For the First Time

For the first time since last autumn, I was actually pleased to see the rain fall this week. For the majority of the final week in September, temperatures reached the upper 70's, and the sun shined bright against the blue sky. However, as the week concluded, it was evident that our sunshiny days are probably limited for the remainder of 2011. Despite the fact that I relish the sun, and we Seattleites were robbed of an adequate number of warm summer days this year, I welcomed the rainfall. There is something that feels absolutely right about crisp, drizzling autumn mornings, as school gets started and college football is underway. As a lifelong Pacific Northwesterner, I am acclimated to the wet, grey winters we usually have, but will be quick to add that I hope the sun returns to our lives sooner than it did in 2011.

For the first time in his relatively short experience with swimming so far, Asher willingly put his face under water during swim lessons. We've been struggling with convincing the kids to submerge in the pool for a while now. Asher is very comfortable during swimming lessons when Mama or Dada is in the pool with him, and we have often dunked him under the water ourselves only to have him come up looking very surprised but not seeming too distressed. However, getting Asher to put his face into the pool on his own accord has been a challenge ever since we started swimming lessons last year. This fall, our names came up at the top of the two-year wait list for lessons at Children's Hospital. The pool ranges in temperature between 90 and 94 degrees, and with the whole family in together, the kids love it! They've been making a lot of progress this session, and we plan to continue, especially when they make great strides like Asher did this week. Mama was very proud!

For the first time ever, Addy completely changed her clothes all by herself. Mind you, it took many, many minutes to complete the task, but she did it! Addy has been removing articles of her clothing for at least a year I think. But it wasn't until this week that she took off each piece of clothing and then re-dressed herself in something else. It is my guess that she may have been capable of doing this for many months, but I have a tendency to step in and help her. Now that I know she can do it on her own, I think I'll let her take on that responsibility more often. Her face beamed with pride when she had the new outfit on, and I could tell she felt a big sense of accomplishment. It was a heart-warming moment for Mama.

For the first time in at least a baker's dozen of months, I was hit on by someone other than my husband. And while the situation wasn't really "blog worthy" nor interesting, in retrospect it was a very peculiar and humorous event and something that I haven't experienced for a while. I could have sworn I was on candid camera. What made me laugh after I gently turned him down was the set of circumstances that made his proposal so strange. I was sitting in the waiting room at the physical therapist's office reading Parents magazine, next to a bag with the twins' preschool written across it, and not looking in the least bit as if I was trying to "pick up a dude." Of course, as always, I was wearing my wedding ring. There are quite a number of reasons for why his approach was so odd, but I do have to give him props for his courage. Either that, or feel very sorry for him and his desperation. First, why would you look for a potential date at the physical therapist's office? Aren't most people there because they are recovering from an injury and probably aren't looking to score a date? Second, before you proposition a woman and attempt to give her your best line, wouldn't you survey the situation to try and decipher if she is a good candidate to approach? Is she wearing a ring? Does she look like she might be available and without a partner or children (i.e. NOT reading a parenting magazine or carrying a bag from a preschool)? And finally, while I admit that I was one of the cutest ladies in the room, if not one of the youngest and seemingly most physically fit, it (and thus he) was WEIRD. I will not be upset if I don't experience that again ever, despite the humor I derived from the entire situation.

For the first time since Addy and Asher were born, practically, I sat down in the middle of the day on Friday and read a book for twenty-five minutes. And, I am not going to pretend that it wasn't heaven! During the daylight hours each day, my time is spent with the kids doing a myriad of things, and/or cleaning, cooking, running errands, etc. I really don't have much down time until they go to sleep at night. There is ALWAYS something that needs to be done. However, with Addy and Asher in school on Friday, and while waiting for a return phone call from our moving company, I actually sat down in the family room and read a bit of a book. I have enrolled in a writing class, which starts in a couple weeks, and we have two (quite lengthy) books to read throughout the course of the class. Knowing that I do not have much free time, I wanted to get a head start on them. So, on Friday, I did. I can't tell you how refreshing it felt, and how nice it was to sit and read a good novel with the sun shining through the window and a cup of tea. Normally, I am the type of person who does two things (at least) simultaneously. I am the epitome of a multi-tasker. When I shower, I also brush my teeth. When watching TV, I also work on the laptop- planning out the week, making lists, reading articles, blogging, balancing the checkbook, or something similar. And when cooking or cleaning, I often make phone calls to various people at the same time. Friday, for twenty-five minutes, it was delightful to do just one thing. Read. I plan to try and do it again before another three years pass us by.

And for the first time since they became mobile, I was able to capture a cute photo of our two, almost three-year olds, in only five attempts, clad in their fall vests on the way to school: