Monday, March 28, 2011

tranquility

this weekend I got a break from the delightful chaos my life has become. I was gone for approximately 30 hours, at an amazing Inn in Charlottesville, Va. Before I left, I wondered if it was too short a getaway, then I debated whether it might be too long-a whole night away? I didn't leave Chloë until she was well over a year. The morning arrived, and I found myself eager for the drive, which I took with a good friend. In the 30 hours I was gone, I revelled in festivities of a friend's bachelorrete weekend; basked in the sound of silence as there were no shrills of "mommmmyyyyy" anywhere in sight; slept with the knowledge that no one would wake me; and basically relaxed .. had some spa treatments, engaged in a ridiculous amount of girl talk, and read. Read without having to stop to unload the washer, or change a diaper, or take someone to the potty. It was heavenly. However, before the 30 hours were up, I missed the giggles, and the coos, and the diaper changing, and the smell of freshly washed baby clothes, and the delightful chaos my life has become. In the end, it was the perfect getaway. Long enough to enjoy being on my own, but short enough so I could get back to my loves.



a dusting of snow on the roses outside the room


the view from the breakfast table

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

a picture is worth a thousand words

Sunday, March 20, 2011

what perfect weekends are made of


this.


and also this.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

special day out



today after a family trip to the playground, I asked Chloë if she wanted to go out for lunch with just mommy, and that we could have a special date, just us girls, we'd go have some lunch, maybe some ice cream, and after we could go to the store and she could pick one toy. Her face lit up, and she asked me, just to be sure, I think, "mommy and Chloë? No daddy, and no Lucas?" I smiled and confirmed that it'd be just us. She was almost out the door before I could even grab my purse, without any shoes on or jacket. I reminded her to put her shoes on, and we quickly put on her jacket. Right before she was about to walk out the door, she did a double take and looked at daddy on the couch and ran to him for a "big hug and a kiss."

Soon after, we were on our way. Her excitement and giggles were all I needed to make this sunshining day even brighter. We ate amidst laughs and jokes, and throughout she kept saying she was going to get a new baby for her new toy. Mind you, she has over 10 babies already. We walked over to get some ice cream, and stopped by the girl scouts' stand and bought some tagalongs. She skipped towards the ice cream parlor hugging her box of cookies "Mine cookies!" She had cotton candy ice cream with M&M's, but barely finished it, because she couldn't contain the excitement of what was to come "I want to go get my new baby!" So off we went.

She is smarter than I give her credit for, and she managed to pick the one box that had not one, but two babies, they were twins, so for the price of one toy, you got two babies! I think that was a little too much excitement for her, because as she looked at all the displays with only one 'baby dolly', she couldn't understand why anyone would pick anything other than the one with "TWO babies!!" Before we paid, she asked me "Lucas get a new toy, too?" So I told her to pick something for him, I thought it was just so sweet that she would think of him. She choose a box of little books, Toy Story books, or as she calls it "Cowboy movie." It was only once we got home, and we finished showing daddy her new baby dollies, that I realized, the toy for Lucas was really just another toy for her. "Chloë, show daddy what we picked out for Lucas." "Lucas no toy, mommy, Chloë got new toys, baby and Cowboy books!"

So, it was really the perfect outing for her. And for me. I have missed having my baby girl just to myself, all by myself. Thanks for a perfect day, Chloë.