Monday Matters

Friday. Saturday. Sunday. Our three day weekend quickly disappeared on us. It was Sunday evening and we were in full swing as a family cleaning up the yard------two wagon filled loads of twigs, limbs, odds-n-ends, weeds, & more to dump, petunias to water as their season is quickly coming to a close, potato vines to cut back-------and work indoors: electrical outlets to update, basement debris to clean from winter's new furnace replacement.....and, and...and....I don't think the three of us sat down Sunday evening until we sat at the dinner table with a mix of peanut butter sandwiches, salads, crackers, cheese........by eight o'clock not a creature was stirring! Then, Monday morning was here! The locking of the back door as Daddy left for work woke Mommy......I was still in my Sunday evening outfit....having fallen asleep with you after reading bedtime stories and answering why questions: "Mommy, why do we have to take a bug to school tomorrow?" An hour after my morning coffee and quiet time, I knew it was Monday. You knew it was Monday. A few stretches later....you moaned about what outfit you wanted to wear. You moaned about still "not finished watching cartoons!" More moans: "I don't want to go to school! I want to stay home with Mommy!" Mommy's stress levels were on a Monday meter! Even my morning walk after your preschool drop off didn't calm my mood.......I missed you while you were at preschool. I missed your moans (not really)! At least not the moans, but the perpetual bliss of your presence. At pick up, you were happy, happy, happy------you had earned your sticker for good behavior, you had left your 'bug' in your science center at preschool, you had a new friend added to your class list, your 'vrakaki' was clean, you were eager to show me your school work in your folder..........and as you gobbled up snack after snack, you slipped into your tights, tutu, and tap shoes---------and out the door we headed for ballet class. You were happy, happy to count the ballerinas as they arrived after us and you pointed out your teacher, Mrs. Cathy to Mommy. Turning on the lights for all, you entered without an extra peek back at Mommy. In the truck, you enjoyed more snacks and told me that you took your "chipmunk home" with you------I love these imaginative moments that link from ballet to home. You love trips to the store with Mommy so we opted for a quick Walgreens stop for Candy Corn colored M & M's filled with white chocolate! You didn't like them. After tasting two myself, I had to agree with you that their colors were pretty but their taste-----not so! In route to our home, we discussed the menu for the night. You were funny to interject that we had just had meatloaf yesterday-------ha. not yesterday but last week one night! You continued to comment that you didn't want to eat meatloaf but that you wanted steak. Daddy laughed too as we stopped in to see him at the shop. We ventured home to quickly thaw out our last two steaks for dinner. As soon as they thawed out, you ventured outside with Daddy to cook them----watering plants, zoomin' here and there..........as I set the table and prepped our sides for dinner, I started for the camera to catch you shouting something to Daddy but the moment was lost as another chore caught my attention. The camera still sits waiting but there are a few moments that are photographed in my heart.....

• You sitting in the floor discovering all of Daddy's gadgets and electric knick knacks Sunday afternoon. Asking Daddy what is this? What is that questions---endlessly! You picking out which screws and such you wanted for yourself....running to show Mommy a screw with the letter 'S' on it! Moments of discovery like this matter!
• Daddy & you walking hand in hand at a dock at Reelfoot Lake Sunday afternoon---the same dock Mommy had photographed the two of you what feels like yesterday----two years ago! Oh! How time flies when you're busy loving the best part of you! Mommy's best part is you------and that Daddy-O!
• "Her my kitty cat!" When pronoun usage doesn't really matter because the little mouth that says these words is by far my favorite little mouth (at least when it's not sassy---you are quickly picking up speed in letting Mommy know who wants to be in charge!)!

As quickly as I chopped the steak on your plate, it disappeared from your plate. You devoured your requested meal at the dinner table and replaced dishes with coloring pages, markers, paper, and paint! And the clock spun out of control...........it was already bath time and bedtime story time. We read your new book, Llama, Llama Home with Mama by Anna Dewdney. As the lights went out, I was so very thankful that you didn't say you didn't want to go to school tomorrow and I was even thankful that you wouldn't mask being sick to stay home. Luckily, little llama wasn't faking so he could just stay home. I loved the last page of the book when little llama was taking care of Mama---------oh! How sweet! You inched a little closer to me in bed and then crocodile tears erupted! "Mommy, we forgot to go to the park!" I promised we'd go to the park after preschool and before voice lessons tomorrow. You first proposed that we get out of bed and go to the park and then, "..........before school!" I have to love you even more tonight because you remind me of myself. You know what you want, when you want it. You live life to the fullest and still want more. Little princess, I can promise you this----Daddy and I will fill your days full to the brim with what matters to you. We'll sneak in the fun times amongst the chores of the day. the week. the month. the year--------and make the moments count. Together, we'll count them one by one............and as Monday's fullness brought this night to an early close, I'll pray that Tuesday's blessings tickle you awake with smiles and anticipation for all it holds for you, you and me, and the three of us, Daddy, Mommy, & Sophia!