A FROZEN SUNDAY

Freezing temperatures this morning made for an easy decision to stay indoors another weekend day. In addition, the children were still recovering from the colds they acquired in the past two weeks. Rest is what they needed as evidenced by the two naps they took during the day.

I was awake at 4,30 this morning. Far too early to wake the children. I chatted a few minutes with my boyfriend on Skype who had another day off today. Afterwards, I set about to chop the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery for the lentil soup which was cooking by the time Cinnamon and Sage were awake. Then I made my Croatian coffee and sat down to enjoy it along with the banana bread I made a few days ago.

Sage requested I make pea soup. I made lentil soup instead as he had referred to lentil soup as tasting like pea soup the last time I made it. He ate two bowlfuls of it the last time I made it so I believed this time would be the same. I was incorrect in this assumption and he showed me his reluctance at eating the soup by picking away at it for over thirty minutes. I promised him I would make the green split pea soup on Tuesday.

Puzzles were on our agenda today as it is the perfect cold weather activity aside from crawling under the covers and reading or sleeping. Cinnamon completed her bunny puzzle whilst Sage and I made great progress with his animal puzzle. We now have plenty of puzzles to keep us occupied for months to come.

I spoke with my boyfriend throughout the day for short periods of time. Cinnamon asked me if he calls every day. I told her we talk every day. 'Is it because you love him?' she asked. 'Yes', I told her and she mentioned how her sister calls every day as well albeit today was a day she did not call. No doubt due to her spending time with her father and his new girlfriend whom he decided to take on this trip to see his daughter.

Earlier in the morning I made a loose braid in my hair which Sage noticed and commented how I look like Elsa from the movie Frozen. During one of our conversations with my boyfriend, he mentioned having watched the movie. I thought it rather adorable and mentioned this to my children. They were surprised as well. Now he will no longer be in the dark about Elsa, Anna, or Olaf. It's the little things like watching a children's movie without the presence of children which endear me to him most.

At noon, I found Sage upstairs by the puzzle bookshelf looking at one of the Croatian books. I believe it was the one on time and reading a clock. In the late afternoon, as Sage was taking his second nap, I reminded Cinnamon to continue her reading throughout this holiday break. She selected a book from the bookshelf and lay on her bed with her white bunny beside her. She was happy to reread The Giving Tree - a story I find sad more than anything else.

Tonight's bedtime story was their Christmas present - the one the children waited to open until today. They knew it was a book and have come to know they always get books from me as one of their Christmas presents. The Book With No Pictures was the book. Cinnamon and Sage seemed to like it, laughing at certain pages.

Despite the freezing weather today, we found plenty to do from reading to puzzling to simply relaxing in front of the fire on our comfortable daybed couch. These are the kinds of days most memorable for me.