introvert

I've been dwelling in my inner-introvert since my post birthday re-entry.  It took a week or so for me to get all my mama-ing, teaching, meal-planning, cleaning, homework facilitating and general dealing muscles back into gear.  No joke, these jobs.  Real stuff.  Hardcore.  Since my return, I've spent every night post 8:15 in my bed, reading a book, watching a movie, general quiet.  I can barely remember the weekend but that it was a splendid mellow of closet cleaning and laundry, of, "Frozen" songs and muffin baking. 

It's amazing how much I built up my birthday trip.  How long I thought about where to go.  How much energy my little mind put into thinking out different plans, dreaming big, something so all about me.  And then, at the end of the day, it's just so dang nice to be back in my normal life.  To put my children to bed.  To hold Soli when he says, "Mama?  Can you lay with me?"  To listen to Eliana tell me about all her big Easter plans, how she hopes to wake up early and gather a bouquet of flowers for the house, before she decorates more eggs.  I'm not sure if she realizes that, alas, in Montana the flowers do not bloom by Easter.  Ever the optimist, my girl. 

She is now without either front tooth and just seems to be changing by the minute.  She performed this song and dance at school the other day, and got herself all gussied up in her international best for the occasion.  She was rad.  All full arm movements and loud singing, all confidence and gorgeous smile.  Happy tears indeed.  And a forgiveness of myself that I don't drive her to ballet/gymnastics/theatre/singing after-school.  Homegirl is doing just swell.

And then there's Mr. Beans.  Mr. Beans turns four in two weeks.  His mind is working overtime, putting new phrases together in Spanish, coming home with all sorts of random facts.  He's obsessed with these plastic animal figurines and plays all sorts of mysterious games with them.  Tonight he pointed out the penis on his plastic bison animal.  Like a true naturalist he stated, "Mama.  This is the American bison's penis."  I said, "Wow!  Soli!  I didn't know that your bison had a penis."  He said, "Not my bison, the American bison."  Alrighty then. 

So I have a scientist.  I have a performer.  For now, I'm happy to let them take the lead, do the talking, make the plans.  My inner-introvert is more than content to be home, the two of them in the room next door, the American bison and his penis happily asleep beneath Soli's pillow.