counting catching corners cupid

My house has so many corners, the cluttered shelf, the moldy edges of the sink, the disorganization in the garage, stories waiting to be read together, projects unfinished, so many opportunities to improve.  Meanwhile, I look out the window at the sun on the mountains, hoping that before the end of the day I'll go out and breathe in it's beauty, relieved. I say wait there I'm coming, but by noon, I start to feel desperate because I know it won't wait.

It's Valentine's day and absolutely the most beautiful morning of the year, warmth, sunshine, blue sky, white mountains.          

Driving to school today Caitlin asked,"If it's Valentine's day why is Cupid not shooting arrows in the air?"

Sam replied, "He is.  He's just invisible."

I dropped William and Sophie off at Grandma's, then Caitlin and Grant off at the preschool.  Grant's class was already out at the playground, but on the classroom carpet were bags decorated with red hearts and each child's name, already filled with surprises, lined up in neat rows.

Valentine preparation has been the industry around here lately.  Counting, collating candy and cards.  Some spreading their goods out carelessly on  the carpet, then screaming with horror to find William tearing in to their lollipops.

I went to the store to buy Valentine cookies, frosting, sprinkles for Olivia's class.  Found some beautiful hyacinths to give away. I love the smell of hyacinths..like Easter.

Came home, walked in to the off-to-the- bus- clutter...it was extensive and all throughout the house.  Determined to leave it and sit down to write. About what? Accepting the limitations of the day.  Learning happiness that way.  Because Saturday, while I spent the day cleaning I kind of had this idea that it would make Monday easier. But here I am again.

So I even left the bags of groceries on the floor.  Looked down to see the enormous pork loin that was half price still lying on the carpet, slithering out of the bag like an anaconda.  I have to find a zen focal point and let the rest go.

Keeping this blog is a way of reminding myself that this is about more than catching up. I've already arrived at the day.

And here were some things to celebrate.

Thursday, February 10, I was grateful that we were able to pull together Olivia's science fair project. Proud of her for wanting to do it and for keeping me on task.

Bethany made a Valentine's day box to take to school. 

Friday morning, Ben invited me to come to the Middle school to see his musical theater class perform a one-act play.  I think Ben has a future in physical comedy.

Friday at noon, the preschool kids had open houses for me to attend.  Caitlin is serious and detail oriented about her artwork.

I got to frost cookies with Grant.

Friday evening, on the pizza pick-up the kids and I stopped by Petco.  I was planning to buy a new companion for the Dwarf Hamster.

"Not gonna happen," the Petco guy responded when I told him we were looking for a new cage mate.

Apparently, once they've tasted independence they can't be paired again.

But he did give us some advice about  how to catch a Dwarf Hamster.  Here it is.  There's an apple, her favorite snack, there at the bottom.

Sophisticated as this may be, Julie the hamster is still at large.

Saturday cleaning.

Sunday warm and beautiful. I went to the park with the kids. It was great to see them playing with their neighborhood friends outside.

did you ever wonder

Did you ever wonder if you could use your own cookie dough in an Easy Bake oven?  I'll admit that's the kind of thing I think about.

So after Olivia made the two Easy Bake cookies that come with the oven, she spent two hours filling the little pan with my  homemade chocolate and butterscotch oatmeal cookie dough, and sliding them through the Easy Bake oven, one by one, until she'd made ten of them.

It's kind of strange that you can cook with a light bulb.

That was Sunday.

Monday I thought the clouds were beautiful.

Tuesday I went to the elementary school at lunchtime.  Bethany's class was putting on a sale as part of their economics unit.  Bethany was selling her homemade tie dye shirts.

Wednesday Feb 2--the day that one thing fell into place...

Caitlin escorted Grant to his first day at the daycare center where she attends preschool.  Caitlin went to her regular class and then went down the hall to a new teacher after lunch.  When I picked up Grant at three-thirty he was surrounded by a small posse of boys who were calling him "Batman."
 He introduced them as his "new brothers."   William and Sophie are going to spend MWF with Grandma Martha.  So now I have to figure out how to make those hours remunerative.  I wasn't expecting to do it in that order, but sometimes life is that way.

Wednesday night Sam and Ben were really excited to go tubing at Soldier's Hollow with the church youth group.

Thursday Bethany went to school in her blue traditional Chinese dress.  For the sake of honest blogging, I'll admit that I was  more comfortable letting Chinese New year pass by this year. But I thought Bethany looked beautiful.