Tuesday

I almost did not wake Ed for breakfast. He has been working every day late into the night, or even early morning on his machine design and I felt that my breakfast whim and fancy do not justify an intrusion into his sleep. So I whispered (perhaps not very quietly...) that I'd leave breakfast for him on the table and he grunted an okay and then I whispered (perhaps even less quietly...) a good bye and within two minutes he was downstairs and we were reviewing the local news at the kitchen table.

I hope this means that he values this meal almost as much as I do, though more likely, he has accepted the importance of it on my account. Let me at least do him the favor of keeping the focus on the meal rather than on his tired face.





It's a foggy morning and a stormy day and it will be followed by a windy tomorrow and in all, the weather does feel very unsettled, as if pulling back on the promise of warmth, but not completely, because it really does not feel like winter anymore.

Snowdrop is bouncy and spirited this morning...






Typically, I take her outside in the afternoon, but the weather really is set to deteriorate by noon and so I propose a walk just before then and she is happy to put on her jacket (and a cap, and a mommy scarf around her legs) and set out.

Here she is, telling penguin abut the pinwheel (I think).






We go all the way to the more distant coffee shop. Here, she is at once happy and ready to learn about expectations. There is the waiting part. And, too, we have to trudge to get the high chair, then return it to its proper place, whether we feel like it or not.






And the crumb of cookie cannot be more than that. (In general, I'm not much of a sugar fan.)

(Did you ever notice how photos of adults eating are never good and photos of children eating are always good?)






And again I have to wonder if she follows penguin's gaze up, or if she just likes to study the different ceilings out there...






We barely make it home before the rain comes down. Our good fortune!

I was going to end there, but in the afternoon, Snowdrop did something that is so her, that I thought -- let it be recorded for the books: she studied the little books that explain the operation of the wrench, hammer, pliers and screwdriver. I do not know who gave her these mini books, but she loves them to pieces.






I try, rather lamely, to explain one tool and then the next and I come with such clever statements as -- you can use this to fix your wagon or bike. You can see that she has no trust in my explanations. She is pursuing this despite my inability to encourage her.






I'll leave you today with her smile. She's raiding the pantry here and playing hide and seek all at once.






So much in the course of a day can be made right with a smile. It's good to remember this now and then.