It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood....

Yes indeed, it is! It is a perfectly sunny, breezy, 70 degree day....a day when you can't help but see the bright side of things. Lucas slept last night in his new big boy bed, waking only once at 3:30am (really, an incredible night for him!), and then up for good at 6am (can't wait to turn those clocks ahead!). As with the beautiful crib we have enjoyed for the past five years, this great new Lucas bed was lent to us. We LOVE having friends who share--and of course we're looking forward to returning the crib after a more than generous five year stay at our house! I was concerned that he might not nap in the bed--too much temptation to get up and run around the room--but he had fallen asleep while we were out running errands, and I was able to put him right back down without even a wink. Again, this NEVER happens. What is with this day?

Wait, it gets better! We hauled out the double stroller and enjoyed the many flowers in bloom on a walk to the doctor's office. (Have I mentioned it is perfectly sunny today??? No coat weather! Hooray!) This visit to the doctor was for both kids: Kyra was complaining about her ear, and Lucas was, as always, rubbing both of his. The bright side of this visit? We were taken into the examining room early....I mean literally early! Our appointment was with a physician's assistant at 10am, and we were taken in at 9:55am. Again, this NEVER happens! Kyra survived a throat culture and received the good news that her treatment is to eat more popsicles and sleep upright to drain a little bit of fluid in her right ear. And Lucas? NO EAR INFECTIONS! Can you imagine? She suspects he has a sinus infection and prescribed an antibiotic, but we're giving ourselves a couple of days of saline nose drops and aggressive cold treatment before we dive into the antibiotic of the hour. WOW--what great news!

I am so dwelling in the light of this day, I was only minorly bothered when Lucas tried to choke his sister by pinching her neck and literally ran aisles away from me when I let him down to walk in Target. (I should note that I did so only after he literally stood in the child seat of the cart three times. It was let him walk or watch him fall from great heights!) To what or whom do I credit this great day? Well, let me share. A year or two ago I read a book called Spiritual Parenting: A Guide to Understanding and Nurturing the Heart of your Child. I really loved this book and could talk about it quite extensively, but will share one particular instance that has stayed with me since. The book is written by partners who are also parenting together, and they detailed some challenging times with one son, in particular. They used to hold hands together and "pray" for this child by simply envisioning him in a circle of light. As I remember it, they were simply envisioning him in the presence of God. On mornings when I am clear enough to remember, or when I'm particularly concerned or nervous about the day ahead, I do just the same. In true "put your own oxygen mask on first" fashion, I envision myself in light, and then I do so for each of my family members. You might scoff, but I have consistently found that these days, while perhaps no different in their activities or make-up, have this sort of indescribable glow. All of my family look lovely and "of God" to me. Those simple moments in the morning make all of the difference. This morning, with a few extra moments as Lucas played on his own in his room (chewing on the wire of his monitor, but that's another anxiety-producing story for another anxiety-producing day!), I did just this--one by one, I envisioned us in light. Try it--you, too, might find yourself walking in light for a day!