Life's simple pleasures

Tonight Gabe said, "You're a good cook Mama," and I beamed with pride. He was having a rough night. Came home upset to tell me he had earned a failing grade on a social studies test last week, so we worked together most of the night correcting his 11 incorrect answers. It's definitely not the easiest thing to help children with homework while cooking dinner -- something I have only recently learned because I never cooked before.

I have a newfound appreciation for the crockpot. I prefer it because I can make dinner after putting the kids to bed. I like spending quality time with them because I never feel like I have enough of it. I am always racing into the community center to pick them up from after school care just before 6 p.m. because I have to deal with traffic coming from D.C. By the time we get home, it's 6:15 and I have always been adamant about a 7:30 bedtime. It's more like 8 or 8:30 before they're actually asleep, and they struggle to get up when the alarm goes off at 6. So to have dinner ready to go the second we walk in at 6:15 is pretty darn awesome.

Tonight though I didn't have anything ready, so I grilled some chicken breasts in a pan with chicken broth and some seasoning and did steamed broccoli with toast. I thought it was a fairly boring meal, but the kids were thrilled, humming and happy. As someone who is just figuring out how to cook anything, I felt incredibly thrilled Gabe voiced such a strong positive opinion about the meal. Funny how the little things make you so happy...

Sofia announced from the dinner table that she wants to go to the same school that Miss Linda's daughter goes to -- the Rhode Island School of Design. She also said she wants to draw a picture of Frida that I have on the wall in the dining room. She started asking questions about Frida, and I was so excited to tell her all about Frida. Well, I kept it pretty G-rated, but I did tell her quite a bit about her life. Sofia wanted to read the "baby gator story" again, so we read that together in bed. And then, I fell asleep putting Gabe to bed. He still twists and twirls my hair as he's falling asleep. I always say, "I'm staying for two minutes," and before I know it, I'm snoozing. That was at 8 tonight and now I am laying in bed wide awake, wondering when I'll be able to fall back asleep. Tomorrow morning, that 6 a.m. wake-up call is going to be brutal. :)