It’s C-O-L-D here in Atlanta, like 28 degrees outside this morning kind of cold.  I think it was something like 2 weeks ago that our afternoon temperatures hovered near 80, so it feels strange to have a need for a coat so suddenly.  In fact, when I went out both Friday and Saturday, I seemingly forgot how to dress for the weather, and part of my to-do list this week is digging up my winter coats that are buried in some closet in this house, I hope.  There’s nothing like a frosty morning and the onset of a crappy cold to remind you winter is on its way sooner rather than later.

But every season has its merit, and in a way, it feels so great to bunker down inside with blankets and fires and soup and winter-like things. [I typically hate cold weather with a passion, so I will look back at this entry in February and wonder why I ever wrote that sentence, but there you have it.]  This lazy weekend has been perfect in a cozy kind of way though, and I’m trying to make the most of the cold snap, simply lazing around and nursing my scratchy throat for most of it.

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On Friday evening, I had a great girls’ night out with friends I adore and don’t see nearly enough.  It was a perfect time for a ladies’ night because last week was a little long, and I needed a boost.  Not a long week in terms of anything catastrophic or anything I should even be complaining about, just little things.  Because as great as this mom gig is at times, there are long days too.

Tuesday night, I had a baby who didn’t like sleep much the first half of the evening and a terrier who refused to come inside but barked incessantly outside my window to torture me instead.  I also chased her around my yard at 4am in the rain to try to get her back inside, so I think my total number of hours of sleep that night added up to maybe three.  Maybe.  I grumbled when my 6:30 alarm went off but got out of bed anyhow because these days it’s shower pre-dawn before the baby gets up or no shower at all.  I cherish that quiet morning time actually; it’s just the rolling out of bed that’s the hard part.

Then I had to leave my favorite coffee shop on Wednesday when I tried to indulge in THIRTY WHOLE MINUTES of conversation with a grad school friend, but Jude was not in the mood.  I left the coffee place claiming the title of That Woman with the Screaming Child, so I can cross that one off the list.  First time Jude embarrassed me in public?  Check. It was not pleasant.

Scott was in Toronto all week as well, and I do just fine on my own all day and then 3:30 rolls around, and the day suddenly feels so long. That’s always the time we break out the library trips or the snack we aren’t really hungry for or my Giada / Ina combination that I’m so grateful for on Food Network when I need an adult voice in the house.  I’ve given up on the idea of family dinners when it’s just Jude and I here alone, so I resort to making his portion of something that will pass as dinner and then putting him to bed about 30 minutes earlier than usual (yes, I just admitted that) and then making my way back downstairs to create a one-person portion of something.  His newfound mobility also adds some newfound dangers, and I swear I feel like this kid gets a bump or bruise or scrape at least five times a day.  Occupational hazards, I suppose.  So I had a moment on Thursday when I wondered if I would ever pee alone again, and why didn’t anyone tell me about that aspect of motherhood and ohmygod I am so tired can my husband just come home so I can pee alone please, but then I remembered that Friday evening included a dinner at one of my favorite restaurants and a charity art auction with some of my favorite girls and wheeeeeeee!  It improved my outlook considerably.

It was a great night, even if I did only take one photo and that one contains some closed eyelids.

A fun night with money raised for a great cause is always a good thing.  And as a side note, never underestimate the value of girl time to reinstate any sanity that has been lost that week. Chatting and laughing refueled me, ladies.  Thank you.

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Saturday found Scott in Athens all day for a football game, and I opened Jude’s drawers to dress him that morning and attempted some semblance of an acceptable ensemble, but in the end, all I found was a Ghostbusters t-shirt, a mismatched sweater, sweatpants, and socks that were too small. So I bundled up my fashion-impaired baby and headed out to Target to hopefully find something that would qualify as socially acceptable clothing.  Boys clothing is really hit-or-miss in big box stores, so I was excited and relieved that we had some luck.  Somehow my consignment shopping resulted in a million shirts and sweaters with no pants or socks, so we luckily fixed that problem.

By the time we arrived back home, Jude was tired so I fed him lunch and laid him down for a nap and turbo-cleaned the downstairs so I could see tabletops again.  I threw soup in the crockpot and threw myself on the sofa to indulge in my November magazines and a pumpkin spice candle and some mint tea.  Oh, fall magazine covers, I love you!

The rest of the weekend has been mostly laziness and nursing this head cold which isn’t all that bad but feels worse since it’s the first sickness since last winter.  What is it about burning a fire and seeing chubby little arms in pajamas that makes you warm all over?  It’s a sweater on the inside. Between those sights and the roasted sweet potatoes I made for Jude today, my little house, messy as it is, feels pretty perfect and I’m just fine staying here for the rest of the day.  In fact, when I finish the warm milk and oatmeal cookie I’m working on now, I might head up to change into pajamas.  At 2:30 in the afternoon.

Because that’s how I like it this time of year. Call it lazy or not, home is sometimes so yummy.  Happy cozy weekend-ing to you as well.  I hope you’ve rested and refueled for the week ahead.

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The light is what guides you home, the warmth is what keeps you there.  ~Ellie Rodriguez