happiness feels like this

Hello Readers! Did you miss me? Is that the most narcissistic thing I could ask? Perhaps I should start with: How are you? I hope you are enjoying the spring. I enjoyed my week off of blogging, but I actually missed talking to you more than I thought I would. But I also loved reading the guests posts along with y'all, just like one of the gang. Tell me, had you ever pondered raising rabbits for food previously? And are you thinking about it now? I also already feel more organized after Barb's great tips on creating a routine. Just as soon as I can pry myself from Pinterest, I plan to enact some of them.

What else can I tell you about us? Let's see, Charlie would probably like me to report that I am failing in the "Remember which pasta shape my kids loves most this week" department. You see, pasta with tomato sauce and meatballs is her favorite lunch, one that she would like at every meal and nothing else (except maybe a few peas), thank you very much. And she made what was--in her mind--a very clear move away from the mini bow ties (not the big ones, mind you. What are you thinking?) and toward the direction of the wagon wheels. Yesterday I made a big batch of mini bow ties, and when I put a bowl of them in front of her, she gave me a look which can only be saying "Excuse me, but I'm pretty sure I ordered a bowl of wagon wheels." We have opinions around here, people.

Lucky for her she's cute. Minus the dried snot.

The girls and I had a great April vacation, despite me succumbing to the kids' cold for the first time in two years. It's a doozy, this one. You know how sometimes you can't figure out whether you have a cold or just allergies? This bug was not like that at all. I knew I was sick. For three days of the break, I fought the urge to let squalor build and let Dora raise my kids and managed somehow to pick myself up, turn off the Kat Edmonson album I have on constant Spotify repeat these days, and go to the park.

The park is KING in my kids' lives. They squeal with glee at the very mention of the word; it reminds me of a college buddy/roommate's dog (Judge, an American bulldog and the very best dog ever to live), who would perk up with half-cocked head and bent ears when we'd utter "Do you wanna...?" He just knew what was coming next!

Our church is right next to the library and has a playground the kids adore, so we spent a few afternoons browsing for new books and then flipping through them between pushes on the tire swing. The cuteness of my girls sharing a moment with each other across the tire swing, giggling and saying "wheee!," just about kills me. We made memories last week, folks. My life was a Kat Edmonson song; I didn't even need the album playing to realize it.

Happiness
Feels like this
Your heart upon your sleeve
There's a place
In time and space
Where we can all be free 

So meet me at the rainbow's end
We don't even have to pretend
That we know what it is we're looking for
We're looking for 

Life is just a dream
Lucky you
Lucky lucky me

Editor's note: This post was shared with Just Write and 5 for 5.