The Gift of an Ordinary Day

When life slows down do you enjoy it as much? Does the hard stuff really get easier eventually? or does it just change?

When I catch up with family or friends that I haven't talked to in a while and they ask me what we've been up to, I sometimes scramble for the big stuff. Truth is, the big stuff is the little stuff and vice versa.

There are gifts in my routines and our family-grind that don't always pop up in my stories.  The ordinary becomes extraordinary, big or small moments - it's the time that blesses us. 

Because these little moments happen and then we blink.

Longer nights.

Slumber parties.

Tree Houses: where dreams are made

The ordinary day can contain: temper-tantrums, dirty diapers, rushed meals and exhaustion.  It can contain 3 tries to get little brother to bed PLUS an extra trip to the bathroom for big brother, but, better yet, it can contain: hugs and kisses, love and laughter, soccer goals, great throws, dance parties, phrases that make you wonder why it wasn't caught on camera.

Something cool comes up that I instantly want to try and take the boys to, and then we go and we all wish that we had just spent the time together at home.  

The Best of an Ordinary Day:

* Two boys in super hero capes laughing as they run around asking me to, "say it again mommy. say, 'Super Cameron to the rescue!'"

* "Tee-Tee. Pee-Pee. M&M." (you know what that means right?)

* A temper-tantrum because your brother wants to take a bath and you want to take a shower, but you have to get clean together.

* Shooting baskets and teaching HORSE.

* Mixing eggs and perfecting mickey-mouse pancakes

The Best of an Extra-Ordinary Day: 

* Soccer is back and you're kid is a superstar!

* The boys watching (more like gazing) their Dad & Uncle play catch in the street and then showing off their very best throws, too. Because, obviously, they want to be just like them.

* Eating frosting - and making a mess doing it!

* Splashing in puddles and getting soaked!

* A spontaneous Father-Son trip to the toy store on a rainy day while the littlest little is still napping.  When they return, you realize that the best thing they purchased were glow in the dark stars.

Life is full and it's real. We struggle and we laugh. We're in the depths of our "busy" Spring right now, but the lake and the breeze of summer are peeking through and we'll be having picnics on the boat before we know it!  We'll keep soaking in the time that we have, ordinary or extra-ordinary, because - let's face it, we're lucky to have the gift of it at all.