Joyful Vegan Family

Vegan Goodness:

Today we ate:

• Waffles from Vegan Brunch with strawberries (from our CSA) and powdered sugar
• Blueberry/Mango/Strawberry Smoothies for LP and mom
  
• BLT’s with avocado, pasta salad and chips for lunch.  LP had his sandwich in pieces – a plate of radish slices, a plate of tofu bacon and a slice of bread with Earth Balance
  
• A Trader Joe’s Coconut Popsicle treat for LP, and soy yogurt for his mom (mid-afternoon snack)
• Curried rice with carrots and radish greens (mom’s creation), along with Lemon Baked Tofu from Cadry’s Kitchen
  
• Sesame Shortbread Cookies dipped in chocolate (from Vegan on the Cheap) for mom and dad (after LP went to bed!)
  

Money Matters:

This was an exciting day!  Not only did we not spend any money, we acutally made some!  The G-man finally sold an old coffee table of ours on craigslist for $20.  However, LP was really upset when the person took the table and started crying saying “table ba(ck), table ba(ck)!”  We consoled him by promising him a treat later with our $20, so be on the lookout for us at JP licks for some soy ice cream soon!

Mom Musings:

I had a fantastic day with LP today.  He got up on the early side (not great) but then we got to hang out downstairs, make waffles together, and have a delicious breakfast.  We followed this by sitting on the back porch blowing bubbles until it was time to go to Music Together.  We walked to Music Together (just under a mile) and then had a great music class that, as usual, involved LP trying to “help” at every turn, as well as give everyone hugs.  Afterwards he and I went to the library to pick up a couple books for him and one for me.  We originally were planning on going to the library, and then meeting dad at the park, but LP was having such a great time meandering through Medford Square and around the river, that we ended up calling his dad and telling him to just come meet us for the walk home.

What I enjoyed most about today was the lack of schedule.  For the first time in a while there was nowhere we had to be, no errands we had to run, nothing we had to get back to.  Whenever LP wanted to stop and watch a truck or a bus, we could, and whenever he wanted to walk on a “wall” (those low side walls that border front yards and businesses) we could.  It also helps that LP has been really well-behaved lately.  Thanks to all the work his dad has done with him, he knows to stop when we tell him to, to hold our hand when we cross the street, etc.  This means we can let him roam a little, and he was often running ahead of me, sometimes swinging around the trees and poles on the street, as we walked through the square.

During this year away from teaching I know I will need to make time for all my projects, including the assessment development that I am super excited to be working on.  Making time for my own work, and my own intellectual development, is important to me, but I’m glad I had today to remind me of the wonderfulness and importance of those days without a plan or schedule.  I’m looking forward to many more mornings like these, and I’m going to make sure I make these days happen, even when there is a lot that could be “scheduled” in.