open book open heart

Today, some of the best people I know sat around a table eating a box lunch and talked about ways to make the world, okay, the state, a better place for children who have the government for their parents.  I know this because it’s a meeting I haven’t missed in four years.  It was one of my favorites really.  I always left energized, with a to-do list as long as my left leg.

In contrast, today, I changed a two-year-old’s clothes three times (wet diaper leak, popsicle fiasco, other kind of diaper leak, respectively). I glue-sticked a complicated origami paper pattern for a ten-year-old because I believed if he had a real (paper) pickaxe, he might not miss the virtual one in his minecraft computer game.  16 paper-cuts and three hours later, I’m pleased to say it totally worked for 15 seconds.  I supervised construction of a skateboard ramp, yelled “turn around” a lot and authoritatively.  I made food.  I drove people to lessons.  I dropped off library books.  I entertained and fed kid-friends.  I rolled out sleeping bags for a sleepover.  And I sang “head, shoulders, knees, and toes” over and over and over and over.

Look.  I know.  I know the thing I did today was more important than the meeting I missed because it belongs to a job I no longer have.  There is a good chance my kids will not remember today and an excellent chance the pickaxe is already in shreds. I know my kids will not remember or even know it was a sacrifice for me to do this today instead of that.  I know.

I’m adjusting.

Click picture to go to pattern

Yes. That’s scotch tape. Don’t judge me. Focus on the smile. Not the koolaid part of the smile either. Would you believe me if I told you it’s the first time we’ve EVER had koolaid in our home in his entire life? Didn’t think so, but it’s true. He took the making of the ‘stache very seriously.