Overboard

In the movie Overboard Kirt Russel comes home to find Goldie Hawn completely overwhelmed by motherhood and homemaking. She is sitting in a chair, mumbling "baa baa baa" over and over. I was pretty sure that was how Adam was going to find me when he got home from work tonight. It may have been thus, if Gram hadn't called and invited my kids to play in her back yard and insisted that I go for a walk. As I walked along the path lined by giant Cottonwood trees who are shedding little bits of "cotton" right now, I was struck by the beauty of the evening. I thought about the events of the day:

A much anticipated trip to the zoo to ride the train.  The girls had earned "tickets" by doing morning chores for 7 days in a row about two months ago and as a reward they wanted to ride the zoo train.  It has taken me this long to make good on that deal.
I'd been putting off writing "thank you" cards because in my mind it was a monumental task.  "Take a nap while the baby is sleeping and the girls watch a movie, or write, address, stamp, mail the 'thank you' cards?" I would ask myself.  I find that I say this a lot.  "Sleep or vacuum, mop, clean bathrooms?" or "Sleep or exercise?" or "Sleep or Spiritual nourishment?"  I wish I could fit it all in, but I've got four kids who all seem to be clamoring for my attention these days.  While I was trying to finish up the "thank you" cards this afternoon Sierra and Kaia were bombarding me with all sorts of requests.  "Make a modest swimsuit for my Barbie!" Kaia demanded for the 100th time (my attempt to wrap ribbon around said Barbie had failed).  "Read me another chapter of Fablehaven," Sierra begged.  "Can we hold the baby?" they both repeated insistently.  Finally I kicked them both out of my room and told them to find "a new activity" (have you heard the comedian Brian Regan use that line?).  I thought they would go into the kitchen and make a big, huge mess.  Which they did--involving peanut butter, chocolate chips and raisins.  But they also made their own "thank you" cards and addressed them to me.  This is what Sierra's looked like: 

I told her I would keep it forever.  And I will, just in picture/blog format.  They surprise me with their thoughtfulness everyday (right after they surprise me with how much they can bicker, argue and fight).  I love my kids.