I'm back. Or, at least on my way.
You know how it takes you a while to feel like yourself again after you have a baby? You know how it feels when you have four kids in six years and spend the last two of those years as Relief Society president? Things were fine until Peter was born and I was released when he was 7 weeks old. Suddenly everything seemed too hard. Physically, I'm still getting back to where I want to be. But mentally, things are coming into place.
In trying to get my platelet count back up, I've been trying acupuncture. We'll find out this Friday if it's helped (fingers crossed), but it's been really great. For the past few weeks, for a half an hour, I lay in a dark room. No one talks to me. I don't have to do anything. A couple of times I almost fell asleep. I think that alone has made a huge difference in the way I'm feeling.
Also, it's raining today. Is there anything better than rain?
Saturday for our nine-year anniversary we went for a hike. It was not a huge success, but I'm considering it an investment for our kids to grow up to be good hikers. We got a later start so it was hot. Clara is an unhappy hot hiker. Midway down the trail, as I started to sing the song she had just requested, she started screaming and running down the trail because she just couldn't take it anymore. It seems funny now. It seemed a little funny then. That night, after the kids went to bed, we got Chinese takeout and watched an episode of Poirot. A low-key anniversary, but isn't that kind of fitting for nine years? Planning something was just too hard.
Today I got a babysitter, went to acupuncture, stopped by the library on my way to meet a friend for a pedicure. It was lovely. This afternoon I sat down and played with my kids, my friend's son, and the neighbor kids. We played outside and watched the storm come in. A good day.
All this to say, I just realized I have one week left until school starts. Nathan is starting first grade; he'll be gone all day. When we get along, he's such a delight, with his curiosity and intelligence and creativity. He's right on the cusp of greater independence, of coming into himself, with the inevitable pulling back of not needing me so much. Glory hallelujah, and holy crap. I'll never get this summer back. And now I have one week to make it count.
