JFF: Favorite Time of Day

To end my 4 yr old daughters bath routine, I wrap her in the towel, and we go into her room; except, every night as I'm wrapping her, she says (without fail) "carry me..!" so I swoop her up and carry her into her room, and hold her as we fall into the rocking chair, and we rock and cuddle and giggle and maybe say a thing or two about her day, and as I soak up the smell of my freshly bathed angle (for the time being!), I try to hold onto the way she looks at that very moment (like taking a mental photo)... her cute little nose, soft cheeks, gleaming, smiling eyes.... it's only for a few minutes, but, THAT'S my favorite time of the day!

When my son is laughing

When I've slept myself out, and I'm stretching languidly in bed buried in sheets and feathers, and happy dreams, and DON'T have to leap out of ed to race to go pee! (sigh. So many conditions on such a rare event!)

When I have the whole day stretched out in front of me

At the end of a long day, curled up with a really good book or movie

When I'm being held by someone I love

Winking at god

That first perfect dive into icy cold water

The highway flying beneath me, horizon in front of me, music blasting through me

When my 10yo takes my hand

When I've got bare feet in green grass

That perfect shot

3 chapters into a really great story, before editing.

Listening to my son explain something I've taught him

Any moment of excellence

When I'm actually tired enough to sleep, and can't feel my body

When someone knocks on my door unexpectedly and the house is spotless (instead of 20 minutes after I've decided to reorganize my cupboards, or halfway through taking the tent down in the living room, or mid plumbing problem, or mid stomach flu... Which is USUALLY when someone knocks)

When my son comes home.

And so many more!!

Yep. I'm a hedonist. I revel in all happy moments :D

BED TIME! for my kids.

Getting home from work during the week. Our son does his happy 'momma home' dance and has this enormous grin on his face. He could light up the whole sky with that smile. It makes even the crappiest day just fine.

Alteratively on the weekends we cheat and sleep in a little later with our son between us in our bed. After my husband gets him out of his crib, we chill for another half hour or so before starting our day. I love when our son finally wakes up and looks at my husband and I with his sparkling face. Again that enormous grin like the cat who ate the cream. He's just so pleased with himself and life.

Right now... the quiet time after bedtime!

Shoot. Do I only get one? It so much depends on the day.

My LEAST favorite time is waking up. Doesn't matter what time I wake up, I'm a troll when I first rise. Exceptions are the girl's birthdays and big holidays. For some reason, those days everything seems to sparkle and beckon, wake up, it's a beautiful and exciting day!

My first favorite time of the day is when I get to go outside with my too big mug of coffee and sit with myself. It's especially lovely when it's summer. This is my moment for morning prayer, to gather myself before my day really begins.

Twilight during the winter is hard for me. It's my lonely hour. It's actually difficult for me to be outside when it comes, I feel sort of, um, cold. Like, inside of my body, cold and unprotected.

Dinner. I don't cook dinner, my husband usually does. There's the rush just before everything is on the table (which always has to be cleared of clutter), the girls washing their hands (which means they first have to stop playing - which takes foooooooooorever). And then, finally, we all sit down. It's just nice. We didn't used to eat dinner as a family very often and we try to make it happen at least several times a week now. I really like it.

During the summer I love late afternoon when it's sunny. We live on the outskirts of a temperate rain forest, so it becomes most warm on the few truly sunny days, around 3:00 or 4:00. I love sitting on the beach with my girls, sprawled out as the tide comes in. So lovely.

If I'm inside, 3pm is my crash hour. I am miserable, have no energy, and just want to find a hole to crawl into and sleep.

For a while I worked the morning shift in a cafe. I loved when the sun would come up in the winter time. I'd sweep the front so that I could watch it, the world still sleepy, not yet bustling. It was like getting to live in a secret for just a few minutes.

I too love the after bedtime calm. Right now I'm laying in bed and my husband is next to me, playing some silly video game. It's such a pleasure to be in this soft space, just relaxing, not being productive, not having to solve problems or think three steps ahead. Lazy time. Love it.

I have also really come to appreciate the wee hours of the morning on the night's my husband works. I don't fall asleep easily (once I'm asleep, I'm ASLEEP, it just takes a LONG time to get there), so I usually do relaxing things for a few hours before bedtime, trying to wind down and shut off the ol' mind. Anyway, I like being able to stay up late in the house, and have the whole space to myself. It's a good time to write, or to just be with myself. The witching hour.

In the car right after I pick my two children up from daycare/school...they are always so excited to tell me about their day!

Bed time!! :) I know that sounds bad, but I'm on my own for the time being, so it's the only real break I get. Plus, that's usually when DH gets on Skype and we can chat just the two of us.

Late at night. I am such a night owl, plus it's the coolest time of the day!

Yeah I have to say after the kids are in bed.

Riiiiight now! Is that mean? All is calm in this world. Two of em are still awake too!

Hi! My favorite time of day is when I get into bed. I cover up and wiggle around until I find the perfect position, and sigh with content. Sometimes my husband (after 36 years) still laughs at me, I can feel his body gently shake as he tries to not give himself away. I am blessed.