Front porch kind of day....

Today was a bit of a lazy Sunday ... mostly because Sequoia kept me up until around 3:30 this morning with one of her very rare bad nights. She was in a little discomfort that simply had to work its way through her system so we kept each other company until we both fell asleep on the couch. Of course the dogs decided they needed to go out at 5:30 and then Sequoia was ready for breakfast at 7:30 ... so there was not a lot of sleeping done last night.

Today we were all tired from the previous night's schedule so most grand plans for the day dissolved into quiet walks in the woods and relaxing in the shade of the front porch. She appears to have inherited my classic lean to the right while relaxing in a chair.

It gave me a chance to catch up with my parents as Sequoia and I placed a call to grandmom and granddad Newberg. Sequoia was relaxing in her Bumbo seat and really enjoying the morning including watching a little skink that was going about its morning rounds in the flower bed in front of her.

It was fun hanging out with Sequoia and Colleen this morning. The pace of life is very different with a kid around - not necessarily better or worse by definition. I guess it is more what you make of it than anything else. It is exhausting and demanding. Challenging and frustrating. It forces you to redefine who you are and what you do and when you do it.

But each of those challenges are part of what makes the experience so rewarding. I don't know how we will make out in the long run, but so far the experience has been exhilerating. It forces you to constantly raise the bar. It also allows you to rediscover parts of the world and parts of yourselves that time and experience have overshadowed. While we are busy helping Sequoia prepare for her future, she is reminding us how to enjoy the moment.

With all of that responsibility on her shoulders it is not surprising that she likes to relax in her robe and fuzzy slippers after a soothing bath at the end of a long day.