Radical Gentleness

One night last week after the kids were in bed  I relayed some of the goings on of the day to Kevin.  Funny and sweet were mixed with awful and ugly.   I ended by saying---it's hard work not to be a jerk.   At that moment it was the true sentiment of my heart, it's hard work for EVERYONE, not just kids.  

And jerky behavior begets more jerky behavior.  So you just have to stop it and really sometimes that's just plain hard.   If there's one thing I know for sure, if it's hard for me, it's double hard for kids.

Last night I read this and I was just undone.  It spoke to me not only about my wide, wide world but about my tiny little home.  

 "Maybe there could be a “radical gentleness in the air”? Cornel West  #Justice15

Maybe justice could start around our tables, with the people under our roof, with the people we struggle to like let alone love: We refuse to be enemies, we will only speak words that make souls stronger, we will speak tenderly because:

“Tenderness is what justice feels like in private. It’s about how we treat each other interpersonally.” Cornel West #Justice15"

And today I practiced radical gentleness and spoke only words that made souls stronger. and it made me feel strong and whole. And tomorrow I will continue those plans, knowing well I'll mess up and be a jerk because it's hard work.  But I'll keep trying.

Plus Lucy and I saw this guy today and an 800 pound 2 year old polar bear just makes you realize how small you really are.  Then the zoo played "Dust in the Wind" while we rode the carrousel and well, shoot radical gentleness was sort of my only option at that point because  ..."all we are is dust in the wind".  

the ups and downs of the first week of summer

It always takes some adjusting to get our summer groove going.  Every single year over the span of one little bitty week we go from pure delight to outright angst before finally landing on what is most generally a very comfortable space.  I'm used to it so I don't actually go from my highest to my lowest like years gone by.  That's the good part.  The bad part is the kids seem to physically need this metamorphosis.   So I let them.  And I lay ground rules and enforce consequences and try my best not to lose my mind while they are gaining theirs.

There were some really long hours and some delightful ones too and this afternoon I'm pretty sure we've made it to the other side just in time for a fantastic summer weekend.

Hope you love your weekend as much as Lucy loves parmesan cheese!!

It might feel like fall....

but it's most definitely summer vacation!

After this lovely girl finished elementary school on Thursday we celebrated with sushi, a movie, and Ted Drewes.  Perfectly Emma.

The weekend was spent relaxing, eating a lot of great food and spending an evening at a soggy Cardinals game.  All fun.

Today was the first day of swim team and for the first time in 3 years it was CANCELLED!  I guess 55 degrees was too cold even for our tough coaches!  We were nearly at the pool when we found out so we went out for bagels instead.  Standing in Einstein's with the girls in their swimsuits made me really feel like summer had arrived and it made me smile.  A big huge happy summer smile!  

READY!

Look at those happy faces!  Don't they just look like summer?  Except we're not quite there.  Almost, but not quite.  

Today is Lucy's last day and it's not coming a day too soon.  She loves school but is ready for a break.  

The big girls have a half day tomorrow and then HELLO SUMMER!

bike rides

swimming

Shakespeare in the park

hammock lounging

the lake

a visit from Uncle Blake

Florida

ice cream

the botanical garden

the farmer's market

reading

summer camps

Colorado

the MUNY

picnics

the zoo

gardening

Six Flags

swim team

Shaw Nature Reserve

doing whatever we like

Just a little bit of our summer bucket list!

It's good to laugh

The sweetest sound floated through my windows this afternoon.  I followed it to the source...these giggling girls.   I asked them what was so funny and they told me "Disgusting things.  Pee, poop, and underwear".  Nothing like an afternoon in the hammock laughing your head off with your BFF, even if it's about disgusting stuff!

The weekend is here!

Right now, we're listening to B.B. King while what is probably our last pot of soup for many months, simmers on the stove.  

The weekend is here and it's awesome! 

It has been a wonderful week but Friday feels so good!  Kevin's going on a long bike ride tomorrow and has a magnificent meal planned for us tomorrow night.  I'm hoping to get at least one run in, plant the garden and sleep in!  Eleanor has some new wheels she wants to break in, Emma has a list of books that she's hoping to read and Lucy, well, she will find fun around every single corner, plus she's really excited that she gets to stay up to watch The Empire Strikes Back tonight.  

Happy Weekend to you!

Scooby Doo!

It was a terrific weekend that has us excited for summer!  We're ending the weekend cuddled up in bed watching a couple of very old Scooby Doo episodes.   Hoping the week is "like wow"!!

Photo by Lucy.  A bird's nest in one of our ferns.