Solstice 2016: Calm and Bright

Today the sun was bright, the sky blue, and you could see the snow on the mountains. It was clear and cold and sunny.  I am  amazed at the impact light has on one's outlook. Oh, and also how much cuddling improves your day.

I got to start my day by holding a warm and calm and cuddly little baby -- my three week old niece -- when her folks came by for a breakfast visit. Nothing beats baby time.

Later, after retrieving my own kiddo from school a little early, we headed downtown for a special Christmas tea date with our friend Kathleen at The Sorrento. The hotel was decorated with garlands and lights and trees, putting us all in a festive mood.  There was surprising calmness from the 5-year old (perhaps the three tiers of pastries, sandwiches and desserts wore him down?) and we managed to enjoy a fairly civilized outing (silly selfies notwithstanding).

Once we returned home, our afternoon involved some quiet time and lots of snuggling while we recovered from our food coma and restored ourselves in anticipation of an evening Christmas concert with friends. Wy and I sat together in our biggest chair wrapped in a fuzzy blanket, talking about our day and ideas, and just being quiet together. The calm and cozy time we spent together today reminded me so much of the early days of  motherhood, when Wy and I would go-go-go all day long and finally, around 3:30, crash on the couch where we'd both fall asleep for an hour or two as the winter sun set.  Today, just like then, I very much enjoyed the calmness of snuggling together as the western light faded.

At tonight's concert, however, there was minimal calmness displayed by the two five-year olds we had in our company.  We made it through to the end of the program without too many problems, but with a considerable amount of shushing along the way.  

As the concert ended in candlelight with all of us softly singing along to Silent Night, for just a moment, I could not help thinking about how much brightness and even a few episodes of calmness I enjoyed today.

And then we bolted after the kids for cookies and drinks before heading out into the very cold night for home.