Bliss

It wasn't a normal morning at our house. It was quiet, everyone was ready with their teeth brushed, their shoes on and their bags packed before the bus was rolling down the street. The Little Miss was running around asking for Mickey Mouse and juice giggling while she waved bye-bye to her brother and sister, then to the school bus. Mr. 4 was still sound asleep in his bed snoring softly. Preschool starts at 8:30, but he was still sleeping and so sweet all tucked in his bed. I almost let him sleep because he's usually a dragon if you wake him before he is ready. Against my better judgment, I sat down next to him rubbed his warm cheek and got a big smile. He was up dressed and out the door in fifteen minutes without a whimper, growl or tear. We made it to preschool ten minutes late, but happy and ready to play and learn, which in my book was a successful morning. 

Little Miss 2 and I went to run an errand then came home to clean up the Rice Krispies that were dumped all over the kitchen floor. This kind of insane mess usually causes me to almost hyperventilate because I HATE cleaning stuff up over, and over, and over again, but today was different. Instead of looking down at the half a box of cereal on the floor and coming unglued as Miss 2 jumped on the cereal to listen to it crunch, I watched. Obviously I have lost my mind because, Grrrr! I'm trying to sweep this crap up! Go!! Move!!  Not today, today I realized that it was just a broom and a sweeper and some thankfully dry cereal. I laughed with her.

The morning flew by and it was time to go back to pick up Mr. 4 from preschool. Now, it happens on occasion that my apparently darling boy is an angel at school, but once he is in my van, the devil comes out. He once - last week - had an insane meltdown for 45 minutes over something like juice or a Popsicle or something. I honestly don't even remember what it was about, but I'm always on guard when I pick him up to come home. On top of our stellar morning, Mr. Gavin has been somewhat of a jack rabbit lately. He boings from place to place just jumping and giggling. I get tired just looking at him most of the time. Seriously sleepy from watching his bouncing. He's like Tigger. I pulled up outside to pick him up; he was playing ball with one of the preschool assistants. He saw me, bounced over and tackle hugged my legs. Whoa! Still happy - now the red lights were really flashing because OBVIOUSLY all hell was going to break loose any second. Things were going way too well already today. Something was bound to snap!

Against my better judgement, I decided to ride the wave of peace and happiness that seemed to be holding its own for the day and *winces* took the kids to Pizza Hut for lunch. God help me, I'm sure I've lost it at this point because this can't last forever, but I did it. I took the bouncing, rail climbing, Tigger of a 4 year old and his giggle happy, caramel apple coated little sister to lunch. We got a booth near the buffet which is always a win when you're dining alone with a preschooler and toddler. They stayed in their seats. They didn't spill their drinks. They asked for more peaches and cucumbers. Whoa.... *Looks around for Jesus* I'm pretty sure I've either died or my children have been abducted by aliens or I'm in the Twilight Zone. *Giggles in her own mind wishing for a Twilight zone with an Emmett Cullen.* We left without crying for ice cream and when we got home they looked at me and said. Nap time mommy. O.O

Yeah, it was sort of like rainbows and unicorns were flying around my head at that point. *Checks the kids for fever. Checks herself for fever.* So here is the moral of the story. Its been a long blog coming, I know, but there is a point beyond telling you how perfect my not so perfect babies have been today. The point is this. Kids are happy with the little stuff. They don't freak out over spilled cereal, they jump on it and listen to the cool noises. Then, they have fun trying out the sweeper to hear more noises when you suck it up. They don't worry about the person behind them in the restaurant, they tap them on the shoulder and say hi or play peek-a-boo. You hardly ever catch one that scowls and tells your kid to sit down. They get the giggles from shaky cheese that looks like snow, and think that everything is a game. When is the last time that you looked at putting on your socks as a game? When is the last time you drank chocolate milk for breakfast? They find every little thing in the world that is even a tiny bit happy and run with it, and somewhere in the middle of teaching our kids how to be adults, we taught them to be rushed, sad, tense and serious. So, today, and hopefully for every day after this, I want to find the happy in the stuff that seems dumpy and mundane. Even if that means doing the Little Piggies thing when I put on my socks or making faces at myself in the mirror, I'm going to try it. You should too.

 

Read more from Megan over at Thoughts of an Oxymoron and be sure to come check out her column here next Tuesday!