Great Day

Today is one of those summer days that you get misty eyed thinking about in retrospect and that makes you want to just bottle life up and never let it go.

We normally have playgroup on Monday mornings, which is a blast.  The kids love it, I love the moms I've met, and it's a fun time.  This morning, the kiddos helped me grind coffee and make vegan banana bread with walnuts and chocolate chips.  Then... all my moms canceled. :(  Which was sad, but not a disaster (because, let's face it, coffee and banana bread? I can do that...)  We needed to go to Target for a few things, so after some breakfast and cartoons, I loaded the peanuts into the car and off we went.  (They love Target, so this isn't a rough transition.)

We went and got the things we needed, which included a new pair of sandals for Bobby.  Not only was I able to score a pair on clearance (for his, gulp, size 11 feet!) but he was okay with them not being remotely close to red or black (They are neon green and navy blue.)  Yay!  The kids had also been asking for a sandbox (which I can't stand), and when I saw the pricetag ($45+ and that was without sand!) I suffered a near heart attack.  (Craigslist didn't help me... nothing was really nearby and the best I could do, sans sand, was $25).  So, I thought... what to do...  And then I did what any cheap good parent would do: I bought an $8 Sterlite container with the lid and $4 of sand toys (I mean, really, how many toys do you need???).  Target didn't sell sand, so I told the kids we'd go to Lowes after nap and handle that.

Once we were home (after getting Icee's, which I know are awful, but are a reminder of happiness in my childhood), the kids stripped down and got in their bathing suits, where they spent the next hour plus in the pool.  While I was changing, Maya says "I love Bobby and Daddy and Mommy and Michael," to which Bobby responds "Hug!" and they just held each other for a bit.  (cue tears.... )

Miss Maya

Mister Bobby

They had so much fun in the pool, eventually just lounging and talking to one another in a mix of twin-speak and English... I wish I knew all they were saying, but it was clear that they knew and they were happy.

Just hanging out

We came in for lunch and nap, and once that was done (and snuggles had been had by all!), we loaded up and went to Lowes, where $8 nabbed me 100 pounds (2 bags) of play sand.  Back home and the "sandbox" was crafted in moments.  Which then led to yet another hour plus of backyard enjoyment!

Our $20 sandbox

This is especially important to me because Bobby is like me and hasn't, in the past, cared for sand (or playdoh, my other yucky texture issue).  Tonight, he actually played in the sand for 20 minutes at a time before going back and forth between the sand and the pool (hence his swimsuit in the above picture).  I know it's a tough texture issue for him, but I was so proud of him for trying it out and really giving it a good go.  He loved it and Maya was in heaven! (She LOVES sand.)

When it was time to come inside, Maya helped me type of a new recipe (we had Linguine with Collards and Bacon... very yummy!) and, as she was sitting at the computer, kept saying how beautiful the picture of Peter and I is (it's my desktop image).  All day today, the kids have been "I love you" to each other and hugging... It's just been a pure joy to see. 

I also finished working on the social story for Cesarean delivery, which I need to finish the preliminary pictures for so that I can introduce it to the kids at the beginning of July.  In more fun news, I actually was asked to pitch it to a children's publisher (sans illustrations), so we'll see where that goes! 

It's been a great (although busy) day and I'm wiped out (and still have laundry to hang up, grr....) but what a wonderful feeling I'm left with as this day comes to a close.