After Brandon went to work, the girls played quietly together for a while...at least, as quiet as is possible for the two of them! 
I got a nice surprise from Brandon's Aunt Denise; she sent me an e-mail out of the blue that praised me for making the decision to stay at home with my girls, and also to breastfeed and cloth diaper. She said some really supportive and kind things that I don't often hear. People seem to constantly critique parenting choices instead of commending them, and it really made my day to read some encouragement.Brynn got sleepy and quickly and easily nursed and went down for a nap. As is our usual schedule, Julia does school work while Brynn is taking her morning nap. Today was a very special day in terms of her learning. We did a couple of handwriting activities, and then I opened the first set of Bob books that Cousin Amanda Lear gave us for Julia to use. On the title ("Mat"), I showed her how to sound out each letter and put them together to form a word. It seems that's all I had to do, because she read the whole book! I grabbed the camera off the shelf and told her to do it again! I'm so glad I have that moment documented. I am always proud of my kids, but this was such a special milestone. I love reading so much, and this is the beginning of a lifetime of imagination and adventure for her.
Brynn woke up and we headed to Kroger to get some chicken that was on sale ($1.99 lb, plus $1 off coupon) and some tomato sauce. They were great in the store, and both loved driving the little car on the buggy. I am so glad they're finally at an age where they can both sit and play while I shop! I quickly threw together a Chicken Tortilla Soup in the crock pot while they ate lunch.
Then something amazing happened...they both napped at the same time! That never happens! I have to admit that I took a thirty minute nap myself, and it felt spectacular. I needed it since we'd been up so long.
Brandon called and was going to be late, so we decided just to throw the soup in the fridge for tomorrow and meet for dinner at Ruby Tuesday's so the girls could go to the soft play area for a while and burn off some energy. I should have known better than to have Brandon around in a shopping area; we left with a new camera he insists is for Disney. It's a Canon EOS T1i, and I have no clue how to use it. It will be Christmas and birthday presents for both of us, maybe for a couple of years! So, happy holidays!
Now we're home, and though the day was busy, I'm not sure it yielded anything too interesting. To me, the calm and predictable family life is comforting and perfect. 
