happiness and dinner

Today, the weather was most unwinter-like. It was so warm and sunny, I knew Pic and I had to get out or I'd regret it. Also, she hasn't been napping during the day and this makes me crazy because I need her to have some rest. Anyhow, today was pretty awesome as far as just being with my kid.

This morning, we headed over for storytime and our Ms Judy fix. We came home so Pic could clean her room and I could wash the dishes and then we headed back out. We bought lunch at a local sandwich place (as in, it's nearby -- it's part of a chain, but it's not Subway or Port of Subs), walked to the post office to mail some bills (ugh) and then trekked over to a park we often glimpse on our way back from the library. I started to get a little panicked because I chose to take one of the many walking trails/paths instead of just following the streets and I thought I might be going in the wrong direction (totally possible when we're dealing with me), but we eventually found the park. We sat at a shaded table to eat and we had to don our jackets again, but only briefly. We played for a while, Pic skinned both of her knees three times and scraped her forehead at one point, chatted with some other parents and their kid and then headed home again.

I love this about being a parent and having the flexible schedule I have. Sure, I don't get paid much and sure, I'm still a student and I'm still paying tuition so our financial situation isn't ideal, but I get to spend tons of time with Pic. This isn't always peachy-keen, jellybean, of course, but today was nice. I wanted today to last, except I actually wasn't thinking that at the moment. I was being in the moment. The zen-mamma in me, who I didn't even know was there, took over for a good six hours.

By the time we got home, I was exhausted but Pic seemed pretty animated. I made her go to her room for 'resting time' as I always do. She played for a bit while I browsed back issues of Time. I stopped hearing chatter and singing come from her room and this is what I found:



Ah, beautiful love.

Cardo woke her up a bit later and we headed over to Costco (we seem to spend a good deal of family time at Costco). Then, we came home and made dinner. Pic had an over-easy egg, yogurt, an apple and the rest of her smoothie from Costco (I hate these, they taste chalky to me, but she seems to really enjoy them). Cardo had to make Pic's egg because, as she informed him, 'Mamma makes it wrong.' I tried to make her one the other day, but it was wildly overcooked -- not burnt, just overcooked. I don't eat eggs that are not baked into something, and I have no real idea how to make them unless you want them scrambled with a bit of milk and cheese (I don't eat these either, I just know how to make this particular dish). Anyhow, because the egg I made her was overcooked, she couldn't get to the 'cheese.' My child thinks that the yolk is cheese. It doesn't matter if the egg is hard-boiled or over-easy, as long as she can see a discernible yolk, she is convinced it's cheese. At the moment, we just think it's too funny to correct. And, anyhow, she actually eats it and we don't want to mess with that. (I honestly don't even know how to define egg yolk to her without freaking her out anyway.)

Cardo and I ate sandwiches. Mine was deli ham, cheddar, spinach and avocado on a cheddar kaiser roll. Mmm.



So, now I'm off to finish The Tempest and begin (again and again and again) The Alchemist. Only a few more months and I'll sleep for a week.