Today has been one of those super good days that makes up for all of the not so super good days I've had in recent memory. I love how just one super good day can have the power to kick the crap out of about 5 super bad days. This is one of life's little treats that I truly savor.
HELLO RAIN! When Baby Sumo woke up at about 4 a.m. today and was ready for a snack and snuggle time, I dragged my tired ass upstairs to her nursery, scooped her up out of her crib and proceeded to do our middle of the night routine- which involves her nursing back to sleep on me while I nod in and out of a bleary-eyed, sleep-deprived stupor. In the midst of our nursing/cuddle/dozing time, thunder rolled outside, causing me to snap out of it enough to realize it was raining. The sound of the rain clickity-clacking on the window put my whole body at ease and the baby and I sighed collectively and melted into one another even further. It's small moments like this one that you have with your child when they are just a little baby- when it's just the two of you together in the quiet, still, wee hours of the night- that make being a mother the most magical experience in the world.
I was thrilled to discover later, after I was up for the day, that the rain lasted all night. It wasn't just a fluke, freak rain blast like last time. It drizzled on and off in the morning, then we got hit with a pretty impressive downpour. This caused the temperature outside to drop to a heavenly 73 degrees and allowed us to shut down the AC and open the back doors, leaving the screens open and all of the beautiful wet rain smells free to drift in and refresh our home. Jude ate his oatmeal clad in his underwear and chattered on and on about the rain- getting up frequently from his little table to run to the screen door, spoon in hand, and shout, "Wook Mommy! It waining! Wook Daddy! It waining!" Then he'd hurry back to his table to gaze out the windows and watch as the rain poured down and hit the water in the pool, doing the little happy shoulder wiggle dance he does when he's excited while he ate. The sight of him having this moment of appreciating the rain all on his own is a priceless memory of him that I already know I will never forget.
The cats even slinked out of their mysterious daytime hiding places to join the dog at the back door, unfazed for the moment by the wrath of Jude. The dog and cats lounged together on the floor, leaning against the screen and enjoyed the rain together.
With the AC shut down, the energy in my house changed- for the better. It has been working so hard these past two months that when we turned it off, I could actually feel my entire house RELAX, which in turn of course sent that wonderful vibe directly into each one of us- including the pets. Even when Jude would run to the door and get in their faces to yell, "Wook Nilo, it waining! Wook big Dee, it waining! Big puppy! It waining!" addressing each of them individually, the animals didn't run away, but instead just twitched their tails, as if to say in agreement, "I hear you, brother."
Driving to take Jude to Playschool, I tried to remember the last time I drove in rain- and I couldn't remember. It has been that long. It remained cloudy and cool for the majority of the early part of the day, and I actually got to drive with the windows rolled down after the rain passed. Baby Sumo made cute, girlie baby sounds in her car seat in the back, and it occurred to me that this was her very first drive with the windows rolled down. Her first ride where a cool breeze could hit her little cheeks and the sound of swishing windshield wipers could lull her to sleep.
Driving with the windows rolled down was the cherry on my Thursday. Not only did I feel like I was breathing outdoor air for the first time in forever, I felt like I could practically feel the Earth beneath me breathing for the first time in forever. She's been so parched and thirsty around these parts for so long, the wetness on the ground began to seem like puddles of thankful tears.
At one point, while listening to the Beatles LOVE soundtrack amidst taking all of this in, all of these good vibes got a little overwhelming to me. It takes a lot to move me, but I gotta admit: I was on fire with the "moment" having today.
I thought to myself that from now on, when it rains, I will think back to this horrible drought we've been in this year and I'll be grateful for every drop. I've always loved the rain, but now I think I love it just that much more.
