“The rain is really coming down!”

and he immediately replied,

“This car needed a car wash and now we got it!”

Man, it’s good to be 5…

Thank you for Ordinary Days

I said to him,

“Have a Great Day at School Today!”

Without hesitating he replied,

“Mom, I always have a great day at school.”

He said it so matter-of-factly… like how could school be anything BUT GREAT.

Thank you for this ordinary day

I’ve been cutting his hair since he was born. This is not a big deal except for the fact that my little guy doesn’t like to get his hair cut because he has LOTS of thick, wavy, curly hair. And as a result, he sits still for 3 ½ to 5 minutes for his haircuts. I’ve gotten really good at the quick cuts, out of necessity, but the coaxing and prodding and ‘deciding’ when he wants to sit down for the haircut has grown old.

But I digress…

Yesterday, our neighbors in back had an ENORMOUS tree cut down in their yard. When we heard the saws, my son and I ran to our backyard to see what was going on and then immediately ran up the stairs of our deck and positioned deck chairs for a first-row view of the tree-cutting, which as any boy-mom knows, toppled ANY plans we had to go the pool or park.

As we sat there and talked and watched, I looked at my little man. I noticed how sweet his profile is, how long his eyelashes are and I thought about all the things he has reminded me of.

Children teach us many wonderful things but more importantly, they remind us of things we may have forgotten…

I thank my son for reminding me that band-aids are good, but hugs are better. I thank him for reminding me that it can be fun to get caught in an afternoon rain,
That saying please and thank you is important,
That butterflies are cool,
That it’s good to drink milk,
And that ‘big boys’ still need their mamas.

He’s reminded me that small problems are just that. He’s reminded me that we really should hold hands,
That being kind always works best,
That nothing seems daunting if you’re laughing,
That playdough is still fun to play with,
And that life is good.

Thank you for the hugs and kisses and giggles and tears. Thank you for reminding me that everything is a little better with a cookie.

And thank you for the haircuts- I know there will come a day when I wish my little guy would still want me to cut his hair.

Whether the weather is good or bad, plans change or stay the same-

Most of all, my son reminds me everyday what a great gift it is to be a mother,

And that even a bad day is a good day when you are with a 4 ½ year old…

Thanks for the reminders, my little man.

An abbreviated version of this can be read at DC Metro Moms.