Daisy's preschool "Winter Party" was today. For the past week, she told me that she didn't want me to come to it, and then today she decided that she did want me to come. I thought maybe I could make it, but Eli decided to nap from the moment we got home to the absolute last moment before we needed to leave to pick Daisy up on time. It was two and a half hours. I guess he was really tired.
Anyway, it meant that not only did I miss the party, but Daisy was also one of the last children to be picked up from preschool. Oops. I feel like at one point I was Super Mom, but then I just stopped. I stopped feeling the need to do everything, and I accepted that it's okay to say no.
So Daisy was the last child to be picked up, and I missed her party, but I feel no guilt about it. And really, she wasn't even upset. It was fine. We got home in time for lunch, and when it was supposed to be nap time, I got distracted by a phone call. When I was finished, I wondered where all of my children had gone. I followed the noise, and eventually found all three of them in Caleb and Daisy's room, with the door closed, music blasting.
They were having a dance party.
Without me.
You know I ran and grabbed my camera.
You guys, I love everything about this.
Daisy is dancing to the music in her daisy shirt and tights. At one point, she had her Christmas dress (a black velvet jumper with a red plaid cummerbund) on top of it, but I told her it was not the best idea to nap in a velvet dress.
Lily is barefoot and delightedly playing with her brother.
Eli has the hand clapper and is thrilled to be participating in all of the fun.
This sums up why I am so thankful to be a stay at home mom, and it is one of the reasons I am so glad that we will be getting Caleb back soon.
Yes, they fight.
No, it isn't always like this.
But these organic, joyful moments?
The skills they learn from playing - and arguing - with each other, all day, every day?
The life-long relationships and memories they are creating right now?
Yeah. I love it.
I'm not foolish enough to think it will always be like this, but for now, I am holding it close and savoring it.
The other day, I mentioned I would be homeschooling Caleb and an obnoxious person made a crass and unintelligent joke about socialization and Caleb taking Daisy to his senior prom. I gave him a death stare and didn't even respond. But the more I think about it, the more I think, so what? What if my son and daughter are best friends? What if they genuinely enjoy each other's company? What if they prefer to experience big life moments together, stereotypes be damned?
My deepest desire is for my family to be a functioning unit. A team, in the least cheesy way possible.
I want my children to be best friends and playmates who encourage and challenge and support each other.
I want them to rely on each other just as much as - or more than? - they rely on Chris and me.
This spontaneous, sunshine-filled moment gives me hope that it can really happen, and I am encouraged.
Then everything fell apart. They went down for naps, I wasted too much time on the computer, I didn't get dinner in the oven on time, I was late picking Caleb up at the bus stop... Yeah.
But since dinner was already in the oven, we had an hour to decorate the sugar cookies we made the other day. Caleb has been begging to do it, so finally I made time. I whipped up some icing and we went to town.
The icing recipe was a total flop. I thought about making a basic buttercream because I know that I love buttercream, but I decided to go with a traditional sugar cookie icing instead. Big mistake. It was runny enough that it could be painted or spooned on, and it made a mess.
The kids didn't mind, but it totally stressed me out.
Also, the finished product?
Not exactly beautiful.
Messy, ugly, and not as delicious as buttercream?
Fail.
That is one happy boy, though.
Eli did nothing but sit in his chair at the table, and he was thrilled!
(He has entered a new phase where he grins like crazy every time he sees a camera, and I love it!)
All done! What a mess!
*sigh*
The table cleaned up nicely, but my floor... I thought maybe I'd get to clean it tonight, but that definitely isn't happening. In the meantime, it's sticky like the floor of the dollar movie theater. Yuck.
Still, cookies are cookies, and I know for next time to just make the buttercream.
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