Rainy Days and Rhythms

We've had a rainy weekend that we spent mostly inside because we all took a turn being sick. All of our family rhythms were off - meals, morning routines, projects around the house and Sunday's activities. Even though Ezra is only 16 months he knows these rhythms and reminds us in his own way when we are off...pointing at the snack cupboard, getting his boots out of the closet, finding his blankie, reaching for the door knob, pulling at his clothes to be changed, folding his hands when we sit down (even when there is no food in front of us). In fact, he points out things that we didn't even know we did until we do them wrong! This weekend he reached for the door knob to go outside, which most of Saturday and Sunday wasn't an option.


Finally on Sunday night, after the sixth bath that day (sick kids = lots of baths) and pajamas, Ezra had enough. He reached for the back door, and then ran to the front door and whined, and then the back door... until I had had enough. Even though it was raining and we weren't feeling 100 percent, we ventured out. (Brian was preaching and Ezra and I skipped church). He led me right to the spot he likes to go to - the little bench that he is almost big enough to sit on himself. The creek was pretty full so it was fun to see all the water spilling in. He could do without some things during the weekend, but going outside was not one of them!

A year ago on March 12 I wrote in his journal, "He is slowly getting a nice schedule finally, sleeping 10 hours... we just started solid foods this week." As new parents we didn't realize that it took so much work to teach a baby life's normal rhythms of sleeping and eating. We honestly thought they came with that built in. So much has changed in a year! I had fun looking at pictures from last year... One thing that hasn't changed - his hair still sticks straight up.