Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

by ruth hulburt hamilton


i've always loved this poem. i thought it proper to post today because it's exactly how i have felt the last few weeks. i'm such a person of order. laundry always done, house almost always neat and tidy.
but the last few days i have put off almost every daily chore, rather i have spent time taking in my children..
and loving every second of it.


on monday ...

brian and i took the kids on a trip down to the florida aquarium. i wasn't sure what to expect. i have learned that florida things never compare much to things from when i was growing up in ohio. but i must say i was pleasantly surprised and it ended up being almost an all day trip. levi is definitely expanding his knowledge of fish. brian eyes beamed as he watched his little boy point out a good handful of fish and shout out their names correctly
(i give this educational credit to animal crossings!).


we had dinner out, stopped at cold stone and started to make our way home when we came across an ikea!
i had to go in and see what all the fuss was about. the store was HUGE! but i must say i wasn't very impressed. most of the styles were a little to contemporary for my liking and it kinda looked cheap to me too....
sorry if you are an ikea fan!
but anyway, now i know.

on tuesday...

the weather was finally good enough for the kids to get their first swim lesson.
they have been talking about them with great anticipation, but as the stranger (ashley) made her way up the driveway they both got a little freaked out. i don't think they realized what a swim lesson would entail.

i made levi go first thinking to get the harder one out of the way.
little did i know, yea right!

levi did great, took right on, listened to every word miss ashley told him. by the end he was so impressed with himself for being able to get into the water without his floaties. so i think it is safe to say i will have at least one full swimmer by the end of summer.

alivia on the other hand (yes, my daughter that knows no fear) met her arch enemy...
the water.

this girl screamed and cried the entire lesson!
she listened and did everything ashely told her to do...
but she did it thought a beat red, teary eyed, screaming manor.

"mommy, i'm done... i'm done, i need out, out...." the only words she muttered the whole 30 min.
however, two seconds after ashely left the house i asked her if she wanted to do swim lessons again (not that i would be giving her an option, she could scream all summer long about them for all i care) but she looked up with a smile and said...
"yes"

sweet, sweet alivia!

we decided to head over to the beach to cheer my sister donna on for her 4 mile run in the evening. and on the way there...
i got a speeding ticket!
my first one ever!
surprisingly, i didn't cry. i always thought i would, but when the time came i felt nothing.
in fact, i laughed as the lady was writing it up when levi asked me if we were going to get arrested...
i was only going 6 miles over the limit... she "clocked me doing 46 in a 40"...
what can i say...
i'm a law breaker.



anyway,
here it is wednesday night...
and laundry isn't done, my floors haven't been mopped in days.
and for some reason, i still don't care.

i'm taking in these summer days with my kids.
playing, laughing, adventuring...


cause i know, my babies won't keep.