Just Write {61}

This morning we tag-teamed the routine. Has she had breakfast? Where are the boots? On Saturday it was 65 degrees and this morning there was snow on the ground. Still is. I’ll take Miles to school, you take Asher and Elsie to daycare. I’ll start the van.

I tromped down the walk to the van with my boots unzipped, slipping too much at my heels but you hurry in Minnesota, to start the car and rush back in. Asher was suddenly behind me. It’s not time to go, honey. You need to go back in, it’s too cold. I’m just starting the van to warm it up.

I know! 

He loves snow so much.

Okay then. Please go inside. 

I have everything I need, Mommy. He said this while his Spiderman boots flicked snow up on the cuffs of his pants. I have mittens and a hat and boots, so that’s all I need. 

Yeah, that’s true. 

The wind was whipping snow off the roof and catching our breath, so we ran back inside. Miles, do you have your backpack, let’s go. Why don’t you have your shoes on yet? I looked around and I know that these are some of the best years because they still want to be with us. They still think we know a lot and they still strive to listen and it’s not so hard for them anymore. Well, Elsie Jane, she isn’t striving quite yet but here’s to hoping she will.

I miss them more when we’re apart and I appreciate them more when we’re together, when I remember all of this. That we’re in this sweet spot every time we’re in a new season. All the different phases feel so good amidst all the chaos. It’s easy to remember if I just keep my head up, not looking so much at my navel or a screen.

Tonight I joked with the boys as I scolded them for something. I was pretending to give them a big speech, like a lecture and I added, because we don’t talk to each other that way in our family. In our family (here is where I changed my voice to a pretend loud and preach-y one, like a professor getting very upset) WE ARE ALL ABOUT LOVE AND WE ARE ALL ABOUT BELONGING.

We laughed at my antics (which is another thing I know my kids won’t always do–insert eye roll) and then Miles said, Yeah Mommy, we will always belong here no matter what we do.

My insides twisted in the best possible way and I went all numb in the arms and legs because if there’s one thing I want them to always know for sure, it’s that. Yes, Miles. That’s exactly right. Don’t forget, okay? 

I won’t. He was hopping around then, doing some sort of strange dip to the ground and popping back up and poking at his brother with a light saber, who started to whine and tattle. Hey, hey stop it now, I said and then I told Elsie it was time for bed. She shook her head back and forth hard and started to have a fit.

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This is the 61st installment of Just Write, an exercise in free writing your ordinary and extraordinary moments. {Please see the details here.} I would love to read your freely written words so join me and link up below. You can add the url of your post at any time. Just be sure it’s a link to your Just Write post, not to your main page, and please don’t link to posts that are not written in the spirit of capturing moments–like lists or sponsored posts. Then please link back to this post in your post so people know where to go if they’d like to join in. (Any links not following those two guidelines will be deleted.)

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