The Quality In The Quantity

We didn't know how this would turn out, this schedule where Daddy is gone at work hours before we roll out of bed, coming home in the early afternoon.  I told him we could try it, but if it was too much we could change to something different.

It has been nearly six months, and it is still amazing to me.  The amount of time the children spend with their dad, just being together.  No quick scramble to create meaningful quality time in a short space.  No missing out on seeing him altogether on busy days.  No manufactured "bonding."  Just real life. 

These days it can feel like all we have is time.  And that's great, because time together is where we find our center.

This weekend saw one beautiful freak warm up day.  My mom and I cleared some of the garden boxes, delighting in finding perennial baby herbs underneath, just biding their time til spring.  J replaced our car battery, which had been giving us a bit of trouble for awhile.  And the kids, they just did what they should do - hauling water to "water" the tulips and pretty blue flowers that had popped up during the warmer weather.  Picking hand-fulls of the wildflowers that exploded all over the property.  Pulling out bikes and riding them around the driveway.  "Helping" Grandpa grill out for dinner.  Getting good and muddy, working on their hardened bare feet for summer.  After raking out a garden bed, I poured a glass of ice water and sat on the deck with my knitting, watching my family live life.  And it was wonderful.

At night, we put them to bed and I sang to Joboy while he laughed (who knew "Rock a bye baby" is so funny?) and the girls snuck out of bed to peer in at us with wide smiles.  F said "Mom, we just love hearing babies laugh."  A girl after my own heart, that one.

Downstairs we opened a few windows and that Spring smell of dirt and water breezed in, tickling the curtains.  And sitting in my knitting spot, closing my eyes and feeling it all so deeply, I couldn't help but feel so grateful - if only for this one day.  This one perfect day. 

For J's greasy hard working hands.

For Jonah's grins

For Dinah's singing while plucking flowers

For Fiona's hilarious jokes

For Ben's dirt encrusted boyhood

For this time in our lives when we can spend hours a day just being here together.  I know it will not last forever, but for right now I am striving to cherish each moment.