Vow to Remember

When times are tougher than usual, as they seem to be right now, when bedtime continues to be an hour long affair and my patience wears thin, when she is overtired from refusing to nap and then acts out (such as the golf ball intentionally launched at me yesterday, which unfortunately (and unintentionally) hit my nose), I hereby vow to take a deep(er) breath, and remember this .............................



Not only will I reflect on that innocent and joyous face, but I will remember the full-on belly laughs she was unable to control last night while we lay in bed reading "Pickles to Pittsburgh" (the very funny sequel to Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs - thanks Aunt Suzi!!), and how when doing a puzzle together tonight, upon successfully fitting together a difficult piece, she suddenly grabbed me as tight as she could with her eyes clenched shut and exclaimed, "Oh Mama, I love you."

Yes, these are the moments I will certainly remember, now and in the future. And I suppose there could be a bright side to all of this: the throbbing in my nose is bound to subside eventually, and with that left arm, we may have a real chance at a softball scholarship in 15 years ..................