When we first moved into our townhouse rental here in ND, I was hesitant to decorate. I knew it was a temporary place for us and I really didn’t want to spend the time unpacking, putting up, taking down, and repacking all the pictures and decor. Well, after a few months I got tired of the empty walls and lack of pretty spaces so I put things up. I still had a box or two of decorations for Ava’s room tucked away under seemingly everything in her closet, and figured that since she and Hyrum would be sharing the bedroom, a nice neutral would be just fine (meaning totally plain.) Eventually I did get out a purple bedspread to add some color, but it was definitely lacking in the pretty department.
Well the past few months Ava has been asking A LOT to put things up in her room. I feel bad for putting it off so long, I just really don’t like hanging things on walls and planning it all out (especially if it’s only temporary.) I think too much about it. Anyway, the other day I put off my to-do list, dug through those boxes deep in her closet, and pulled out all of her room decor. She was beyond excited. She awed as we put each simple thing up. When it was all up and the bedspread changed (and it really wasn’t a whole lot, but made it look so much better) she kept saying, “I just can’t get over my room! It’s just so beautiful!” and smiles every time she walks into it.
It was totally worth it. Even I wish I had such a light and pretty room!
Anyway, one of the decorations is this hanging shell wind chime which makes subtle calming clinks when the fan is on.
Hyrum and I have started a new routine of cuddling before his nap to help him fall asleep (nap time’s been a struggle lately…), and while I laid there next to him today with those little clinks in the background, I dozed off myself. Completely unintentionally, my mind went to an open pasture with a big tree and a little brook, and I laid there against that tree with the breeze and the trickling water, watching the kids play and feeling so perfectly content. It was so perfect. I noticed that Hyrum was also seemingly so content in his sleep (and I could get up and get things done,) but I stayed there in my dreaming for a little while just soaking it in.
When I got up I thought about that sweet dream I had in those few short minutes and how easily that little chime and that fanned breeze took me to my happy place. I do hope that someday we can live in a place as lovely as that, or make it as lovely as that. It’s my great dream to live in an open space with big trees and water and places to rest and play with my little ones in the afternoons. I’d even be ok with all the bugs as long as there were butterflies and singing birds. It’ll be interesting to see where we end up. I may just be dreaming for a quite a while!
…And I think I may start sleeping in the kids’ room more often… 🙂 #mamanotes
