my in-laws. Thanks for not sucking!
I do find that when James is away, or just working crazy hours for a while the beginning is the toughest. Of course if I had three times the boys to keep up with I might not ever settle into a routine. Milo sounds so sweet, destined to be a big brother.
Glad you guys will have some cozy and lazy time in the near future!
what a lovely weekend you seemed to have, i loved the outdoor pictures, especially of the one looking all the way the tree.
an easy peasy thanksgiving? that sounds lovely and a tradition that i have personally implemented in my life for a few years now. enjoy!
Not having guests over (of course while fun in it’s own chaotic way) is such a load off!
Enjoy!
xo
cortnie
I love that first picture. Don’t think I’ve ever passed those statues without seeing kids on at least one of them. 🙂
Beautiful weekend! I’m glad you found your rhythm. Craig left for two months right before Gus turned a year old and we had no friends or family to help me out. It was just me 24/7 for two months straight. I was worried at first but then surprised myself by totally settling into it and finding some pleasure in being in charge all the time. (I think I might be a control freak..!) Hope you guys have a great holiday!
1) As soon as I saw that first picture, I started singing that REM song but changed the lyrics to, “Stand on the sheep where you live….” I don’t know.
2) There is something so wonderful about someone telling you that your child is kind/well behaved/helpful. Because you know they don’t have to at all, and even if you know it already, it’s so great to hear from someone else. Like confirmation that you’re doing a good job as a parent, and raising your kid to be a good person. Nice job!
the first photo is particularly awesome.