QUALITY TIME

This morning before breakfast, I headed outside to work in the garden. I love being outside in the morning...the early birdsong in our little hayfield is spectacular. I had not been in the garden long when Reuben wandered out and joined me. After weeding around the cucumbers and melons, I took a break to fix breakfast for the chilluns, then tackled the strawberry beds. The strawberries Donna gave me this spring are doing so well and putting out so many runners that we already have enough new crowns to start filling out the second bed!

While Reuben weeded around the herbs, I watered the garden. Then we watered the plants around the house and yard, and weeded a few of the flower beds. My grandmother used to say, "Everyone needs a little dirt to scratch around in." She's right - scratching around in the dirt felt glorious after so many days of standing under fluorescent lighting at a cash register.

This week, I'm cashiering short evenings instead of long, long days. Which means, the kids and I have the days together. Not that we're spending "quality time" together....no, we're just living life together. In the garden and the yard. In the house, as we clean and dust and mop. In the kitchen, washing breakfast dishes or fixing sandwiches for lunch. In my room, folding laundry with the girls. On the porch, eating freeze pops while Nate cleans out the car, country music blaring from the radio.

But that is quality time, isn't it? It's not spectacular holidays and events, but rather the day-in-and-day-out mundanity of living life together. I am so truly thankful for this very special, very ordinary day together with my children.

(I wrote this post on Tuesday. Today - Thursday - is my one day shift, so I'll be heading out soon. I'm going to miss being home!)