winter days

The quiet winter days are here again. Days that allow more than enough time for neatly folded piles of laundry, soup on the stove, books before nap one and nap two, and again after each, sorting, organizing, and thinking a little bit about spring and warmer walks outside (but not too much, just yet.) I've been making list after list after list, and thinking about all the small ways I hope to make this year better than the last. We're replacing the afternoon snack of Christmas cookies and candy with oranges and strawberries and a second cup of coffee (for me.) I've been watching episodes of Call the Midwife during some of Ralph's naps, and trying not to feel too guilty about it, because once warmer weather comes, I know I'll be outside instead. On the mornings when I don't babysit, Ralph and I are lazy--we play and take our time with breakfast. In the afternoons, we clean up, start supper, play some more, and wait for Ryan to come home from work. When I hear the garage door open I say, "Ralph! Who's that? Can you hear him?" and he runs to the back door and waits for it to open. When it does, everyone claps, because we're all together again.

Most days are the same, and some can be long, but they won't always be so simple or sweet. I'm hoping to enjoy them, instead of rush them by.