They Are The Sunshine

We have really had the most perfect past two days. The weather has been cool -- high 60s, low 70s -- but sunny and really quite lovely. Yesterday morning the girls and I played and read books together and deep-cleaned the house, then packed up snacks and books for a two-mile run and one-mile walk with the dogs. Marta played in the sprinkler, I watered the flowers and Berit rode her bike, and it was just so nice to be outdoors in the sunshine after the past few days of dreary weather.

After Marta's nap we met Trevor at the beach, where, despite the chilly air and water, Marta dove into the waves and she and Trevor swam for about an hour. Berit and I worked on a serious sand mountain with a moat, "boats," stones and sticks. We had such fun that when the girls' bedtime rolled around, we couldn't bear to head home so we loaded them up in the double jogger and walked the bike trail to get frozen custard.

When we finally made it home, friends were outside walking so the children rode bikes, pushed buggies and played in the dirt. They were over-tired when we put them to bed, but so happy.

Today was another beautiful day, and after a little playtime at home the girls and I went into town for the farmer's market. We parked at The Grain Train and stopped in for a snack, and the girls were so cute sitting at the table with their sneakily healthy cookies, string cheese and whole milk straight-from-the-farm. "Mmm, this tastes like special vanilla milk," Berit said. They sat there so nicely, playing little song games and chatting.

We walked to the farmer's market, only two blocks up, and they held hands and ran their little baby legs the whole way there. I must have looked so goofy, walking along slightly behind them, a teary-eyed giant smile on my face, taking mental photos.

We came home and painted pictures and stones, all the while chatting with Aunt Andrea over the iChat function of our computers so we could all see each other. Trevor got home early and we took the girls for a three-mile run, stopping along the way to toss stones in the creek and let them run a little themselves. Marta moved to a booster for dinner (will we keep this up? Highly unlikely, with the plate-banging and attempts at jumping off, but she loved it and so did Berit) and then she and I went outside to play in the sprinkler a little while Berit had her bath.

I feel like they're at such great ages right now -- they're buddies for the first time ever, and they love each other so much. They are both relatively independent and have fun ideas, can tackle activities together and generally like the same things. I know boys are blessings, but I'm so happy to have two little girls lately, mostly for the sheer adorableness of their dress-up, dancing and games they love, like kitchen, babies and dollhouse. Life is so sweet in this moment.

While walking home from getting frozen custard last night, an older couple passed us on bikes and looked fondly at the girls in their striped jammies, cozy in the jogger. I realized that soon enough we'll be through with this phase of our lives -- it's hectic, yes, but so, so wonderful. And I had a little ache in my heart, thinking that, one day, they won't be little anymore, and we'll miss it. I'll miss it, I know. Trevor is looking forward to travel, to restaurants, to rocking out more and rocking chairs less, I think. But when we have two days like we've had, with the most perfect moments happening one after another, I don't want them to grow an inch.