The Last 24 Hours

Picture the ticking clock from the Keifer Sutherland show. Thankfully things haven't been that dramatic here, just a nice day.

About this time last night, I heard a huge crash from Jill's room. I thought, "Oh no! She fell out of her bed!" Sure enough, I went upstairs and she was asleep on top of her quilt on the floor. I can't believe she slept through the fall! I picked her up and put her back in bed. Tucked her covers in. She slept through all of it. It was so sweet.

This morning was the first weekday since turning back the clocks. I woke to the sound of quiet crying. I rushed into Jill's room and she was sitting on her bed. She sniffed and gestured to her window, "It's light out, but nobody is awake. I've been ready to get up for a very very long time. I want to play downstairs with Peter." I couldn't help but smile as I hugged her. Luckily the the suggestion of toast was enough to bring her mood around.

Later Peter and I made an emergency trip to the grocery store because I had forgotten that Jill had snack duty for the Yellow Room today. While we shopped Peter called out to at least a half dozen people. "Hiiii! I'm Peter. I'm a big boy." He is so cute and social.

The rest of the day took its usual course with a lot of train play and a 20 minute game during which Peter was Jill's pet dog, Charlie. They looked together at one of the many toy catalogs that are lying around while I cooked. I'd hear Peter say, "I want this. And Jill can have that. Actually, I want this..." The "actually"s continued for a while; he kept finding different things he liked. It cracks me up that he was saying "actually", he's two!

Then Jill proudly set the table for dinner. The four of us sat down together and the kids ate ravenously. They both wanted seconds of Shepherd's Pie (made with cauliflower mixed in the mashed potatoes-fooled them!). Peter kept saying, "I want another big one," which meant he wanted a scoop of potatoes. At the end of the meal, Jill took the serving spoon herself and said, "I'm just going to have one. more. bite." and placed a dollop on her plate. Her manner was so mature it floored me. Maybe I'm just floored that I cooked something they ate at all.

And then the best part. Tonight before bed, Jill said, "Mom, do you know what I love?" "What?" "Pink (the color) and you." She breaks my heart! Then she said with her arms stretched wide, "And I love Daddy and Peter this much, too." Peter stretched out his arms, "This much, Jill?" "Yeah, Peter, like this," again with the outstretched arms.

As Bryan and I put the kids to bed and sang lullabies, Peter kept turning my face to kiss me on the lips. I always offer my cheek, but he had a hand on each side of my face tugging away. Thank you, God, for these wonderful children.

I'm not even kidding, that's how good the last 24 hours were! Lucky me.