May 6, 2013

The Napping House

     It is quiet in here!  Baby is taking a “working nap” in the carrier, nursing, while I “work”.  Hail is in bed.  She is sprawled out with two bloodied knees oiled in bactine propped across pillows, under the ceiling fan, snoring.  It took a cold bath, a popsicle, and a lollipop to calm her down.  Ah, the casualties of childhood, the cost of a hot day of hard play with Daddo in the wash. 

    But all is well that ends well.  The house is quiet except for an occasional rustle of paper when the air kicks on.  Summer will be here again soon.  We almost traded it all in for a tropical storm in Miami.  But here we are, back again, in the desert in time for the dust storms, monsoons, and haboobs.  Four little Aharts, just bits of dust carried on an “atmospheric gravity current”, (thanks for the metaphor Wikipedia). 

     There’s something about a two week road trip with two little children to put my priorities in perspective.  My husband loves this time of year in the desert.  He seeks the solitude of the afternoon sun, walking miles in its intensity.  When it “warms” up he’ll head to Death Valley where he can break a proper sweat.  I know he is doing some soul searching based on the length of his beard and based on his hours as of late he has been spending in the desert.

     Did I mention it was a road trip TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD?  It was hard and wrong and full of challenges, but mostly it was fun.  We are good like that.  When the going gets tough we cling even tighter.  We rise to the occasion, we stand taller.  We are a family.  And after all, all is well that ends well, right?