There were several times today that thoughts like "What did I get myself into?" came rumbling through my mind. One of those times was when I realized that it was 3:30pm, and my children and I were all still in our pajamas. Was this a good sign or a bad sign?!? However, as I realized the 4 o'clock hour was approaching, we all quickly got dressed and brushed our teeth so we could make it to "Happy Hour" at Sonic, and then run by the Post Office. But in the midst of getting 'ready' for this exciting excursion, the baby starting crying and screaming. So, I put Adelyn in her carseat and told the other two to 'jump in quick'. I then proceeded to drive my pimp-mobile Mini-van round and round the cul-de-sac, while Caleb and Ellie finished getting dressed and buckled up. Seriously--I drove around and around in circles in our little cul-de-sac, because I had to get the baby to stop screaming and fall asleep, and I couldn't got out on the real street because the other two weren't even buckled yet. Thankfully, all the passengers thought it was cool. Caleb and Ellie thought it was like a carnival ride, and Adelyn quickly quieted down and fell asleep. Again, I thought... my life has gone crazy--I'm not brushing my teeth until almost 4:00pm, and then it's only because I have to interact with the Sonic guy when I pay for my diet Coke. And there I was, driving around like a lunatic in the cul-de-sac (with a neighbor that happens to be a policeman). What kind of life is this??
But, at the end of the day, I was reminded of the answer to my question. Tonight, Ellie had gotten in trouble with her Daddy for playing in her pudding, so she started crying as she walked to her bed. We all followed her into her and Caleb's room for prayers, but then Caleb said he needed to go to the back yard for something, and he wanted me to come with him. He whispered, "I want to get Ellie a flower." When we didn't find one in the back yard, I just told him to grab one from our pathetic flower bed. Then, he walked into their room, hiding it behind his back, and he told Ellie to close her eyes and stick out her hands. Immediately, she stopped crying and her eyes lit up at the idea of a surprise. She quickly obeyed her brother, and then he placed the flower in her hands. I was a little nervous that she might not appreciate his offering, since it wasn't candy or associated with a Disney princess, but when she opened her eyes, she gasped and said, "Oh Bubba, it's bootful". You would've thought he had handed her the keys to Cinderella's castle! She loved it, and he just beamed with pride. I was reminded of how incredibly GREAT my "job" is and how blessed I am to be with my children every day. What a privilege!
