A Little Appreciation

First, let me just get this out of the way: we still don't know about the mortgage. We should know by the end of this week. It's agony.

That said, this weekend was a time for appreciation.

First, a preview... the kids got their costumes for the dance recital last week. Pictures are this week, and the recital, the 28th.

Most of my delight in their dancing has been trampled and flattened by my stress at taking them there on weekday evenings, I'm afraid. But the recital will sort me out.

Saturday morning I woke up early. I've been doing that a lot lately; the thoughts are flying these days. But I decided to do some meditation while the house was still quiet, which was a good decision. I even got to admire this guy from the window!

After a fairly exhausting Kroger trip, we made an intentional farewell visit to the Price House. This might be my favorite location in Blacksburg. We "discovered" it only two months after moving here, and it's been a constant home for us ever since. I spent most of my maternity leave here, as I recall.

We said goodbye to the taxidermied assembly:

And to the snakes, lizards and turtles...

And to the edge of the chalkboard where you can dimly make out the lines where we used to measure the kids' heights.

The yard has been "our" yard through all the years that we didn't have one of our own. It's a magic place. And we hit it right as the irises were beginning to bloom!
(Lookit this classic 2011 post about the Irises at Price House! More nostalgia.)

 Adele literally grew up here. This was the first place I took her after the hospital. It's a perfect place to go when you have an active toddler and a newborn. I just sat in a comfy chair and nursed her, and Miles brought me objects to look at.

Adele at 2 months at Price House

Adele at 1 year, at Price House

Adele at 4.5 years at Price House, with Dr. Mike, who was really her first babysitter, as he used to watch her for me while I went to the bathroom with Miles.

This was the first real lump in my throat, the first realization of how much some things were going to hurt to leave behind.

I'm trying to view these lumps in my throat as an opportunity to be grateful. What a gift the Price House has been to us.

Hold me. 

Sunday. Mother's Day. It was a bit frantic, as weekends on my own have been, but I tried to take moments to breathe and appreciate. 

Here I am reigning, with my crown (made by Adele) and my badge (made by Miles):

After church, we hit up the Bangkok Cafe for lunch where we were, for most of the meal, the only customers. This restaurant is so under-appreciated. There's a train table in the corner for kid customers to play with. Absolutely perfect. I ate my Panang Curry with joy and satisfaction and (mostly) tranquility.

However, there came a time when they began to argue fiercely over train real estate, so it was time to leave. Home to do some errands and bake Adele's biscuits, and then I decided to pursue a little joy in the evening. I got the kids bathed and packed up dinner into tupperware and we went to Wong Park for a picnic. We facetimed with Papa a bit over dinner, read stories, and then played with abandon!

What an enormous relief to have a brief break from what feels like my primary parenting occupation: trying to control their physical bodies. How marvelous to stop doing that for just a little while!

They were brave. I laughed a lot, and stared at the grass and meditated, and did some quality swinging. And then I got to do a little more of the same the next day, at Miles' school's Mother's Day Tea.

I was a guest of honor with my flower and my placemat and my folder full of Mother's Day crafts and writings. The first 20 minutes was just sipping tea and letting my first grader tell me what he loves about me. Therapy, I tell you.

After this, we got to go outside and play on the playground with our kids. Miles showed me all his usual haunts and brought me up to speed on his physical feats. Then, hand in hand, we went back to Mummy's work, where he did his homework at my desk (or at least, he did half of it. Did you know some first graders are adding and subtracting double-digit numbers??).
I'm one lucky parent.

This badge. This moment. Sunday morning he had me open the customized wrapping he'd created (he made it in his room on Saturday) and said, "Mummy, this is for you to wear, because you are a superhero for making it three weeks without Papa."

Darn right, kiddo. 

And thank you.