A Good One.

Here's Marley, when she was just about Rudy's age, the very first summer we signed up for a CSA.

We ate a lot of kale and swiss chard while I was growing a Rudy.

Here are five reasons why this morning was as close to idyllic as the mom of Marley and Rudy gets:

1. After a three-year hiatus (during which we thought we'd be at farmers' markets all the time, and never got around to going as often as we'd thought), we re-joined a CSA. So every Monday, we split a bushel of farm fresh vegetables and fruits with our neighbors. Last night I had roasted beets with goat cheese, and added some oregano I picked from our skinny little vegetable patch. Add salt and pepper and olive oil, and you're done. And happy. Todd and I had sauteed beet greens, too, and Marley and Rudy at least tried both. (And I know, that was last night, but I felt good all morning because I still have leftover beets in the fridge, plus chard and kale and lettuce and spinach ready to go.)

2. Todd let me sleep until nearly eight o'clock before he left for work, and Marley and Rudy and I were still able to hustle and get to the library only a little bit late for the nine o'clock slot I volunteered to fill, helping the librarians sign kids up for summer reading.

3. We were still there for the library's lap time, and because I wasn't rushing to a doctor's appointment or preschool or a visit with my mom, I asked Marley and Rudy if they wanted to join in. They did, and they went in ahead of me and sat down, so I followed and ended up sitting by the door, about five feet away. For about twenty minutes, I got to just watch those two cute sisters singing and pantomiming, side by side, both with messy bed-head hair, sweet sundresses and already worn-out flip-flops. I mean, "If You're Happy and You Know It"? Let's just say I was clapping my hands.

4. Afterwards, I treated them to the Dunkin Donuts munchkins (half powdered and half rainbow-sprinkled) Marley had been requesting since her dance recital on Saturday, and they were happily munch(kin)ing and flipping through new library books while we got an oil change. From there, we drove to a local farm where we got to ride on a flatbed pulled behind a tractor for strawberry picking. It was warm and sunny, the girls were ecstatic about the strawberries, and as we meandered down the dirt road toward the station to pick up our cardboard quart boxes, Marley and I were hand in hand and Rudy was alternately stomping and moseying along. The woman running the register nodded at Rudy and said, "I can see that that one's laid back. Easy-peasy." Which is mostly correct, and also, how the day was feeling.

5. When we got home for lunch, I checked the mail and discovered a magazine. Real Simple. This may not seem like much, but one of my favorite things is flipping through a new magazine (Jake, are you reading this?). I've always been this way, but since having kids, I have learned that quiet minutes with a new magazine are even more precious, especially if it's happening while Rudy naps and Marley colors or reads beside me. Which is about to happen right...now.

UPDATE: For starters, Marley's had several mini-tantrums, and Rudy did not take a nap. Liz just texted me to ask if I wanted any ice cream from McDonald's while she was picking some up for her kids, and I requested a vodka flurry. This is what I'm saying: take the idyllic morning moments whenever you can.