Family Day

Today both Donovan and Weston got to invite one friend for a play date.

We went to McDonald's for lunch, and then off to the jungle gym at the Tyrell Museum.

Whoa, there were a lot of families there on this holiday.

The boys took to the apparatus like monkeys, climbing, shouting, running and sliding.

I loved seeing the small wildlife around: prairie dogs ("gophers" in Alberta) and a bunny!

Weston loves bunnies. (Well, who doesn't?)

I remember when he was little at playgroup, we would sing "Ole' MacDonald had a farm" and then each child would get a turn to name what animal Ole MacDonald farmed. I'll never forget, when it came to Weston's turn, he said, "...a bunny." So we proceeded to sing: "with a (tiny 'smack, smack') here and ( ever so quiet 'twitch, smirk') there, here a (silence), there a ('lip kiss, nose wriggle') everywhere a (tiny 'smack, smack')... Oh my. Bunnies really don't make very much noise. But it was sure fun to spot this one under a sage bush on the way to the car. I loved the speckled pattern on its fur.

I was getting worn out from all the shouting and hyper-crass-exhuberance that being with friends brought out of my boys, and soon went shopping.

There's a kind of sadness in the air as this is Dave's last few days off before diving headlong into the Passion Play. I find myself grasping at any chance I can to do my work, but that makes for a not very generous soul. So... it was good today to spend time as a family.

Hopefully tomorrow I can write, and record, and write some more.

After exercising that is.

God help me.

Self regulation is tough.

I long for a schedule that someone else keeps me accountable to.

Sigh.

Driving out from the museum I saw a mighty log floating down the river all by itself. Then I noticed bike trails weaving in and out of the trees galore and I had this incredible thirst to live right on the water again. I was jealous of that big log out there in the green current. All the vegetation around the edges of the water was so lush in contrast to the striped steeped hills and hoodoos of the badlands.

I wish we could afford a house on the river.

But I'm so grateful for what I do have: my family.

I saw many tiny kids and babies at the play park. It seems so long ago now, that my boys were toddlers... and it did go fast.

Last night Weston stretched out in the tub from end to end.

My little one is tub length.

Life is full and doesn't stop.

And I'm chipping away at what I can.

The rest of the time I'm trying to hold on, let the river take me, and keep my head above water as I learn to enjoy the ride.