We just got back from eating dinner at Aunt Jill’s house. My kids are blessed to have more than one Aunt Jill. Aunt Jill as in Tom’s sister and Aunt Jill and Uncle Dustin our good friends down the street. Fun to sit and laugh and hang out. It was a great way to end the weekend. Nothing too major went on. Tom is an avid hunter, so the first part of the weekend, he and Eli quietly readied themselves at 4:30am to go out the door for the first duck and goose hunt of the year. Mom was only thrilled they did not wake Sidney. I gave several very stern warnings about getting clothes out the evening before and keeping noise to a minimum. I don’t mind that this is how Tom chooses to spend his Saturday morning, but it is another thing completely if Mom has to get up at the same time to take care of Sidney if Daddy is too loud.

 

Sidney and I spend the day hanging out. Sidney played and Mom worked on a writing project. We have continued to spend a couple of hours outside everyday as I rake all of our leaves. 10 years ago when we moved into this house fresh from a postage stamp yard in Chicago, the yard seemed so huge and like such a great idea. We still love the yard, but we joke wondering what we were thinking. In all seriousness, it was a good idea as we spend countless hours with the kids running around. Eli has always loved being outside, and Sidney has especially taken a liking to being outside. Last year, the outdoors was something frightening. She didn’t like walking on the grass and was timid and afraid. This year, she runs everywhere exploring her surroundings with curiosity and has genuine interest for the smallest of things. Examining a leaf and its orange fall colors is a source of fascination. Rocks in a bucket with her shovel occupy her for long stretches of time until she walks up to me and shows me her “treasures.”   This is only one of the times I have been reminded by one of our kids to see the beauty in even the most common of things.