~HB ADVENTURE~

Twice now we’ve had October weekends open up and create some quite time at home and we’ve welcomed it with wide open arms. A couple weeks ago we opened up our Fall bin and pulled out old costumes, decorations, Halloween books, and nicknacks. Audrey kept on her old candy corn costume for nearly two days, rotating her shirts and pants on occasion.  Super funny. Here’s a few images from a few hours one afternoon, frisbee and decorating outside.

This morning Audrey and I were headed out the door for school drop-off (her) and an ear appointment (me) and as we shuffled towards the door, both girls started yelling to one another “I’ll miss you! Have fun! But I’ll really miss you,” and I both loved it and hated it. Barry was taking Maggie to school before he headed to work, and the divide and conquer mantra seemed to work best. The girls had been playing a game together, some rendition of chasing and pulling a little play toy up and down the hallway. They’d done it right up until bed time and started up again right after waking up.

By 9’oclock in the morning everybody had been delivered to their rightful destination, and we’ll gather again tonight around the dinner table, eventually moving towards bed just to start it all over again. I knew, I just  knew, that this is what Autumn would feel like. We’ve said yes to lots of fun things, but man, I miss just being all together. Doing nothing.

In the middle of our month in New Zealand, we spent ten days on a working farm. All there was to look at were the rolling hills on the other side of our pasture and the only people to engage with were each other. Strange enough, there werent’ tantrums, crying or even missing. We just were there and it was simple enough because there was literally nothing to worry about, just sitting on the edge of the world felt good.

Now, I know myself well enough to know that I’d be a horrible homesteader. I like lots of comforts of the modern day and I’m not overly excited about trying to live off the land. But I also know myself well enough to recognize that when the rest of the world falls away and it’s just me with my family, I’m incredibly happy. Like blissfully so.

In the current world where we’re actually having a conversation about a grown man bragging about groping women’s private parts, and gun violence is real, I so badly wish that could slip into homesteading and making my own bread and butter. I want to gather up my own chickens (read: babies) and teach them to listen to crashing waves and blowing wind to find answers, and ignore the banter of people lacking character…..Rolling hills of New Zealand seem so far away, and they are, but I’m thinking that guarding that time for game playing  is essential.

She just doesn’t get tired of spending time with me. When it’s just us at home, she’s right next to me helping to get things done around the house and chatting my ear off. She sobbed this morning at the door of preschool because she wanted “to be wif” me . Even when I told her that I had boring work and errands to do, she wanted to come with me.

The truth is that I needed a bit of a break this morning. She’s been sassy lately when we’re not paying direct attention to her, it’s hard to finish a thought, let alone begin one.

Even though I had a couple hours to myself this morning, I was no more prepared for the attitude she brought to the dinner table. I have to remember that she really, really, really likes spending time with us.  All through the snappy comments and screeching, she mostly wants to be with us.

I like to ‘be wif’ her too. Even on the days where I think I need a break from the extra bit of sass that she’s packing.