Did I mention Lydia will eat anything? As in, two days before we were supposed to board a flight for India, she swallowed the top of a nail clipper. (It came out the morning of our flight, thank goodness.) Tonight, while she was home with the babysitter, she guzzled nail polish remover. After we debriefed with poison control (and came home early from our date), we sat Lydia down and grilled her about if/how much nail polish she drank. Lydia cheerfully replied that she’d drunk the whole bottle and had a bad feeling in her tummy. She then smiled and took a big bite out of the crayon she was coloring with. Clearly, she loved all the attention, and I can hardly recall a time when she has been so cheerful and charming. We think she is going to be fine.
So, about the date! Abe’s mom sits on the board of directors for the Utah Chamber Artists, and tonight was their benefactor concert, so we got to go! The music was transcendent. Have you ever wondered what it must be like to be God and have everyone praying and demanding things of you–all at once? This piece is an incredible attempt at imagining that scenario: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqZ9Eec6PkA. And this piece was my absolute favorite–a spiritual/musical high that reduced the audience to one big puddle of emotion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST67T386rcs
So much excitement after 6:30pm! But before that, we spent exactly ten (glorious) minutes outside of our house. I basically fed, played with, and read to the girls all day inside. And actually, even though that doesn’t sound super exciting, it felt wonderful. Normally on Mondays I disinfect all the bathrooms, vacuum, change the sheets, dust and pick up everywhere. Today I did none of that (although I did fold three loads of laundry that had been sitting in their baskets since Saturday). It felt great to just say, “You know what? Today I AM going to spend quality time with my kids!”
Here are some pics from the day:
- She really liked the blueberry banana waffles I made her for her (er, my) post-nap snack. And she tried raisins for the first time, too, which she also seemed to enjoy.
- Pre-lunch smile.
Rummaging for tomatoes–probably Lydia’s favorite activity. 
Exiting the tomato patch. 
- Voluntarily, vigorously wiping the dirt off her feet because I complain so much when things are dirty. This kind of tugged on my heart.
- Wow, those ten minutes outside got a lot of blog play, didn’t they? Well, they are a lot more picturesque than pictures inside my house on the day I ditched cleaning, I can tell you that.
