A new pace

Nellie has been here for 2 1/2 weeks and it's hard to remember what life was like without her.  The kids are in love with her.  Addie summed it up one day when she told me that having a baby sister is way better than having a doll.  She loves being able to cuddle and kiss on Nellie.  Sam is often too busy playing, but when he comes around for his turn to hold her, I instantly melt.  He gives her his undivided attention and is totally sweet.  Charlie is still figuring out what it means to be a big brother.  He loves having jobs to do and is eager to help.  When Nellie cries he emphatically tells her to "shhh"  repeatedly, and he seems extremely worried to hear her upset.  His turns to hold her don't last long before he'd rather be off playing, but he gives her sweet, soft kisses regularly and seems happy to have her around.  

Last week the husband went back to work and I made it through the first week by myself with everyone.  Although our pace of life is currently quite a bit different than it was before, we're all enjoying it.  Addie and Sam are the best of friends right now and currently spend their days playing non-stop.  Charlie tags along until he's worn out mid-day and takes a nap.  On Monday we made a list together of things we'd like to accomplish each day, things we'd like to do during the week, and things we hope to do some time this summer.  Our lists included things for our bodies, our minds, and our home (based on ideas from the Power of Moms).  It's been nice to have a loose framework for our days, especially when things start to get crazy.  

The house is definitely not spic and span, but I'm feeling more motivation to get things in order with the chaos of the basement/remodel still very visible everywhere.  I'm easing back into making dinners and I've attempted a couple quick runs to the grocery store.  I'm hoping by the end of this week I'll have enough stamina for a big Costco trip.  

But even though things are still in the process of getting back to normal, I am reveling in these slow days.  I tend to have a hard time creating downtime.  I love making plans and usually when normal life doesn't have enough going on, I'm busy planning and filling our days with play dates and outings and activities.  It's nice to have a reason to slow down.  It makes me think about how I can incorporate more of these peaceful days when "real life" resumes and we're back to school and all the other busy things.  For now I'm just taking it a day at a time and enjoying the things that matter most.  

Hope you're finding yourself enjoying some slow days this summer!