A rare day...sigh...

Today was a rare day. It started out like any other day, I awoke to M standing at my bedside, smiling and saying “get up, Mommy!” My cheerful wake-up call. Some mornings, she just crawls into bed with me and we return to a peaceful slumber. Not this morning, however, she was ready to start the day. After waking me, she sauntered downstairs to help herself to some juice and some leftover spaghetti noodles with butter on them.

We spent the morning at a friend’s house with 3 other Mommies and 7 other kids. I was able to have adult conversation for the majority of the time. My kids didn’t destroy anything, hit anyone, and even managed to leave the playdate without any hysterical crying or whining. Halleluiah! Halleluiah!

We ate lunch and K napped. M was quiet while K napped.

I decided to attempt to be Fun Mommy and dressed the kids in grubby clothes. They put on their rain boots. We went outside to play -- even though everything was wet and muddy from the rain this morning. M bounced on her bouncing-ball-thingy-that-has-a-handle-and-makes-funny-noises-when-she-bounces. She bounced the width of the yard twice (both ways) and the length of the yard once (also both ways). She was tired. K mowed the yard, following after M.

Then we decided to go for a walk. Well, K and I walked and M rode her spiffy motorcycle-style bike that she got last summer for potty-training. We walked around our neighborhood, which is probably the equivalent of going around a city block twice? Or something in that area. K’s little legs carried him most of the way, running much of the time to try to keep up with his sister.

K splashed in puddles while I made appropriate “splashing” sound-effects. He stepped through mud while I made appropriate “squishing” sound-effects. On our return trip, M got off the bike and joined K in splashing in a couple of small puddles. They stepped in the puddle and made footprints on the adjacent dry pavement. They put their hands in the water and made handprints. They ran and jumped in the puddle to make a “giant” satisfying splash.

Me? I stood and watched my kids be kids. For 20 minutes. And only said “NO!” when K was trying to drink the water. (Hey, we all have our limits.) I listened to them squeal as the water sprayed into their faces. I drank in their laughter as though I’d spent an eternity on a deserted island.

We returned home just in time to heat some party pizzas for supper. Not the best choice for food, but I thought that splashing in puddles was more important today.

They had ice cream for dessert, with that kind of chocolate that hardens when you pour it on top.

I gave them a bath and let them get out 500,000 of their 1 million bath toys, and didn’t make them pick them all up.

K wanted to go potty so I let him sit on the potty for as long as he wanted. Fifteen minutes later and 4 pee pees, and he was done.

K rocked with Daddy tonight while M and I went up to the parental bedroom to read and snuggle. We read Jack and the Beanstalk and Tiny Ted’s Big Adventure from A Treasury of Children’s Classics. I turned out the flashlight and put my glasses on the bedside table and M snuggled in. I brushed her cheek with my eyelashes because it makes her giggle.

Then she said “Sing me a song, Mommy.”

And I did.

This. This is what being a great Mommy is like.