I am happy to say that my little escape artist decided that worrying his Mama to death was no longer fun and gave up running out front on his own. He even asked me when he woke up the following morning, "Mama, is it alright if I go outside in our backyard? Not the front Mama, I know, but just the back, pwease?" (love)
So whatever he was going through, it was short lived. Thank God. Nevertheless, I installed a simple little lock up high on our screen door. You never know when the urge to be outside alone might come back!But I have to tell you that I had the worst time settling my brain and going to sleep the night he became an escape artist. Logically speaking, I understood the chances of my heavy-sleeping boy waking up and running outside were slim, at best, but I just couldn't shake the fear. I was to tense, anxious and wound up that I could not relax. I tried for hours to fall asleep but to no avail. Thankfully I had some sanity savers that I didn't even think about. I asked my friend Jill if she knew of anything I could use for calming Little L and for helping me to settle in and get a good night's rest. She immediately reminded me of essential oils. I had actually just bought an essential oil kit, as my supplies were running low (the premium starter kit with aroma diffuser), and oh my, words can not say how thankful I am that she talked me into it! Jill suggested some stress away as well as peace & calming oil blends. I poured some warm water into my hot water bottle and placed that below my pillow so my neck and shoulders could rest on it. Then I rolled some stress away on the back of my neck and my temples and let that work its magic while I poured a mixture of peace & calming, and lavender into my diffuser. I set the diffuser for one hour and fell into bed curled up with my little guy. I don't know exactly how long it took me to fall asleep but I can tell you that it was well before the diffuser shut off and my anxiety had finally slipped away long before that. I slept like a baby and woke up feeling restored and ready for the day. I don't know what I would have done without it! I used the stress away a couple times more that day, too. This kit is making me fall in love with essential oils all over again. Swoon.
But enough about my latest love. Somehow or other, the children and I were discussing apple bobbing on the way home from the hardware store that day and I came to realize that they had never experienced it. How could that be? I grew up doing it every autumn in New York so it just feels like part of childhood to me. When we got home I grabbed three apples and put them in a large pot filled with water (the only thing I could find that would work.) Then I showed them what you do and they each took turns, starting with K and ending with Little L. C had so much fun she kept plopping her apple back in the water so she could go again and again. Little L wasn't interested in getting wet but didn't want to miss out on the fun, so he held his apple in the water with his hand while he bit into it. Oh that little guy of mine.
It truly is the simple things in life, is it not?!
