With the amount of rain we have been getting lately, it’s amazing we’re able to sneak in time in the sun. But we do. I love the spontaneity that chasing the sun brings, and the adventures we’re still able to create in that short amount of time.
The days with them.
The wheels on the bus go round and round. A song that as a parent of young children, I know well – and listen to way too often, ha!
Lately though, I am happy for that song.
This is my third week back at work after being a stay at home mom for 2.5 years, and it’s been a harder transition than I imagined. Much harder than I thought. I miss the kids so much more than I ever imagined and I often find myself questioning if this was the right choice. Was this the right time? Is this what I want? There are things happening in the background that I am hesitant to share, in case I jinx it, but hoping for a better balance soon *sending the universe all the positive energy*.
Until then…
The weekends have become my fuel for the week. I cherish every second I have with the kids in the week day mornings and evenings, but the weekends are my heaven. I immerse myself back into what once was our everydays, and we pick up right where we left of. I lay in bed with them a little longer, I look at my phone less, I listen to the new things they tell me, the new words Penelope learns, the new sounds Oliver is able to make, and I make sure that I try reeeeaally really hard not to miss a thing.
The kids are doing well. They are happy to visit with Grandma everyday (thank goodness for my mom being able to watch them- makes the transition a million times easier). They are also making new friends, and I hear Penelope talk about her favorite when she comes home, which makes me smile.
For my first weekend after going back to work, we decided to spend a day out, differently. We bundled up, left our car keys at home, and explored the city for a whole day on the bus. Sounds like a very simple thing to do, but it was so much fun.
Whether you take the bus often or not, there is something about taking the bus when there is no pressure of making it from point A to B on time that makes the ride so enjoyable. My husband and I could cuddle and hold hands while we heard the children’s laughter, watched how they made other people on the bus smile, and witnessed the joy on their faces for simply doing something new.
My favorite moments of the day were the transitions. The moments of dancing and entertaining the kids while we waited for our next transfer. The walks from the bus stop to our many destinations that day. The moment Oliver fell asleep nursing, and the moment Penelope slept on my lap on the way back home.
It’s beautifully ironic that it was the transitions – of all things- what I loved most about that day, yet I can’t wait to pass the life transition I am in right now. I have to find beauty in that irony.
And so I go back to the song, the wheels on the bus go round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round, and they do. But I like to think I have found an underlying message of perseverance in that song. In a metaphorical sense, with my return to work, the wheels of my life are going round and round, and I’m going to be making stops along the way, making transfers, trying to find the best way to go through this transition in my life, and I will persevere because well… the wheels go round and round, and so will I.
A lot of our summer days so far, have been spent simply in our backyard. The kids splash and play in their little pool, we sit in the shade of our tree. I enjoy my pergola, we have snacks. Penelope points out the airplanes that fly by, Oliver tries to eat grass, and Una supervises. Very simple, but lovely afternoons.
Yesterday, we had one of those simple, but perfect afternoons. Nothing fancy. We were in our backyard, the kids were in their birthday suits, I bought bubbles from the dollar store (dollar store for the w i n!) and we had fun for hours. The simplicity and frequency of these afternoons would have a tendency to become monotonous, one would think, but they are far from that. It’s in the simplicity of these afternoons that I am able to enjoy them both so much. I notice the daily subtleties in their ever developing personalities, the change and growth in their interactions. I notice the things I would probably miss in an environment that was louder and busier… and we have those days too, of course.
In the act of doing nothing special, the most special memories are created. Isn’t that lovely? The simple afternoons that I spend with my children, in my backyard, the memories I treasure. Memories like the lovely contrast in the color of Oliver’s skin next to mine. The wonderful sound of his laughs as I tickle his belly. The pure expression of happiness Penelope has any time she sees bubbles. The memory of my little babies sitting side by side sharing snacks. Their adorable baby bums. The memories I will treasure forever.
