I have been giving myself permission to go to bed with dishes in the sink.  With laundry unfolded.  With dirty feet.  Permission to erase items from the to do list; to draw instead of mop, to wonder instead of google, to let go instead of remind.  Permission to play at the table instead of changing their direction to where I think they “should” be, and to create messes, when the previous one has not yet been swept up.  Permission to marvel at the colors of summer instead of the weeds growing steadily beside them.  Becuase it is turning out to be that kind of summer, and these pieces of forgiveness, these little bits of grace, are making it not just tolerable- but in fact slow and lovely.

As we head into a full 9 days of “daddy-stay-at-home days” I am grateful for all the practice we have had in slowing down and being present, knowing this will serve us well in the days ahead, in making them as smooth as they can be with three wild, little, unpredictably ridiculous, and sweet boys as our companions.  We have many seriously anticipated adventures ahead of us in the coming week, some that have been planned since the cold days of February.

I hope you all have a lovely long weekend, filled with patriotic colored slices of cake, lots of cold beverages, thick slices of icy watermelon, and juicy grass fed beef.  

PS The cat came back!