seize the day

The beautiful weather called us outdoors today, and we answered.

This morning Paul kindly allowed me to sleep until 9 am, which is something that has been pretty much unheard of for the last 18 months. He said he couldn't sleep because Anderson got in the bed with us around 5 am. He used to rarely ever wake up in the middle of the night and come in our room, but over the last month or so, he has done it fairly regularly. Some nights, when I am not so tired that I am in a coma, I hear his feet hit the floor as he jumps off of his bed and runs down the hall. I can't bear telling him to go back to bed. The realization that he really won't do this for very long has me convinced that I should enjoy every minute he wants to snuggle us in the bed--even if it means that Paul and I wake up with sore necks and aching backs because there is simply not enough room for us in our queen-size bed.

Anderson had his basketball game, so around 10:30, he and Paul headed for the game while Bennett and I went to the grocery store, then went to the game. Anderson's team lost, but Anderson played so well. He has definitely had to learn with disappointment regarding his basketball team this year. Thankfully, today was their last game. I'm even more thankful that Anderson made the wise decision to forego playing baseball this Spring. Unless he plays in golf tournaments this spring and summer, we won't have any organized sports' practices or games until August. Yee haw!

After the game, Paul took the boys home, and Bennett napped while Paul and Anderson ate the lunch I had purchased for them at the grocery store--baby back ribs and mashed potatoes. I went for a run and then went walking with my mom. I am so thankful that Mom and I can exercise together again. For awhile, she had an injured heel, and she needed to refrain from exercising too vigorously or for too long. It was a gorgeous day for outdoor activity--a bit windy--but it was the kind of weather that awakens you from your long winter's nap as you sense that spring, with its longer, warmer days, isn't too far away.

This afternoon, we all headed back out for a game of putt-putt. Even Bennett played, for about ten minutes. Then, he was off running around the course and climbing on a golf cart that was parked on the course. Fortunately, we were the only ones there at the time, so we could allow him to roam. We then visited the playground where Anderson and I played on the swings and Bennett enjoyed the slide with his dad. (By the way, Bennett has no fear. He will climb anything. I mean anything. He even climbed up on top of the bar stool today without pulling it over on himself. Paul said, "Just imagine what he'll be climbing in a few months.") When we got home, the boys went down to the pond in our backyard and saw the ducks. They have been feeding them when they visit our yard, and I think we may have just convinced them to stay around a little longer. Normally, they only visit for a week or two before they continue in their migration.

Tonight, we had movie night. We popped popcorn and watched "Daddy Day Camp". Anderson especially liked it. It was a good, clean family movie.

I'm thankful for days like today where I am brave enough to seize the day--to put the to-do lists aside (believe me, I have plenty of cleaning and laundry to do) so that we can just enjoy each other, along with the beautiful weather. This choice reminds me of the first two lines of one of my favorite poems:

"Cleaning and scrubbing will wait 'til tomorrow,
For babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow..."