The opposite of just rannin' around

Many years ago my parents found a video called "Out of the Mouths of Babes" in which little kids answer questions about the gospel. It's a good clean laugh and makes you think seriously about what your children are actually absorbing as you try to teach them. One of our favorite kids is a little blond girl who was asked what she was doing in Heaven before she came to earth. Her reply was "just rannin' around."

I often feel like that describes my daily life exactly. When asked "Hey Liz, what did you do today?" I generally want to reply, "Oh you know just rannin' around." Yesterday was the opposite of just rannin around. It was a little bit of Heaven and the kids were even home to participate.

We've recently switched from 1pm church (the UGGG time) to 9am church (the other UGGG time - as everyone knows 11am church is the perfect time). This means we've had a big switch in the way we do things. No longer do we have a 4 hour parade of eating, brushing teeth, showering, eating again, and getting ready. We now have a much more efficient wham bam, thank you ma'am, let's go go go schedule. And then after church we come home and just relax. Sometimes the grownups take a much needed nap, sometimes we bake something fun, sometimes we play games, and sometimes we just sit around and cuddle.

Yesterday was a sit around and cuddle day. Unlike most other times we've tried to have a lazy daisy Sunday afternoon. Nobody fought. Nobody complained. Nobody whined, cried, punched, bothered, or petted each other. (Yes I said petted, don't ask). We watched a favorite movie of mine that the kids have never seen. A grown-up one with singing and dancing, that I may or may not know almost every word too. Then Dad got to watch his football game. And nobody had to be sent to their room, or go to time out. We had dinner picnic style and just enjoyed being together. Could it be a small glimmer of what a future of older kids could mean for us? Probably not a very realistic one, or at least one that I realize won't happen every week. For now I feel extra refreshed from cuddles and a distinct lack of rannin around.

PS - As I've written this post I've been watching several birds in the tree outside my front window. I'm grateful that they are outside in the tree (and not making nests in my dryer vent) and that seeing them means that horrible mucky cold January is really really over. Enjoy your blue skies and sunshine and may some lazy cuddly days be ever in your future.