We got back on track with Blackout Night tonight (Sort of. And reluctantly). For those of you who are new here (I know you're there....my stat counter tells me so), we try to turn out the lights once a week and focus on each other as a family, without the distractions of our electronics and such. It's not strict, but in whatever form it takes, it's always worth the effort (and it does take a lot of effort).
Once I came to a stopping point in the Christmas project I'd started Monday (I threw it down on the table when I realized I'd have to undo and then re-do half of it), we turned out all the lights and shut down Nintendos and computers promptly (20 minutes late).
We ate a well-planned, energy-neutral, health-conscious meal (That's a bald-faced lie. it was Chinese take-out that we had to drive out to get. At least Chris used his work car so I didn't have to pay for the gas....).
We really sank down into the peaceful feel of the evening now that the sun is going down earlier and candles have to be lit earlier (hardly talked to each other - we're so tired).
We pulled out the game that Andrew lovingly (and not entirely selflessly) picked for his sister as a birthday present (we didn't even get past the set-up. the pieces all had to be put together and it was too dang dark to read the instructions).
I decided to take several candles into the bathroom and wash Emma's beautiful, curly locks (because when she came out of the shower tonight, the top of her head hadn't even gotten wet. let alone clean). We talked some girl talk in hushed tones and I showed her how to use her new, sinfully delicious-smelling lotion bar on her knees and elbows.
We tried (with iffy success) to engage the kids in a bit of Bible study before bed. (Note to self: The whole "no man can serve two masters" thing might be a little heavy for right before bed).
Once we'd tucked the kids into their rooms for some quiet time (reading with a flashlight), Chris and I reveled in the chance to talk about our goals and dreams as a family (I jabbered like a raving lunatic, unloading all my stress on that poor, sainted man).
After it was time to send the kids off to sleepy-land (Chris had endured an hour of my endless yammering), I decided to retire to my cast iron claw foot tub and soak my troubles away (after an unsuccessful, 30-minute toilet surgery. if you have kids, you know what i mean. if you don't, make sure you lock up your toilets when you get some kids. i think they will turn out just fine if you make them use the bushes in the back yard instead).
What was in my bath tonight, you ask (okay, so only four or five of you are asking. and for those four or five, let me say that i hope to have some vanilla pumpkin lotion and maybe some pear and aloe lotion up in my Etsy shop by this weekend....)? It was a top-secret new fragrance I'm working on (needs more work) that ended up mostly smelling like lemons (which wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the odd hint of black licorice that accompanied it).
And so, off to bed I go (having broken the cardinal rule of Blackout Night and turned on my computer to blog about it).
DAILY BLISS: baby lizards darting away from my feet on the sidewalk - they're so cute when they're so tiny! - and steamed rice with sesame oil
PS: To my grammar-sensitive peeps, I send apologies for the lack of proper punctuation and capitalization inside the parentheses. I just didn't think the gimmick worked with that many punctuation marks :)
3 comments:
Sometimes when I'm reading blogs I wonder how many parentheses would be added if we saw the whole picture. I mean we all try to be honest but we also only use the creamy top of the truth much of the time. It's more pleasant reading.
It was good to read your reality.
I think I need a Black-Out week. :)
Black out week. Sounds good. But when I think of all the stuff I would have to prepare to make it pleasant I would rather go to a spa for a week.
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