Some days, I am so exhausted by the time that the boys go to bed that it is a wonder that I have any brain power left to write blog posts, do dishes, or do any of the other things that I do in between the time that they go to bed and my own bed time. Parenting small children requires a great deal of physical and mental energy, and some days require more than others. For the past few days it felt like it took enormous amounts of energy just to get through the day with everyone being fed, clean, and occasionally happy, myself included.
Today was different. It was as if someone had flipped a switch. In fact, if there is a switch that was flipped to make today go the way that it went, I would like to know where that switch is located for future reference. Today was a great day. The boys got along well, Dylan listened to me more than he usually does and he communicated his needs wonderfully. We had lots of fun playing as well as some excellent conversations. Now that the boys are in bed I feel like I have plenty of mental and physical energy left for doing my own things.
When I experience such a sharp contrast in the quality of my family’s day from one day to the next, I can not help but wonder why. We do many of the same things every day, and there was nothing that happened today that was out of the ordinary. It could be related to the food that we are eating, because a couple of days I started a healthy eating initiative that also influenced the food on the boys’ plates. We were eating pretty healthy before though, so I don’t know whether the food is partially or fully responsible for our joyful day. Another factor may be that we were able to spend about an hour outside playing in the snow, and it was sunny out. In other words, we got our active outdoor time and a nice dose of Vitamin D, both of which are often in short supply during Vermont winters.
The bottom line is that there are so many things that could have influenced how our day went. Since I may not be able to pinpoint the exact cause of the family and domestic bliss that we experienced today, I am simply going to savor it and give thanks for it. I hope that other parents with small children have days like today, and plenty of them.