labor day

somehow, i’m sitting on the couch tonight feeling accomplished and ready for the week. you would have never guessed it would be possible if you had been in my house this morning.

i had nothing ready for my pre-school class tomorrow; no meal plan or grocery list for the week; the house was a total pit…and i couldn’t get my computer to work to be able to access my recipe’s…much less plan pre-school activities and crafts for brown bear, brown bear.

it wasn’t the best way to cap off a relaxing holiday weekend.

annslee found herself a mud pie. she was extremely happy with herself.

and then there was saturday night on the water.

sunset on the water is one of my most favorite things.

****

when i was a little girl, i remember seeing the preview for the movie NADIA on TV. it was going to be the friday or saturday night movie…(i can’t remember which)…and i was captivated right away. i remember being at swim team practice one morning, and a girl asked me if i was going to watch it. i said, “yes.”

i can’t remember if my family watched it together…i suspect we did. but i remember not being able to take my eyes off of the screen.

i fell in love with gymnastics while watching that movie.

and i wanted to be her.

i went on to compete in gymnastics…doing the best i could with the body type that God had given me. i was one of those kids that would have been happy living at the gym. i practiced at home…in the living room…in the kitchen…in my bedroom…on my swing set…at recess…and anywhere else that provided enough room for me to flip. i loved it. i thought i would do it forever.

when my first daughter was born…watching NADIA with her was one of the things i filed away in the “things i can’t wait to do with her” file.

although…i knew she needed to be old enough to appreciate it.

i decided that this weekend, that the time had come.

i didn’t know how annslee was going to respond…being that the child can’t sit still for more than 2.8 seconds at a time…but decided to give it a shot.

i made sure that everyone in the house knew what an important event this was, snuggled up, and hit play.

i think guys hold footballs when they want to feel more manly. i’ve decided.

i wish i had taken pictures of these two about 3/4 of the way through the movie. they were up and flipping on the floor…using the couch arms as a fault and pointing their toes and finishing with their hands in the air as if they had just landed the dismount of their lives. and annslee??? well…the girl has some skill. and aiden is convinced it’s something that she wants to do. i don’t know where we are going to find the money…but these girls are going to take gymnastics…if my life depends on it.

****

aiden completed her very first braid. this is important in a girl’s life.

and with the braid still in my hair…i tucked them into their fort-tent-sleeping spot.

they worked hard on this. they wanted me to sleep in there with them. but i draw the line at sleeping on the floor. my body can’t take that sort of thing anymore.

****

so, today…after a few “minor” ranting sessions about the computer and house pit and lack of appreciation as a mom…blah blah blah…

i finally started making some progress.

there are these new, little gems that i found at target today…and they are called white chocolate candy corn m & m’s.

let’s just say that these little pieces of glory improved my outlook on life.

and then…annslee spiked a high fever.

poor girl. while i was busy working on school and kitchen cleaning…she was whining for me to play with her. i kept putting her off and telling her that i couldn’t because i was busy and that i would later. and then i found her huddled in a chair…in the corner of the house…with tears rolling down her little cheeks. she didn’t even lift up her head when i walked up. i knelt down to pick her up and she was on fire.

i felt like such a tool.

needless to say…she got the star treatment for the rest of the day.

even with 103.7 fever…my girl still smiles.

so…chad went ahead and took the kids swimming at our friend’s house…and a.j. and i hung out, watched ramona and beezus, ate chicken noodle soup, and wrapped up tight.