Monday, April 21, 2008

Not for everyone, but perfect for me.

Today was a good day.

Lately, I find myself with so many obligations. Appointments, lunch dates, mounds of house work, and general rushing around. I always told myself I wouldn't get caught up in things of that nature, but I've spent too many days staring out the window at a beautiful day I could not enjoy.

Today I woke to the sounds of birds, which is a welcome change to the normal crying and cellphone ringing that usually greets me each morning. After checking and rechecking that every one was, in fact, still breathing, I crept down stairs and enjoyed breakfast alone outside on our deck. Henry the pug joined me after a few minutes, but not because he enjoys my company, but rather because he had pressing business to attend to, most importantly, the giant hole he is digging to someday tunnel his way to freedom.

Before I had kids, I loved spending my evenings driving around on old country roads, listening to music as we passed endless fields and trees. We barely spoke, just drove underneath the moon.

When my first son was born, I found myself back in my car, driving around to hush a crying baby each night with bumpy dirt roads, and the music of Nick Drake. It worked every time.

When my second son arrived, my husband installed portable DVD players in my car, to occupy little minds with Baby Einstein as we drove. I hated the principal of it, but I couldn't argue with the silence it allowed me in the car. Sell out.

But not today.

Today I took the tvs out of my car, removed the silly baby visors from the windows, and packed a cooler with carrots, grapes and water.

Today we drove barefoot to Defiance. A town in Ohio I hold very dear, as I worked at a camp there for a long time, and it was one of the happiest experiences of my life. We drove along the river with our windows down to Independence Dam, where we stopped and sat down along the rushing water and ate. The boys didn't fight, or try and touch each others eyeballs (What the fuck is that about anyways? Can we please stop doing that?), or see who could, in fact, make the longest string of spit almost touch the ground before slurping it back up. No, not today. Today was nice.

Now I am off making a big dinner because my husband will be home this evening, for once. And, we can all eat together on the deck, and touch each other's eyeballs as a family.

6 comments:

Judy@nofearentertaining said...

Congrats on a great day. They really are few and far between aren't they? We had one yesterday (well sort of) I would have been more happy if they had quietly been touching each others eyeballs??? than the loud bitching that we heard!

Amy said...

Awww, sounds like a great day!!

Samantha S said...

ooh, how I miss eating breakfast al fresco. I live in an apartment now, so it sounds sweeter than ever now.

little.lamb said...

"What the fuck is that about anyways? Can we please stop doing that?"

that shit is FUNNY!!!

mara said...

Lovely post! You worked at camp libbey????

Michelle said...

Sounds like a fab day Britt! ENJOY dinner with A.