moments make the memories

I walk into "school" tonight at 5:30 - it officially closes at 5:45 and I am the last parent to pick-up my children.  What DO these other people do?  I grab Lillie quickly... right after she shows me that she learned how to do jumping jacks at school today.  Which is hilarious and involves lots of arm swinging, out of breath counting and jumping.  I can only imagine twelve two years doing that in one room.

We race to Mary Hardin's room in a different building, get her all packed-up and just as I'm about to snap the carseat into the snap-n-go Lillie screams - "No.  You carry Mary Hardin, I push the stroller."  In an effort to move things along quickly, I agree and off we go.

Picture this - Lillie pushing an empty snap-n-go and me carrying an infant carrier with a 16 pound smiling baby in it, a bag full of dirty cloth diapers hangs on my arm along with two coats, one blanket and 3 bottles.  Oh - and I'm in a dress and boots.

Between school and our home, Lillie throws herself on the ground screaming in the middle of two driveways.  And then stands at the end of the hall and yells for her daddy for 20 minutes.  I know our neighbors just love us, and unfortunately Brad is out for the evening.

After Lillie rips the cheese off her pizza and spills a whole glass of milk on the floor, I look over at Mary Hardin who is hitting herself in the head with the sippy cup repeatedly and think to myself... so this is what stay at home mom's do all day, huh?

I take a deep breath and tell Lillie it is okay.  As I begin to clean up the milk I remind myself that these precious children are only this age once.  And I have such limited time with them.

I look at Lillie from my hands and knees on the floor - where I'm cleaning up the milk - and say, "Lillie I love you little bear."

And she looks me square in the eye and says, "Mommy, I do not love you.  I love my bread.  I love my yogurt."