Falling Back

pancakes to start the day, what better way?

It was wonderful to stay up to 10PM with the kids and put them to bed knowing that it was really 9PM or would be in a few hours. Daylight Savings Time is the bomb! At least for a day. I looked at today’s details the sun rose at 6:30 AM and will set at 4:41 PM, even this early in the morning that is 10 hours and 11 minutes, how can that be? Regardless, that is the daylight we have, so we must make it count, worthwhile.

Yesterday, we worked together in the yard. We had breakfast of pancakes and bacon and headed outside to tackle the leaves. William was a huge help. Olivia was a hard worker, too and Ivy had fun playing in the leaf piles Olivia built, though Ivy had more fun chewing and gnawing on sticks and running and playing. I know she was tired when we finished three hours later. We were all tired when we finished. We cleaned up and had a couple hours of daylight left to work on some inside chores. I was really tired, I coaxed Olivia to lay down for a bit, and I read to her from the book I have been reading aloud to her, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. Usually read aloud time is reserved for bedtime, and I know why. I read a few pages and became sleepy and I was out for a short late afternoon nap.

William in the 2000, love the curls!
William bags the last of the yard clippings, Fall 2011
William plays in the leaves, fall 2000

In return for their hard work and cooperation, I had promised them a movie night. Originally, I had Pirates of the Caribbean in mind but William had another title in mind. Our family must be the only family in America that has not scene Pirates of the Caribbean.  I have the soundtrack on my iPod, but that is it. After dinner, we hit the red Box on the way home and found William’s movie and another title – Soul Surfer. Soul Surfer is the story of Bethany Hamilton who lost her arm in a vicious shark attack and her recovery. I was surprised they picked Soul Surfer to go first and we all settled in to watch it. It was a moving tale and the kids were glued to the story.  All of us watched it in the family room, even Ivy who wanted to wrestle and play, and we gave it a ‘thumbs up.’ I hope that the message will endure or at least parts of it into today and beyond. I saw on William’s FB page he had posted Soul Surfer is an awesome movie on his wall.

Olivia bags leaves on the deck and help clean my 'office view'
Olivia and Ivy play in the leaf pile
the view from my office, a day later!

The movie made me think of all the ways I make my days count. This weekend with the kids has been great; they have cooperated and gotten along except for a half-hour period Friday when the ownership of Snickers bar was in question. But, time to share being outside with the kids, watching high school football, cooking breakfast, and this morning attending church together make me realize that the days do count, indeed. I had a flashback to fall clean up years ago and remembered how far we all have come and in many ways, how we have stayed the same.

As always, I have gazillion things to do, but today is gonna be a great day, I know it and I can feel it. Making the Days Count, in so many ways.

What will you do today, to make your day count?

Thanks for visiting MtDC. How are YOU Making YOUR Days Count?