Thursday

I'm sure you have them as well: days, where you set out early and one thing leads to the next, and then the next, and then the next, and you follow this chain until the final link, when late, oh so late, you pull into the driveway, come into your warm home, throw down your coat, your purse, your bag of food for the day and heave a great big sigh of relief.

When at breakfast Ed asks -- what do you have for the day? -- my response is "don't even ask."
Feeling perhaps that I could use a pat on the back, he tells me -- gorgeous, take my picture.

It's become somewhat of a funny skit now. When he wants to show his willingness, his desire to help me reach a point where I can smile about everything, he'll ask, indeed plead for that photo.











Animal care takes a long time again. I don't really understand it. Perhaps it's that on crispy cold mornings you are more attentive, less casual about it. Porch cats, chickens -- they need your help after a cold night. (I have no pity for the shed cats, who lead a life of luxury out there, in the heated sheep shed.)

But the day warms up past freezing again and shortly after our morning meal, I set out on that first link, which is a quick run to the grocery store. Everything is a little off schedule, since my last grocery trip was on Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Last night I still managed to scrape up a solid dinner based on turkey leftovers, but I need to look ahead to other foods now. So I shop.

And I pick up a little Christmas tree!






From there, I go straight to a Thai place for lunch with a friend. Me, eating lunch out is so unusual that it completely throws me off balance. I feel I should nap afterwards. Isn't that what you do after a big midday meal? Aren't siestas there exactly for that purpose?

But I don't have time for that. My next link is picking up the kids and bringing them over to the farmhouse. Along with the wee Christmas tree.






("No, Gaga, I don't like it up on top of a crate! I want to reach the top!")











And then comes that tricky Thursday medley: of getting Snowdrop into her dance gear, hustling both kids back into the car...

(such a beautiful sunset!)






... and then into the dance studio, where Sparrow is picked up by a parent and I make sure Snowdrop is prepped properly for her class.

I watch for a while...





... and then the second parent comes and I'm off to pick up Ed's favorite take out food (at Chipotle).

By 6:45, my coat is off, the trays of food are on the table.