Everyday Life 6.18.16

On Thursday Joe didn't have a voice lesson so we actually had the whole day free!  We rather ambitiously headed up the Mt. Evans road.  I remembered Summit Lake being particularly beautiful, though it's been over 10 years since I was up there.   We ended up driving all the way to the summit while we were up there...might as well.  Emily was asleep by that point so Joe sat with the kids and I headed to the summit, just a short hike from the parking lot.  I usually prefer the scenery just a bit lower down, but it was amazing to be on top of the world again and to be able to see so far.  (Added benefit: no cell reception or data for most of the drive!)

                     

Speaking of drive, I'd forgotten just how...exciting, shall we say?... the Mt. Evans road is.  It's just a little strip of pavement precariously glued to the side of a rather imposing mountain.  Sometimes it's just best not to look down.  And some people were driving motorhomes!!

               

Two kids certainly add to the excitement of a mountain excursion.  It's just different.  Still good, but one's subconscious expectations of going to the mountains and sitting quietly by a lake while letting the peace and quiet sink into one's soul are slightly difficult to achieve with a baby who just wants to be put down (but there's nowhere safe to put her) and a two-year-old on the loose.  So we'll adjust....enjoy the mountains through the eyes of the little ones and go on a date to the mountains if we want quiet.  I'm glad to be able to share this beauty with the kids; I want them to have lots of good memories of family outings together.  I realized driving up how many memories I have in the mountains.  

               

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Our pool is finally open!  Mom and the girls came over on Tuesday so we could go swimming.  It's a little much for me to take the kids on my own--I'd probably have to make them take turns sitting in the stroller and I don't think that would go over very well.  Emily loves the water!  It was her first time swimming; she was just a newborn last summer.  James loves the water too, but he's still getting used to the whole pool idea.  He mostly sits on the edge of the stairs and splashes with his feet or enjoys the snacks and sunshine aspects of swimming.

                             

                             

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I mentioned Joe and his voice lessons.  He's been studying with a great teacher for a few months now; he has an amazing voice but had gotten to the point where he felt stuck on his own and didn't know how to keep advancing.  It's been so fun hearing him sing, playing his accompaniments for him and seeing his confidence grow.  I love that we can do this for each other--give each other the chance to still pursue personal interests in the middle of parenting and life.  (He watched the kids while I played with the Colorado Young Sinfonia for their anniversary concerts a while ago, so it goes both ways.)

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We just got out James' train tracks again.  He built a train on them, but Emily pulled a few cars off.  He laughed loudly, then said "Sowwy, Twain!  Ooopsies!"  

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I recently started one of my favorite books again: Pilgrim's Inn by Elizabeth Goudge.  It's a beautifully written story and it rests me.  This will be the 6th time I've read it, if I'm counting aright.  All of the characters are so real and I relate to different ones at different times.  Lately I've been thinking about Sally and her joy in the tasks of everyday life.  Compared to her father, who wanted all of the latest conveniences in order to free himself for other things, "...Sally did not want to be set free for anything, for it was living itself that she enjoyed.  She liked lighting a real fire of logs and fir cones, and toasting bread on an old-fashioned toaster.  And she liked the lovely curve of an old staircase and the fun of running up and down it.  And she vastly preferred writing a letter and walking with it to the post to using the telephone and hearing with horror her voice committing itself to things she would never had dreamed of doing if she'd had the time to think.."

It's a refreshing thought and practice, finding joy and fulfillment in the work itself instead of just the completion thereof.  To relax and enjoy doing the dishes, sweeping the floor, tidying the house instead of just scrambling through tasks with a constant vague feeling of stress that I'm not doing enough fast enough.  I'm all for working quickly, but if I am always feeling stressed because I can't do it fast enough something's a little off.  I think I like Sally's way better.  

                    

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Speaking of enjoying the task at hand, I've come to appreciate the 35-minute drive to my family's place.  It's a little mini road trip (that's a compliment; I love road-tripping).  I get the kids strapped in, load all.the.stuff, and relax for the drive.  Emily's happy, James talks about trucks, and I listen to music--often my favorites from Les Miserables.  It's actually somewhat restful.

                    

All for now, folks.  Need to tidy up a bit more and spend some time with my guy.  Have a lovely Sunday!

Rachel