Countdown to Cleveland - Day 15

IF I'M HONEST, OUR WEDNESDAY GOT OFF TO A ROUGH START AND CONTINUED DOWN THE PATH OF IRRITABILITY, UNPREDICTABILITY, AND IMPATIENCE.  HOWEVER, THERE WERE MOMENTS OF CALM, PRODUCTIVITY, AND CREATIVITY SCATTERED THROUGHOUT AND THAT IS WHAT I'M CHOOSING TO HIGHLIGHT FOR DAY 15.


EARLY MORNING DISTRACTION
(AKA - THE DUSTBUSTER)

THE WEATHER WAS GLOOMY AND RAINY, A PERFECT DAY TO PULL OUT THE FLASHLIGHTS FOR LIGHT SHOWS AND SHADOW FUN.

"TENTS!"

A SUBTLE LOOK OF DISSATISFACTION THAT CONTINUED TO MAKE AN APPEARANCE OVER THE COURSE OF THE DAY.

BY 8:00am WE WERE EXHAUSTED.

AT 10:45am MY CREW WAS REQUESTING LUNCH, SO LUNCH WE MADE.  IT WAS OUR FIRST TIME MAKING INDIVIDUAL ENGLISH MUFFIN PIZZAS, AND THEY PROVED TO BE A BIG HIT!  I FOUND IT HUMOROUS THAT IT WAS THE LITTLE LADY WHO WAS MORE INTERESTED IN SNACKING ON THE CHEESE, LEAVING THE LITTLE MAN TO THE TASK OF TOPPING THE PIZZAS.

BY 1:30pm NAPS WERE OVER.  AT LEAST JOE'S WAS; THE LITTLE LADY COULD NOT BRING HERSELF TO SLEEP IN SPITE OF REPEATED VISITS FROM MOMMY TO RUB HER CHEEK.  IN AN EFFORT TO CALM THE CHAOS, WE EACH SELECTED A MAGAZINE FOR A QUIET TIME OF READING.  YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED TO KNOW BOTH CHILDREN PICKED OUT AN ISSUE OF "THE ECONOMIST"  WHILE I OPTED FOR "PARENTS" MAGAZINE.

ANOTHER MAMA-NEEDS-A-MINUTE-OF-QUIET-CONSTRUCTIVE-PLAY BRAINSTORM RESULTED IN THIS ACTIVITY - GROUPING TOYS BY COLOR.  BOTH SWEET ONES FOUND IT TO BE QUITE STIMULATING, AND PROCEEDED TO "GROCERY SHOP" ONCE THE TOYS WERE CATEGORIZED.

"UH-OHHHHH!" 
SWEET JOE DUMPS THE POT OF TOYS ONCE AGAIN.

JEFF ARRIVED HOME AT 6 JUST IN TIME FOR BATH TIME, ALLOWING ME A MOMENT TO SLIP AWAY AND PREPARE FOR WHAT WAS SURE TO BE THE SWEETEST PART OF MY DAY - DINNER OUT WITH TWO INCREDIBLE GIRLFRIENDS.

I PICKED UP MY DATES, AND WE HEADED TO BONFYRE, ONE OF OUR FAVORITE MADISON RESTAURANTS.  WE HAD A GOOD LAUGH AS WE WAITED FOR OUR TABLE AND OBSERVED THE ACTIVITY AROUND US, RECOGNIZING THAT LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE HOME DOES IN FACT EXIST AFTER 7pm. 

OUR MEALS WERE QUITE SATISFYING AND WE ENJOYED A FEW HOURS OF UNINTERRUPTED CONVERSATION, AND REMINISCED OF OUR SHARED TIME IN MADISON.  THIS SEASON OF LIFE HAS BROUGHT ME A NEW APPRECIATION FOR THE LORD'S TIMING AND PROVISION.  OVER THE PAST YEAR, HE ALLOWED THESE TWO WOMEN TO MINISTER TO ME AND MY FAMILY IN VERY SPECIFIC AND UNIQUE WAYS.  I'M SO THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM THEM, RAISE CHILDREN ALONG SIDE THEM, LAUGH WITH THEM, AND BE INSPIRED BY THEM.