The Kindness of Strangers

So, I'm on my own this week with the kids while Kevin is skiing in New Mexico. It's kind of daunting to know that reinforcements will not be arriving at dinnertime, and that not only am I going to be putting both kids to bed, but I am also the one who will be washing dishes and folding laundry once they're asleep. The bathroom could use a good cleaning too, but I am only one woman.A complete stranger did me a solid today, though, relieving some of this temporary-single-parent burden. Harry and I had just gone outside, shovels in hands after putting Harper down for a nap, tasked with clearing four inches of new snow off of the driveway. This very nice man was clearing the drive of the older woman across the street, and when he saw me and Harry shoveling, he waved. I waved back. When he was done with her drive, he stopped in front of my house and said, "Would you mind if I gave you a hand?"My emphatic answer: Of course not!I just wanted to share that, the kindness of strangers, which is something I've been trying to impress upon Harry. Yes, there are bad, scary strangers in the world, and anyone who tries to hurt him or take him away is a bad stranger, but there are also nice strangers in the world: kind, helpful, friendly people whose names we just don't happen to know. I'm hoping today's experience was not lost on him.
And because you may be forgetting what my babies look like since I post so infrequently. . . 

Solid food! So far Harper has eaten (and enjoyed!) oatmeal, acorn squash, bananas, and peas.

Harry, pretending to be a tree.

Harper, with dramatic lighting.