Day eighteen

This parenting thing is feeling more natural with each day I spend with the kids. I am more easily able to predict what will happen next and use that knowledge to know when to change tasks or change the subject to avert conflict. The improved rhythm tells me they, too, are settling into a comfortable routine with me.

Today was fun. We brought three letters to the post office to stamp and mail. We were then lucky to see a train chug through town, which thrilled Miles. Our car was no more than 20 feet from it, so we felt the earth vibrate and we heard the whistle sound. On our way home we stopped by a corn maze to burn some energy. We took some wrong turns and hit some dead ends, but eventually made it through. A fitting analogy to our time together.

I've learned to enjoy a slower pace at times. In times where we interacted with our kids only before and after work, agendas pretty much drove everything and for me it always seemed to be a system of rushing to get to the next thing. With wide-open days, we can take time finding our shoes, zipping our zippers, meandering down the sidewalk at a snail's pace without worrying when we'll return home or what we'll do next. So while I do have regular activities I plan to do, I'm learning to do them when it makes sense, not when the schedule dictates.