An Easy Day

Thursday was a very busy day, but it was also relaxed and easy.

We started as we start most days, waking somewhere between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. and snuggling and whispering under the covers. I got the boys their breakfast, then made smoothies for DH and I. I hopped onto the computer for a few minutes to check my email and to finalize plans to visit a friend. Then I took a long bath. (I believe long, hot, aromatherapy baths do much to help maintain a homeschooling mother's sanity.) The boys played outside.

We popped some popcorn, packed a cooler with frozen waffles and syrup, and headed out to see our friends. We had a great time too. I don't really know what the kids did; my friend and I are both pretty hands off and since they were getting along we left them alone (obviously there was enough supervision that we knew they were safe). We had our waffles for lunch; it wasn't the most nutritious choice but was something easy to feed a gluten-free child away from home, and heck, waffles for lunch is quite a treat!

It was a gorgeous day, nearing 90 degrees. I wore capris and sandals for the first time in months (not including Hawaii). Even this morning the sun is shining, and it is hard to believe that we are supposed to have rain within a few hours.

After our visit we went to the oral surgeon. My boys have been at the dentist/specialist's office so often these past few months I'm surprised neither of them wants to take up dentistry. I'm healing well, but still need to stick with softer foods. If I'm still in pain next week I need to call. I got the release to use mouthwash, which means I can start using my Eco-Dent Oral Mouth Rinse and Wound Cleanser. I think it will help. If I am feeling industrious later I may attempt to make a homemade version, but I certainly don't have all of the ingredients.

We came home and I spent some time on the computer, checking email and just taking a few minutes to unwind. Then we set about to getting ready for a visit from "Abuela", my MIL. We put a tablecloth and newspapers on the table in the breakfast nook, and mixed our egg dyes. We cleared the dining room table and changed the golden table cloth for a pink one. Then we went outside and picked flowers. We had some light purple irises, some lavender, and some Euryops, as well as one white rose on a short stem. It was very exciting to bring in our first flowers of spring!

Abuela arrived bearing gifts. Boy #2 was very polite about receiving food that he couldn't eat, and we sent the pretzels and gelatin-containing candy back home with Abuela to give to the cousins. We may occasionally break our veganism with the most humane eggs we can find, but gelatin isn't on the menu. Still, Abuela brought Hot Wheels cars, a game, and a dinosaur puzzle "train", so the boys were excited and happy.

We finally got down to coloring eggs. We did two dozen and observed the way the brown eggs and white eggs took dye differently. At the end the boys tried using every color of dye and ended up with a couple of deep brown/black eggs.

We cleaned up and I started on dinner while Abuela played with the boys. I made gluten-free pizza for the boys, and regular wheat pizza for us. That was a real treat; we rarely eat so much bread and haven't had pizza since boy #2 went gluten-free. I topped one with pizza sauce and lots of veggies (onions, red bell pepper, zucchini, black olives, and mushrooms) and the other with a mixture of artichoke hearts and kalamata olives (chopped fine in a mini food processor). I also made a salad of cucumbers and tomatoes with balsamic vinegar.

We ate dinner in the dining room (!) and even had lemonade as a special treat. After we cleaned up we walked downtown to the farmer's market. This is a weekly event for us, but this time Abuela came too which made it even more fun. We bought tomatoes, yams, red onions, lemons, oranges, and grapefruit. The boys ran into an "old" friend and the three of them went on the slide and obstacle course together.

Market Night is an important part of our weekly rhythm. The boys look forward to it, and early on it helped them differentiate Thursday from other days. I love having them meet the people that grow the food.

While we walked home we remarked that it was still light out, and I realized that this is how it will be for the rest of spring and all of summer. The change of seasons seems very real now.