“We’re going to rush home and I’m going to change real fast and then we’ll go outside for bubbles and chalk.”
“Yay! I’ll change too!”
“No! You don’t need to change! We have to be super fast so we have time to play outside!”
Three-year-olds don’t do things fast. But this time we had to rush all so that we could dilly dally and go slow and enjoy the moment.
Because although the summer stretches long ahead of us, and we have time, perfect summer days like yesterday don’t come around all the time. And between work and late meetings and school finishing up and babies who still need to nurse and all the rest of our busy life, it is all too easy to let those days pass us by without capturing even just a moment of sunny, blue skies, and perfectly warm air with cool breezes. It is all too easy.
So we gathered up our things and made our way to the sidewalk. I drew some hopscotch and, after watching the first six numbers, she colored in the 7. And she proudly told every neighbor who came to visit and enjoy the beautiful summer night with us. “Mommy did the orange numbers and I colored in the 7!”
And neighbors did stop by for a quick hello on their way home from work or their way onto evening plans. And little girls hopped and blew bubbles and adults talked of the weather and the perfect day and how we wished we could enjoy more of it.
And it all happened in about twenty minutes.
And dinner was late. And bedtime was later.
But I didn’t bother my schedule-loving mind with all of that.
Because it is all too easy to let those days pass by without so much as a nod.
And I just can’t let that happen.
~~~~~
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