Friday for Fun

One thing I really believe in and have been giving an extra effort to lately, is trying to create magic in the uneventful moments of life.  It makes all the difference in staving off doldrums and fidgets.  And making life fun and memorable.  Just little things like inviting the kids out to jump on the trampoline and being the first one out the back door.  Or whipping up a batch of cookies and compiling the peppiest Christmas playlist imaginable on a rainy afternoon (why, yes we did do that yesterday.)  There is plenty of "hold on" and "not right now" (I've got to get the laundry done, pay the bills, feed the baby, get my Christmas ducks in a row), but I've really been trying to make sure there's plenty of serendipity and merriment, too.  A few weeks ago Nate fell asleep on the couch right after dinner on a Friday night.  I was feeling tired of being on duty, and frankly, a little irritated that my partner was out for the night.  The kids were running around like hooligans.  First I thought I'd just hurry and get them to bed early so I could have some quiet time.  I knew they'd be disappointed with an early Friday night...but I didn't really feel like being a fun mom.  But then I was like, "why not?"  The weeks are so busy.  It feels like a steady shuffle of have-to's barrages us from Monday morning 'til Friday afternoon.  Homework, practices, chores, errands, bathtime, bedtime...
Weekends have got to be special.  Even boring ones at home.
I let Nate rest on the couch (he has loooong, busy weeks - I can forgive a Friday night snooze now and again).   I gathered up the kids and we headed upstairs.  
"Let's make the coziest nest imaginable in the nook in my bedroom and we'll snuggle up and chat and read stories," I suggested.  They were thrilled.  A flurry of squirreling ensued, racing back and forth between my room and theirs, importing all the soft things they could find.  That is one thing I love about these kids - they are so easy to delight, so willing to find the fun in any little variation from normal.  So happy to cozy up with their mom.
Here they are, the little goofballs, all cozied up.

We read stories.  Told jokes.  Looked at the moon.  Laughed our heads off about Baht & Ahnie (Lily's hilarious pronunciation of Bert & Ernie).  Around ten o'clock I crawled into my bed and they turned on little flashlights and got out doodle pads and special things they had squirreled away in the nest.  Lily spent about 6 minutes doing quiet activities and then she conked out.  Henry was up 'til 11 reading.  It felt so good to go to bed feeling like we'd made the best of the night.  Their childhood is so short.  It is going by so fast.  It brings me so much joy to squeeze the magic out of it when we can.