Snapshots I Should Have Taken

Today was one of those days where there were several moments I would love to bring forth again and again. I need these kind of moments to keep me going through those other kind of moments we all have. After reading Cardiogirl's post yesterday and her link to Heath's words of wisdom, I was determined to savor the really good moments today.

I began the day by making pancakes for the boys, even though I was feeling pressure to make the house presentable for a visit from my husband's folks. I always make three different kinds because my ES loves whole wheat pancakes with chocolate chips, my MS gets whole wheat with mashed bananas and chocolate chips and my YS gets whole wheat with mashed bananas. I had barely finished preparing and cutting the two little boys pancakes, when my ES begged for two more. I have few culinary specialties to claim, so I ate up their expressions of delight.

This afternoon, my boys presented their dad with birthday presents they had picked out. It was really quite funny because I had taken them shopping two days ago and offered to drive further away to shops with more options, but the older two both wanted to go to Walmart (I'm sure ES just wanted to get this family obligation out of the way, so he could head off to his friend's house.)

My MS, usually can't keep a secret to save his life. I was very impressed that he didn't tell Daddy right away (even though he helped me decorate the white wrapping paper and wrap the presents and place them up high to wait for today). I'll never forget how disappointed I felt one Christmas, when I was in college, because the little girl I babysat for told me ahead of time that they had purchased a pair of leather gloves for me. They were lovely gloves and I keep them to this day (even though they are weather worn and trash-worthy) because they were a special family and it was a significant disappointment to know the gift before opening it.

My MS beamed as he handed Daddy a small box. My husband was a bit confused after opening it, so MS explained that it is a head-sock. There are several reasons I cherish this moment. MS truly picked this out himself. My ES was looking for a nice black belt (something Daddy had expressed a need for) and MS slipped away around a corner. He popped back out holding a head-sock covered in skulls. One of MS's other favorite costumes (besides the superhero theme) is a skeleton costume with a skull mask. Plus, he has recently been repeatedly asking for a story and song, from the Bible, about the bones which come to life and walk around. I fully understand the appeal this object had for him. It was only $3, so I let him choose that for Daddy. But, the thing that really makes me smile, is that MS will never really know that Daddy used to wear head-socks quite frequently when he was a graduate student in philosophy (back when we first moved to DeKalb). He probably won't wear it often now, but it did give MS great pleasure to give that gift! Perhaps, I can still get a snapshot of this.

Later in the afternoon, my husband glanced out the window and spotted a large turtle walking near the banks of the creek. He called out for MS (YS was napping) and I ran to grab their shoes. We shuffled out the back porch door, but as we did so, I noticed a beaver walking towards the turtle along the banks. In my excitement, I squealed and the beaver headed under the bridge and out of sight. We scurried down the hill, but by the time we got to the bottom, the turtle had disappeared (probably into the creek). It was a sizeable thing. Its shell had been at least a foot in diameter. MS would have loved to have visited with that turtle up close, but this must have been the turtle that beat the hare! He was FAST!

After a delicious supper, we headed to the Dairy Bar for a birthday treat with Daddy and Grandma. Upon arriving home, we let the little boys roam in the yard for a bit. They discovered a tree circled by a puddle. Both MS and YS had an a blast stomping around in that puddle for over a half an hour. Usually, I can't sit much when they are out. But, tonight, Grandma and I savored a relaxing sit, watching their revelry! I thought about running to get my camera, but literally couldn't tear myself away. Their delight was contagious. Their evening bath was murky.

All in all, it was a delightful day. I didn't manage to get photos, but I made mental snapshots of the memorable moments in this day. I pretended to push the slow-mo button while they were occurring. And, I truly should have taken a photo of the house, because it rarely is as tidy as when I have company coming (indeed, once company has arrived, the boys have usually already reduced it to a state of chaos and the "lived-in-look"). But, as Heath pointed out in her wise words, God won't be asking me if my house was spotless, but He will be glad that I savored moments of their pure child-joy!