On Sunday night, just after Chris put Dashiell down to sleep, we dished up bowls of lentil soup that had been simmering on the stove and topped it and handfuls of homemade herbed croutons and parmesan cheese. The soup was my standard lentil soup but it came out exceptional this time (I promise to share the recipe eventually). Bowl in hand, I retreated to the dining room table to read a few chapters of Delancey (which I'm re-reading in preparation for the Girl Next Door Book Club!) and breathed a big sigh of ahhhhhhh.  

Dashiell is fourteen months old and doing so many fun things like running and shrieking, playing in the sprinklers outside, wrestling with us, making a sound that is reminiscent of "moo" when we ask, "What does a cow say?", and bringing books to us and then climbing into our laps. He is constantly busy and going and I'm in awe of seeing him learn and grow. Chris and I say to each other this is the best.

With all the activity that keeping up with a toddler brings I have such deep appreciation now for quiet evenings. I savor the simple beauty of a peaceful meal with a book, eaten sitting down at the table and during which no food will be flung to the ground, so very much. Ahhhhh indeed.

Wishing you a happy Monday!