Yesterday was like everyday. By mid-afternoon we had eaten lunch and each of us had washed our own dishes and set them to dry. The tea was steeping. And then, like everyday, we headed to the family room for our chapter. Each day that we are at home we follow the same rhythm. Not a schedule mind you, but a tempo for our day. And after lunch and before we head outside we end up here. On the couch.
Sage, Lupine and I snuggle in under the afghan (recently discovered in my hope chest), three mugs of steaming tea on the coffee table. We pick up our chapter book and cozy in.
Yesterday Sage snuggled in extra close with a dreamy look in his eyes and said, "Mama, this is my favorite part of the day." He hugged me. I hugged him back.
It is a simple formula, really. A magical book. A chapter a day in the quiet of the afternoon. The family room couch. A warm blanket. Some tea. Lupine on the right, Sage on the left. Predictable, comfortable, safe. The same rhythm, day after day.
We all thrive on this tempo, knowing exactly what to expect and when. I love how it centers and connects the three of us. We join in the story as it unfolds, spun in the mystery and magic of the tale. We don't watch television or movies, so I suppose this is our answer to that story-spinning and relaxation that many find before the screen. The difference, though, is that our minds create the magic - the pictures, the tone of each voice, the scene - and we connect so deeply with each other during the telling. We live in the story day after wonderful day.
Yes, Sage. It is my favorite part of the day, too.
P.S. Our current book is the Wind Boy by Ethel Cook Eliot. I can not recommend it highly enough. Sweet, convincing magic with just enough plot for a four-year-old, an eight-year-old, and a thirty-seven-year-old.
