Summer Picnic

"…but the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4, and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in a hurry to get on to the next things: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less."                                                                                   - Anna Quindlen

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I have this beautiful quote hanging on my refrigerator as a reminder to myself to slow down and enjoy life's little moments with the kids. Most days I don't take any notice of it, but once in awhile it catches my attention. We had a picnic in the backyard, just like in the quote. Lorelei is 5 1/2, Allan just about 4 and Charlie is 1. We ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, granola bars and fruit snacks. We drank Grape Capri Sun. It was a cooler than normal summer day. They talked about the ants that kept crawling up on the blanket. They wondered if they could eat their fruit snacks before their sandwiches. We laughed as they chased blowing sandwich baggies across the lawn and returned them to safety in their lunch boxes.

After the picnic they colored with chalk on the bricks of the pathway. Lorelei put on her roller blades and then they chased butterflies through the yard (even with her roller blades on). They caught a couple moth like butterflies and brought them back to show Charlie, he couldn't quite keep up with them. It was a beautiful afternoon.

That night Steve put Lorelei and Allan to bed. He got them each a sippy cup of icy water, then read them a book and tucked them in bed. He laid on the floor between their two beds until they were ready to fall asleep. I heard some laughter from his tickling drift down the stairs during the bedtime routine. I put Charlie to bed. I laid him down too soon, so he stood back up with his blanket and reached for me to hold him a little longer. He clung to me with his head upon my chest, he likes to give my back little pats as we snuggle. He has the softest skin and even his fluffy, blond hair is soft as it tickles my chin. Later that night when they are all asleep they look like little angels, their skin so smooth and tan, their faces relaxed as they dream.

Comments

[Hope Ellington]

That is the sweetest post! My daughter turns 18 next week & and I am getting a little teary eyed. Excited and sad all rolled into one. It is very hard to remember those simple time & simple things. You took down memory lane....thank-you.
XO~Hope