good ole winter fun

I have been tutoring quite a bit this past month. I am gone Monday thru Thursday for dinner, bath, and sometimes even bed. Lets just say Adam rocks. He feeds them, plays with them, bathes them, reads them stories, and puts them to sleep every Tuesday and Thursday. I actually "work" about 10 hours a week, and take so much pride in saying to the kids, "I have to go to work" as well as all the extra cash that is finally landing in our savings (it is all about the 60-40, right Amy?)

Just when I started crunching numbers and thinking about returning to teaching, students left and right came racing to me for help. I have even turned away a few students, because when push comes to shove, I really want to be the one home with my kids. And I must pause and say the only reason I can tutor as much as I do is because my parents are eager to watch, play, and entertain my children daily, and because Adam is such a playful, dedicated, and wonderful dad.

But this post wasn't supposed to be about how happy I am to A. have breaks in my long day, B. being working with students, teachers and families, or C. How the money is awesome, it is really about the days I don't tutor. The days I have to just enjoy my kids.

Two days ago with a break in the weather and a few patches of blue skies, we did the unthinkable (well, for us) We headed out for a nature walk at 11:30. Lunch time and naptime. We headed out and didn't worry about who got hungry, where Kate would pee, or how wet we got. We didn't worry about which trail would take us home faster, or if the rain would pour on us in the middle of the walk like last time. We just peacefully marched around, found the biggest puddles of our lives, searched for treasures like clumps of mossy grossness, watched Hawks, spotted Blewits (an edible mushroom), peed on trails when the time arose, raced around without a care in the world. Honestly I can say it was the first nature walk without one second of frustration on anyone's part.

I risked hungry tired kids far from home, and didn't care. I risked missing Adam coming home from lunch and helping get Kate down for a nap, and I didn't care. I risked Kate pooping in her underwear like she loves to do, or having a pee accident without a spare pair of pants. And didn't care.

And it all worked out. 1 hour and 45 minutes of peace, adventure, and fun.

It is so good to tutor, but on the days where I can frolick with the kids all day long, it is so good too.