Quiet weekend

It snowed all day today, leaving a layer of slush on the road, and we've mostly nested at home all weekend: reading books, checking political news on the web, hosting playdates. Blaine took Lucinda to her gymnastics class this morning, but Arno and I didn't leave the house. We made chocolate chip cookies this afternoon.

On weekend days, Blaine and I really need down time when we can read a bit or answer email or read a book without feeling constantly on call, and this gets harder when the kids stop napping. So in the past few weeks, I've been training Lucinda and Arno to play together without squabbling every 15 minutes or demanding our intervention - and I think it's working.

Today they played for an hour of "quiet time" upstairs in Lucinda's room and for another 45 minutes in the morning and afternoon without any crying or screaming, which seemed miraculous. For "quiet time," I tell Lucinda how to read the clock to know when she can come out, and I extend the time if she comes downstairs early. She always complains about having to stay in her room, but eventually gives in to her enjoyment of books on CD (Little House in the Big Woods or, this week, Anne of Green Gables) that we rent from the Tokyo American Club. Arno is basically happy if Lucinda is willing to play with him.

We're already thinking ahead to our big summer vacation in the US: 2-3 weeks in Colorado with a possible side trip to Iowa, and maybe a week in Seattle on the way back to Tokyo.