There are a few months of the year that try my patience (as in- it wears so thin it's practically transulenscent;) and I've grown convinced that May, September and December were all created to teach me a lesson! What that lesson is, I'm still deciding, but I think it has something to do with balance. Or maybe the lesson is about staying calm when there is no balance to be found, I'm not sure, but one of these days I'm going to get it down pat!:)
Though deep down I do love May, (the sun starts shining, the flower beds start showing signs of growth, and evenings get longer) - our schedules always fill up mega fast with all sorts of events that I have no control of. It all tends to breed a little bit of resentment in this controlling little heart of mine. (Oh May, how I wish I could just sit back and enjoy you a little bit more!)
Thankfully, my kids have embraced the spring busy-ness with full enthusiasm. They've gracefully juggled cubs, activity days, young women's, soccer, baseball, spring league, recitals, concerts and more without even batting an eye. (I could probably learn a thing or two from each of them!)
On one particularly busy day this past week I was rushing around, kinda fretting about what we should do for dinner when Abby nonchalantly said, "Easy. Why don't we just eat out?" She said it as though this is a common occurrance for our family, when I can literally count on one hand the number of times my kids have eaten dinner in a restaurant. I think she was hoping that I was actually desperate enough to consider her suggestion and in a way - I guess I was:
I've learned that when things get so crazy and so busy with exterior demands that it starts making me cranky, the best thing to do is take a step back (and a deep breathe or two while I'm at it;) leave the cleaning and schedules behind and go where peace and calm is always waiting to be found.
This time that place happened to be St. Mary's!
Thanks to the amazing invention called a Wonder Box, I was able to grab our half cooked lasagna, a few things from the fridge and some granola bars for dessert and oila... we were dining Al Fresco in no time!!!
Nate wouldn't join us at the picnic table, but rather found his own little table for one. (Not that he really needed it. He ate a carrot, drank some water and then explored this play place that was his dining room for the evening;)
After we all ate and visited, we took a little stroll that I knew would lead us to our favourite place to find fossils. John found a large fossil that he suspects is a leg bone or a rib but it hardly seemed exciting compared to the teeth he usually discovers.
The marmots were sticking their heads out of the ground, watching us, and it was fun to see so many little marmot babies too! Before heading home we made sure to stop off at the playground so that the younger kids could burn off the last of their energy before bed.
It was a perfect evening and the best way to get away from our schedules and just be together.
It reminded me of how much I really do LOVE May!!!
I absolutely love that this is what
"Eating Out" looks like to my family!
No comments:
Post a Comment