weekending

saturday morning early rising coincided with the tailgate's holiday market,
the last hurrah for the year
we don't usually have time to linger for hours in the morning before market,
but it was nice
we walked down and wandered for a while
bumping into friends, of course
eating pastries, of course
and cookies
(and coffee)
listening to music, of course
I bought a lovely shirt for myself,
some sweet little dollies as gifts,
and more than a few pounds of bacon
(yes, pounds...... our local farmer was selling slabs of the stuff)
Mike had wanted me to pick some up, so I didn't want to let him down
me, I like it too

we strolled home and worked outside for a bit, she and I
clean up after the chickens, check
finish planting bulbs in the back yard, check
cover them with burlap to keep the chickens out, check
gather kindling, check
water the baby kale, check
harvest seeds from flowers and herbs, check
(have Claire spastically toss out lots of the seeds after I gathered them, check)

hang out and make faces at each other in the sunshine, check

baked winter squash for dinner (among other things)
she kept saying "this is so SO yummy"

she fell asleep in my arms last night
on the couch, by the fire
listening to my (usually lame) stories
I try (I think I'm getting better)
I love the new bedtime routine
even when it takes forever

there's something so magical about it
probably has something to do with the fact that I've been waiting so long for this shift
thought maybe it'd never happen

she lays there, chatty at first and then,
slowly, quieter
I watch the fluttering of her eyelids,
feel her whole being slowing down and giving in to sleep
and I feel honored, somehow

this morning we breakfasted twice
once when we rose and then again when papa came home
(we had to try out the bacon after all)

we sorted and cleaned and organized
Mike tackled a big project on our list
new works were added to the 'classroom'
art, always art, for her

I visited dear neighbors and held their 4 week old baby for a bit
and laughed inside about how I was being 'such a big help'
who doesn't want to hold a (warm, snuggly, sleeping) 4 week old baby for a bit?
as you chat with a friend and drink her tea?
now that I can do

curry for dinner
bedtime by the fire again
and tomorrow morning,
yoga for mama
hot yoga


*weekending with amanda