A Simple Life

It is July, and a surprising 80 degrees here in north central Texas! After a scorching June, it was so nice to step outside today and be met with a refreshing breeze, and a sidewalk that will not blister the skin off your face.

Romeo and Cookie Boy have not been feeling too good the past two days. They decided they were not up to bowling or the library today.  Spending a day in the house yesterday did not sit well with the Mad Toddler. We had a "challenging" day, to say the least. So I knew I had to come up with something, quick!

We have been so blessed to move into this neighborhood full of kids. Even better, Tank, age 10, and Speedy, age 8, live 2 doors down from us. They are kindred spirits (to quote my beloved "Anne"). Right as I was trying to come with alternative plans for the morning, Tank and Speedy rang the doorbell, to invite Romeo over to make baking soda-and-vinegar volcanoes. Romeo ran over, and the Mad Toddler ran out! I chased him, and that was when I realized the amazing weather we are having.

So, out came the sidewalk chalk! What fun to sit out all morning IN JULY and make the driveway all artsy! It kept the Mad Toddler happy. The Young adult attempted to play marbles. Eventually, the Young Adult, Cookie Boy, Romeo, the Mad Toddler, Tank, and Speedy all ended up in the driveway drawing tanks, airplanes, semis, and  -best of all - tracing each other's body outlines so that the driveway ended up looking like a horrific crime scene where odd shaped gingerbread people were off'ed! Awesome!

I was just telling ArtGuy the other day that it feels so odd to be relaxing this summer. I feel...guilty. After thinking about it, I began to understand why. Last summer was crazy, with moving and all. In fact, exactly one year ago today, on July 1, my appendix burst, and our move was interrupted by my recovery. Thanks to family and friends, we got all moved in and settled. And the year before that happened, I had a new baby and was recovering from giving birth to a 10 1/2 pound boy via emergency c-section. So, it has been a while since I have even had the opportunity to simply....be.

Relaxing, slowing down, is essential to well-being. We often miss the point of it. Without leisure, we become less human. I know Josef Pieper had something to say on the subject. I am going to have to go read up on it.

So, enjoy your summer! Relax and take a break! It'll be gone before you know it!

The Mad Toddler working on a few principles of physics, thanks to the chalk and to the nice slope on our driveway: "what goes up, must come down", and "bodies in motion tend to stay in motion"

Colorful pants!