What a wonderful day! It’s late afternoon, and the house is quiet. Jaclyn is sleeping in her bed, and daddy is savoring his well earned nap in the loft.
We picked Jaclyn up early in the day. It is a rainy November, but warm. On the way back we stopped at Friandise to meet, for the first time, her wonderful new friends Ami and Iris. Such tenderness and love and kindness… They brought her gifts. She was shy at first and was seeking my physical closeness, but as I encouraged her to play things warmed up. After eating blue spirulina ice cream and drank tea (she preferred my lemon-ginger tea) and we played and read books in the upper room of this kid-friendly sweets shop, we came home to play with Rufus. Our friends came too. Ami rode next to Jaclyn, and while at first she said he is not allowed to sit next to her, on the ride she gently caressed his cheek.
We spent a loud, fun-filled hour in the grass field, chasing Rufus, him chasing the kids, playing with the Aerobie disk, spinning… But the nap time interrupted the fun for some of them who had to go home, but making solid promises to visit again.
Matilda came home with us and we played some more. Daddy made pretzels and the girls helped. Matilda told Jaclyn stories up in the loft, later came down and painted rainbows, and ate together… Jaclyn started hugging Matilda out of the blue, then she kissed her on the cheek, while playing together. I haven’t heard so much sweet laughter all day, in a long time.
We are building our play resistance with each day. And having our own kid, we are learning to pace ourselves and take breaks, also have quiet times during the day.
I have resented in the past the constant demand for more from kids… more play, more attention, more energy. I am now comfortable correcting with gentleness words or reactions that hurt others, or comfortable to say no when I am entitled to do so. I am human and I have limits. And my “not now” is perfectly acceptable and accepted, in order to survive long term.
They couldn’t have enough of the farewell hugs.