Om Shanti

Today dawned early, 5:30 AM to be exact. It's as if Leo wants to make the MOST of his weekend days, and that he does.

There are upshots to being awake before the sun comes up. Let's just say we were one of the first families to arrive at the
apple/pumpkin orchard this morning. It was a picture perfect fall day. Crisp temperatures, sun, leaves at peak. Who needs New England when you have New Jersey (kidding, guys). Pictures to come.

We returned home with happy memories of hay rides and cider donuts and strange marshmellow/chocolate/sprinkle dipped concoctions, along with bags of apples (don't ask me what we're going to do with them) three perfect pumpkins, and two tired children. As soon as Leo announced he wanted to "play outside" (Ellie's room overlooks the backyard), I knew there would be no Ellie nap. And that was really OK. Because while Erin and I raked about 70-million pounds of leaves and Leo undid a good amount of our work (we piled, he jumped and unpiled-yardwork with Leo brings new meaning to the expression "exercise in futility), the kids really had a grand time.

They've recently discovered "Red Rover," ---Do you remember it from your school days? "Red Rover, Red Rover send--fill-in-the-blank-right over!" So there was a good hour of them bounding towards me, collapsing into my lap, laughter, breath, sighs of satisfaction.

They LOVE it. Leo could play it for days. And it seems that we did. And I even said to Erin tonight, close to bedtime, do you ever feel like your day is really three days in one? Or at the very least two? That we pack that much into it? Of course it doesn't hurt when your day STARTS at 5:30 AM.

So it's now barely 7:30 PM. Ellie and I skipped books and went straight to "Om Shanti," my go-to lullabye. It's funny, I have no memories of my mom singing to me but plenty of memories of my dad. He sang "Om Shanti" and "Eastside, Westside." To wake me up there was music too--Pachobel's Canon in D. Not a bad way to start the day.

Tonight when I sang, Ellie rested her head on my shoulder as I swayed. She's a big girl, but still loves the baby things, like being rocked and lullabyes (who doesn't?).

I lay her down and rubbed her back and gave her the usual speech (where we run through the litany of immediate and extended family who love Ellie). Tonight's repetoire was admittedly abbreviated: "Mama loves you and Mommy loves you and Leo loves you and Ruby loves you....Goodnight Ellie."

And with that I prepared to leave the room.

"And Grandma!" piped up an exhausted, small voice.

And Grandma. Of course. Yes, Ellie. Grandma loves you.