the good, the bad, and the six-legged

I am sitting on the porch, enjoying the breeze, well more like wind, as my porch has been designed somehow to be akin to a wind tunnel... at any rate, this is the first really nice day all week, in fact, it is so beautiful that we are all on our best behavior.

Yesterday was a vastly different day - lots of whining, a terrifying grocery store display of bad behavior, gray skies, gloomy feelings. Dan and I have been discussing at length the reasons for said behavior, and I think that when we put our heads together, we can manage to be good parents, insightful even. Implementing our plan upon wake up this morning, I think we have seen real improvement in at least one of our children, who has been having a difficult time lately. Now, it doesn't take a genius to figure out the strategy that we are putting to work here, it just takes a little time and genuine concern for our kid's well-being. And maybe the weather has had a bit to do with the happy attitudes today. (disclaimer: I don't mean to say that if you are having problems with a child that aren't being easily solved, you don't genuinely care. I am just talking about one specific situation)

As a side note, Genevieve is cradling a rather large beetle like it's the love of her life, picking it up, watching it's legs wiggle, and she's smiling down at it, with the particular expression that she reserves for objects of her affection. Mom, the bug loves me, cause it's hugging me! oh dear. Ok, mommy, suck it up and don't recoil in horror...

We just spent the better part of 2 hours at the playground, and it was wonderful to actually feel like I could just sit and relax for some of it. The girls were playing some variation of -Help me, I'm sliding into the mud/ I'm getting flushed down the toilet/ The sharks are getting me- on the tunnel slide, and Jude was enjoying climbing up and down the stairs and ramp by himself, and running on the bouncy bridge. I found a random bottle of nail polish in the bag, and proceeded to paint my toe nails. The nail polish happened to be black. So now I have gothic toes, and no one can accuse me of having lost my edge. Alright, so no one has accused me of that - come to think of it, no one has ever accused me of having an edge in the first place... but I now officially have one. It's on my toes.

a weekend at the week's start

Well, thank you ever so much to our 4 wonderful and caring parents, for taking all three of our small people for two whole nights. We still have our time to ourselves until dinner tonight, and to be quite honest, it's a little strange!

But we have been enjoying ourselves fully. It helps knowing that the kids are with people that they adore, people that they ask for everyday, and even pretend to be in their hilarious games of make-believe, people who are explicitly trust-worthy.

Sunday night we went to see Robin Hood, which was very enjoyable. I mean, gorgeous volleys of arrows, falling like lethal rain, huge french flags floundering at the bottom of the ocean, and love growing out of respect and mutual consideration... how can it not be enjoyable? I would love to find out more about the history of this character, at the turn of the 12th century.

Monday, we spent our day walking the streets of Philadelphia. Not exotic in any way, but we love the city, it feels like home. We brought our lunch, and watched people. We wandered in and out of some of our favorite shops, and browsed some antique stores. Leisurely things that you just can't enjoy with 3 toddlers in tow. Then we had an incredibly great dinner of mussels, beer, and amazing sandwiches. Seriously overstuffed, we wandered around for a bit longer, stared up at our favorite art deco buildings, and made our way back to the train. At home, we snuggled into bed with another movie. Having Jude's crib in our room, this is a luxury we don't often enjoy. And all that walking took it's toll, because we promptly fell asleep.

Dan starts a new job this week, and this is a wonderful development. He will hopefully get up in the morning, and do work that he loves with people he loves. And while his hours will still be long, it will be better, because he will be where he belongs.

Mommy vs. Emily

Sooooo, there is this problem that I'm having, with my time. I've never been one to use it well. I am disorganized and easily distracted (might have something to do with all the distractions lying around unorganized). I am jumping in a little too quickly to projects... I am allowing them to consume my mind. I need to find a balance, and concentrate fully on being a mother at times, without giving up on the things that make me feel creatively challenged, and use other parts of my brain. we are trying to revamp our financial process, if you will, spend our money differently, with more awareness, and this has inspired me to move my derriere, and start up a little etsy shop, where I can possibly begin to contribute a small amount to the bank account.

Don't get me wrong, it's a lot of fun to make an object with no idea where it might end up. Of course, it could just stay in my laundry room and get moldy. But the possibilities are fun to consider. At any rate, I tend to get obsessed, and that's when I start to let Emily time cross over into Mommy time. The kids hate that. Unless I let them help... but needle and thread, knitting needles, and fine point ink pens are just not toddler friendly. And computers... even now they are trying to dodge my hand and hit the power button. Stinkers! But I do get it, they want Mommy, so who am I to refuse them?

I am quite excited by my simple little projects... little hats, pretty headbands, and also small drawings, starting with some alphabet prints (single letters with an old fashioned illustration). I'll post some pictures soon.