sweet times

I write this because through all the emotional challenges and lonely moments the majority of our time together this summer does feel like this and I don’t want to forget it.
I don’t want to forget the day to day of summer with my almost two year old son.

He wakes up. He is calling out “hungry mommy…up….Lukas hungry…papa up…Lukas up.” He makes a slow toddle down the stairs to the kitchen with mommy or papa guarding against a fall. His bare feet slap the wooden floors as hot cereal gets started on the stove. The back porch door is propped and Lukas can be heard driving cars on the window sill. He ducks in and out asking for various fruits….”aw mewon, burberries, ananas” as the hot cereal cooks. “Mommy sits dere…right dere. Lukas sits dere. Papa sits dere, right dere.” Seats are assigned. We all eat breakfast and papa heads out to work. Group hug. I clean up and make a cup of coffee and join Lukas on the back porch. We sit on the swing, in the chairs, on the floor. We play hide and seek. We read a few stories. When the coffee is gone I pack the bag with snacks and diapers and a change of clothes and we head out for an adventure. In the summer there are so many options. We head to Shelburne Farms and ride the tractor to play with the chickens and sheep and cows or watch cheese making. We ride the bike to Oakledge beach and play in the sand and water for a while. We go to a river and splash and throw stones. We drive to Richmond and go to the playground and have a snack at the bakery. We go downtown or to the waterfront and wander or we meet a friend to take a walk on the bike path or in the woods. We go to a farmers market. The summer has endless possibilities for the morning adventure! Before we come home we eat a snack and have a drink. Lukas gets a fresh diaper and he climbs into his car seat and falls asleep on the way home. While he is sleeping, I eat lunch and check e-mails. I tidy or clean or cook while listening to the radio. I make phone calls. I take some space. When Lukas wakes up we eat a snack together. He is often in an amazing mood after a long nap. We play around the house….inside and out. We visit neighbors or granny J. stops by or we take the bike to pick up the farm share. Soon Papa comes home and somehow dinner gets made while the lawn in watered and Lukas bumbles about in the yard and on the porch. He helps to husk corn or water plants. He wants to be a part of the action. We all sit on the back porch and eat. Lukas gets berries for dessert….every night! After dinner we take a walk up to the school and watch a little baseball or play at the playground or we visit a neighbor and play in their back yard…one night we even went to the community pool. We come home tired and Lukas eats some goodnight cereal and climbs up the stairs for a bath. I join him in the tub most nights and we both get our pajamas on after. Then we read a few stories and cuddle until he falls asleep….most often I fall asleep too. It sounds sweet and romanticized but really…that is the way it is these precious days. I know it will change. I just don’t want to forget these sweet times….and I like to share them with anyone reading this too.