Our little family has had a pretty different schedule over the past couple of weeks, and I haven't been able to regularly write. Michael's dear grandmother passed away, leaving behind sweet memories and a large family full of legacy. We spent many hours with out-of-town relatives, visiting and reminiscing, going through old pictures and family albums, and celebrating the life she lived and the impact she left behind. Myrtle Morris was truly a great woman, and although due to her illness I didn't know her personally as well as I would have liked, her lifestyle has inspired me to be a more intentional, present, spontaneous, relaxed, loving, and more playful mother than I am naturally inclined to be. I can be pretty rigid at times, you know, so I'm going to try to work these attributes into my mothering habits.
This past weekend the weather was clear and mild for the first time in a long time. Also for the first time in a long time, Michael and I had a free Saturday with nothing on the calendar except whatever we wanted to do.
We decided to take Maylin to the park. It was the best decision we've made in a long while. Surprisingly we had the park pretty much to ourselves the whole morning. We leisurely walked the path around the pond, stopping to feed the ducks bits of Maylin's Ritz crackers. She didn't seem to mind the ducks were getting her snack because she kept pointing at them and smiling at their funny antics. Deuce the dog came too, which the ducks weren't fond of, but he relished being in the fresh air.
After our stroll, we walked to the playground area. Maylin has finally reached the age that she can interact with us and enjoy some of the playground features. Her favorites were the bucket swings and the slide. The see-saw, eh, not so much. It was nice that Michael was there, because usually when I take Maylin to the park I'm by myself or with my friend Kelsey and her baby. It was neat to see Michael interact with Maylin by pushing her on the swing and sliding with her. She responds differently to him than me, and it's refreshing to see that.
At around noon, we decided it was time for lunch, so we packed up and headed out. Later we realized we could have had an impromptu picnic, and kicked ourselves for not being prepared. It was so nice out I think all of us were hesitant to go back indoors. Ah well, we'll be more prepared next time.
We ended the day sitting outside at a local college baseball game, eating popcorn and sipping on chocolate shakes. It was pretty much the perfect day to kick off the spring season, although it's supposed to turn cool again this week. This weekend whet our appetites for the end of winter, and now we are hungry for those mild, sunny days. It was so nice to spend the entire day just as our little family of three, with no other obligations. This breather reminded me that I need to make "us" more of a priority, and not get so busy with other activities. These are the days that matter.
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