Library...Ordinary Days

Our lives are like a kalidascope...you might look into it one day and see a beautiful array of flowers...turn it just a fraction of an inch the next day and it is a crazy mess!  That is how our days can be.  In the beginning...19 months ago...there were a lot of crazy messy days...lack of sleep...new information...almost daily appointments and medication...and yet there were moments in those days, that we stopped to gaze at the beautiful eyes of our newborn daughter.  She was beautiful and life is beautiful and she was snuggly and warm and oh so fragile.  And we all loved her so much.

There are less crazy days and more...ordinary days...and we have come to love and appreciate ORDINARY.  It is slow and relaxed and beautifully quiet.  Ordinary is comfortable and happy.  Ordinary...means that there are no appointments or meetings or therapies.  Ordinary is playing at home or at the park or a trip to the library.  

(don't you wish all children just sat and read quietly like this:)

This is the art at the library.  It is not fragile, but meant to be touched and beautiful.

Some children do sit quietly here...

And some lean back to read even...

Isn't this how it should be?  Quiet and relaxing and comfortable at the library.

Some can be quite silly on these ordinary days:)

We love the comfort of cozily fitting into someones arms, don't we...

And if you are ever so patient, this art will tell you a wonderful tale of 

faries or princesses or even a dragon school (our newest favorite chapter books).

I think that the real beauty in these ordinary moments and days is the love between sisters that is fostered and strengthened.  The care and love and nurturing and teaching that happens spontaneously is so beautiful.

(I will not kid you into thinking that all interaction between sisters is so peaceful and lovely...

but on my birthday, this day at the library, it was my present from them:)

Oh the choices...This is the princess aisle...

The sheer joy that all those fancily dressed princesses bring to a three year old.

The choice can take a lot of time...too long sometimes...and then it happens...

they pick just the right book to read...

And they stand right there by the shelf to read it. 

 There is no waiting to get to the table or the comfy chairs or heaven forbid, HOME,

Right there in the aisle with all the books surrounding them.  

That is where my beautiful readers like to read.  

Maybe the surrounding of the books is the comfort for them. 

The ability at the last minute to change their mind, "turn the kolidiscope", 

and look at a completely different story,

that is also simply wonderful.

I love that no matter how many times we go to the library or how many times we look at the same books over and over and over again, they are still amazed and in awe of a good book...

and the beauty of learning to read it yourself...

Here at our ordinary library...they have a puppet theater...and since we like to go when the library is quiet, and empty...we have it all to ourselves and they get to send their imaginations into new places of wonder and excitement and discovery of new stories to tell...

And they sure can captivate an audience with those stories.

But the plugs on the floor are also equally captivating to this audience member.

Not every day is so quiet and beautiful and ordinary, but I am thankful that our lives have settled down and our new "normal" and ordinary are a bit different than they used to be...but still so wonderful and we so enjoy the ordinary days that come around every so often to recharge us for the messy crazy days that come along too.

So...Have an ORDINARY and quiet day today!