Bringing it all back home

Like Dylan's album, I think we have our electric and acoustic sides. And that sometimes they both come out at once. For me, it's a virtual explosion of both when I come home to my family at the end of a long day. Coming home is the very best part of my day.
Leeor captured the scene one recent evening after he'd arrived home uncharacteristically early, which was a treat for all of us.
Leeor said that Lilit insisted on wearing a jacket of Avi's. She's getting so big! Our littlest girl turns two in May.
Acoustic Lilit.
Acoustic Avi.
Bathtime remains my favorite time of day--there's something about the containment of the tub that is relaxing for all of us. They are usually so content to play while I am in and out of the room to sit, soap and muse with them.
Lilit now refers to Avi as "Abi-ya." It sounds holy to me. Electric Lilit and Avi.
We had a such a fun afternoon playing with chalk, climbing the banister on the front porch and goofing around. My beauties.
Lilit's vocabulary is snowballing but not fast enough to tame her tempestuousness. Poor girl gets so frustrated when we don't understand what she needs/wants/means. This little Gemini has some pipes, too. She can mimic any tune she hears and Leeor and I crack up at the sight of her pursed lips.
I keep meaning to get more chalk as our box is filled with nubs of ancient pieces soaked by rain and then dried again, good as new. The kids don't seem to mind.
Lilit is especially good at humming bars from the Rango theme song.
She loves to play with Avi's stuff when he is at school--obviously because there is no one to boss her or grab toys from her. I was impressed with her Lego interpretive dance. I used to do my own thing with Legos, too, much to my brother's annoyance (eg, make up elaborate stories for the lego guys when he just wanted to build things).
But then she worships him and becomes heartbroken when Avi declares he wants to play by himself and closes the door to his room. One day Lilit burst into earnest tears in the hallway when she realized her big brother had made himself scarce. Leeor and I almost cried, too, and we both gushed, "We'll play with you, honey!" And then giggled at our sensitivity. We are a well-matched bunch.

***

Before we had kids, Leeor said something to me about being careful not to give out all my best stuff while at work, to save up the good stuff for when I arrived home to my family. Now our family has swelled to fit this wonderful space and I get what he meant more than ever.

He is working late tonight and I am proud of all he does--and I know that he's never used up all his good stuff at work. And I am pretty sure he is electric most of the time and only acoustic when he is a little burned out.

I have been feeling burned out and then something shifted this week. Maybe because there is just so much change all around us, inside and out. Maybe because I am getting better at not sponging it all up and then trying to wring out at home--instead, I have a shield around me all day that slips off the moment I hold and breathe in the love scent of my children and husband.

It's a loud, electric rock anthem of joy. . . and also a sappy acoustic ballad that makes me tear up every time I hear it.