For several days in a row, the sunset stretched like taffy across our suburban skies. Blues, purples, pinks, and oranges melting into each other, one after another, until they blended into dark.� Picture after picture after picture, I clamored for more each evening around 5:00pm. I never got tired of the spectacle, not once. Like the Kardashians for T.M.Z., it never got old.
On Wednesday, the sky split open into fuschia. I gasped from my desk, and the boys scrambled up the back of the sofa to look out the window.
“It’s a Sailor’s Delight, mama,” from an observant Nicholas.
We kept watching.
“This is a nice family moment,” from an equally observant Mikey.
It didn’t take long, no more than a minute or two, for the sky to bleed into gray. The boys turned around and faced the room, now darker than before.
“It’s too bad the sunsets don’t last very long,” Mikey went on. “It’s not fair that something so cool goes so quick.”
That does seem to be life’s general theme.
After a break from the insanity of the holidays, we are back to reading The Chronicles of Narnia. The boys stumbled upon The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe movie over the weekend, and now that Mikey knows there are movies in his future, we can’t get through the books fast enough. Nicholas isn’t as interested–the English is old and complicated–but he has finally, finally taken an interest in me reading to him. I’ve jumped on this like a flea on a dog and try to read to him four books every morning after Mikey goes to school. Then, Mikey reads to him when he gets home as part of his homework assignment. Before we go to bed, more reading, usually Chronicles of Narnia. Whether he becomes the avid reader Mikey is remains to be seen, but it won’t be for lack of trying.
Today we read four books and then played four rousing games of Tic-Tac-Toe, during the first of which he beat me fair and square. I didn’t see it coming.
Then we ran errands, had lunch, and picked up Mikey and a neighborhood boy from school. Did some homework, took powers naps to recover from an accidental early morning, and ate pizza once the Mister came home. Brushed our teeth, put on our pajamas, and climbed into bed.
Now it’s the weekend, the middle of January, our twelve year wedding anniversary. The days go by quick, just like sunsets.
Happy 12th Anniversary! Yes, the years go by so quickly – we’re coming up on 12 years in June. I’m just not sure where the time went. Hope you find fun ways to celebrate the moments of life. Blessings!
Ah yes, a hint of magic does tend to be fleeting . . . but I imagine that’s one reason it’s all the more spectacular when we have it within our grasp . . .
And Happy Anniversary to you–may it just be the start of love and all good things.
Absolutely breathtaking (the sunset and the story)! I don’t believe I have ever seen a sunset with purples like that. Ours have pinks and oranges, but last longer. Happy Anniversary weekend! Hope you get do something special.
They go by super fast. It’s weird!
This post was such a perfect moment in my morning – the pictures and the words such a good reminder to “stop and watch the sunsets”. I suspect one thing that makes them so cool is that they go so quickly, but it is nice to know there are more to come. Thank you for giving me this serenity today. I hope I can carry it with me through this long weekend. And Happy Anniversary!
Yes, too quickly. My husband has an iron clad memory and I just seem to get by, but I always hope, when I have a moment like your sunset moment, that that moment will be one of the ones that burns into my memory. And of course I hope that for my kids, too. It’ll be interesting to see what memories they have when they get older.
I wonder how much of our lives the boys will remember, and what moments, too. One of our best days (that I happened to blog about, actually) was a couple of years ago. MLK day, I think! Anyway, we went to two libraries and baked an apple cake. Today (MLK day) I asked Mikey if he remembered that, and he didn’t! Sob.
Oh, and Happy Anniversary. Hope you have a great time reminiscing about your years together.
Reading is such a magical thing – I can’t remember my life without it. My parents have told me that it was instilled in me at a very very young age and for that, I am eternally grateful
I can’t remember not reading, nor can I imagine a life not reading.
I can’t believe you can get your little guy to willingly take naps. My 3.5-year-old will no longer nap on the weekends (sob) although he is still napping 1.5 hours at daycare.
It was only because we got up so early in the morning–completely unplanned. Mikey took naps all this week, and it turned out it was because he had pneumonia. (HUGE Mother’s guilt.)
You have such cute kids – bless them. I grew up with the same rhyme in England, but we used shepherds instead of sailors. Weird really, I grew up by the sea…!
That is weird! I wonder why?
‘Sailor’s Delight’ is flippin’ adorable, I imagine him saying that in his cute little way, where’s video Mama?
I’m absolutely horrible about video.
I can’t quite get my son as into books as his older sister. Like me, she’s a natural-born bookworm, and dives right in, while he (despite being a good reader) resists and whines and begs for more time on the DSi. Can’t get him into the “Magic Treehouse” series that she read multiple times over. Hopefully it’s just a matter of finding the right book or series.
Happy, happy anniversary. Hope you get some time to yourselves this weekend!
Some kids and adults–as unfathomable as it is to readers like us–just don’t think reading is all that. My husband can be like that, and he DOES NOT want our boys that way. We both believe life is so much easier (school, learning, etc.) when you read well and often. I’m sure your son is going to find something he loves, and then he’ll take off like a rabbit. (That happened with my neighbor’s son.)
Those pictures are beautiful. I don’t remember sunsets like that when I was there. Also, just love the way you word things.
It’s a winter thing. They’ve been crazy this month. We both know that when the summer and smog comes, all bets are off. We’re lucky to see sky at that point.
Love! The Kardashians to TMZ—too funny! And, yes, it is so true that the years like the sunsets go too quickly. Enjoy tonight.
You take me back with the CS Lewis books. We read the series aloud no less than three times. Reading aloud solidifies the family just as dinner together and prayer do.
I like that thought about reading and solidifying the family. xo
Beautiful evening shots, and the palm trees – oh so Californian. Lovely children, golden moments.
Thanks, Jenn!
Damn, your kids are precocious!
Hah! They have their moments. They can also drive me crazy, so don’t be fooled.
Hi, there. Have been reading your blog for a few months now, so thank you.
I’ve been having a similar experience with sunrises. The other morning I took my 2 year old out to see that the whole sky was pink and purple. I must have been very enthusiastic because now she wants to go outside every morning to see the “new sky!” Adorable, I think. And I love it every time.
Hi, Ashley! :) You know, just today–as soon as it started to get a little dark–Nicholas started looking out the window looking for the sunset. It made me realize how much the notice, and made me mindful to focus more on the beauty and positive.
gorgeous pictures. and happy anniversary!
Thank you, everyone, for the lovely anniversary wishes! It ended up being a wonderful day! Mikey was sick most of the weekend, but he is now doing much, much better.
xoxo