Pt. 31 - Finally.

Day 67 - May 20th, 2020

     Halfway through the week already - inching towards a long (Memorial Day) weekend. The forecast is coming up 70's every day (plus one in the 80's) and our countdown until the end of school is in the teens. Normally, I'd be ticking off all the remaining lunches I have to pack and gearing up for the wild ride of costs and things on the calendar that is June. I'm glad we just get to enjoy this time instead - we really got to witness spring come to life this year. It's been gratifying to witness the leaves start out reddish, then turn yellowish, and now work their way through darkening shades of green.

     A while ago now (maybe 3 or so weeks) Matt and I declared Tuesdays and Thursdays to be screen free - to go along with the already standing not before 2pm on weekdays rule, and the not until family cleaning time is finished on the weekends rule. It was a hard pill for the boys to swallow at first (as they saw weekday video games as the jewel of quarantine), but as we slide towards summer, they are spending that screen-free time outdoors - running around with helmets and gatorade mustaches on as they switch from sport to sport as my friends and I did when we were kids. It's nostalgic to me to witness, but they're having a blast, too. I love the sounds of screen doors slamming as they have no time to waste to get back to playing after bathroom or water breaks. I love the endless birdsong and laughter in the air. I love their helmet head, and that they still stop to check in with me through a hug or a, "hey mama!" These days urge me into more presence, too. A gift I often give myself is watching a show or listening to a podcast while I work through tedious chores like dishes, laundry, or cooking. With my kids unplugged and buzzing around with questions and thoughts to share, I've been inspired to stay connected to the task at hand - my only distraction being my kids, and it's a welcome one. So here's my Summer pledge: I will join their Tues/Thurs screen efforts and not watch a show or video while I work through my day. I will instead focus only on what I'm doing in the moment, and allow conversation and teaching as my only fillers.

     The warm weather has inspired so much, lately! I've kept the house in decent shape this week, I'm finally back to prioritizing my reading, I'm inspired to tackle projects again. My heart waits all year for the Earth to wake up so that it can wake me up with it. Finally, finally.