Sweet Quiet

The kids and I had a most unusual evening. I wish I could recreate it on demand. Most evenings here are a bit crazy. After dinner and clean up, Daniel usually needs to run out some energy. He and Michael wrestle or race cars in the living room. Brenna usually joins in after a few minutes and the noise level gets louder and louder. I suppose it makes us appreciate the quiet hours after bedtime all the more.

Tonight, though, was different. Michael was out, so it was just the four of us. Carrie went upstairs to sleep right before dinner so that left Brenna, Daniel, and I. After we cleaned up the dishes and washed little hands, we all went into the living room. I sat down to work on my quilt, fully expecting a typically noisy night. Instead, it got very quiet.

I turned to my right and saw Brenna laying out on the short couch, book in hand. Daniel was at the bookshelf, choosing a stack of books. I turned back to my quilt, mentally figuring out how to explain to him, for the fifteenth time today, that I can't read to him because my voice is gone and my throat hurts. I waited for the question...but it didn't come.

I sneaked a peak over my left shoulder. And there he was, sitting on the big couch slowly working his way through four Dora the Explorer books.

It lasted a full twenty minutes! If only I could make that happen a bit more often...