Wisdom From an (Almost) 2nd Grader

I came home today in a foul mood.  Not only was it a Monday, but the house was messy, there was a mound of laundry to fold, I'd had a challenging day at work (plus I elected to swimsuit shop over lunch...please examine my head), and there's some tropical storm in the Gulf that is trying to wreck my vacation.  I was in a state.

I have to admit, I tend to let the house get to me.  We have a lot and I mean A LOT of people and stuff in a really tiny little place.  And I am so ready to get out of this house and move on with our lives, but we just aren't quite all the way there yet.  So anyway, I cried a little and lashed out at Ryan.  I'm not proud of it and it's certainly not his fault, but I did.  And Alli heard me, which makes it even worse. We moved on - I cooked dinner (tacos, yum), Ryan and Alli played kickball until someone kicked the ball over the fence, and we all played a game of Sorry that Ryan won despite my and Alli's best efforts.  We gang up on him, but he's so good at games that it almost makes it fair.

Then I was snuggling with Alli right before her shower, and we had the most interesting conversation.

Me:  "You know Mama loves you even when she gets upset."

Alli:  "Yeah, I know."

Me:  "And Mama loves Daddy even when she gets upset with him."

Alli:  "Yeah, I know."

Me:  "Mama and Daddy are best friends, and sometimes best friends fight.  But that doesn't mean they aren't still best friends."

Alli:  "What were you mad about?"

Me:  "Oh, the house.  Mama was mad about the house."

Alli (disbelief):  "Really?  The house?  Oh, Mama, it's just a house."

My little sage with her new bedspread

And so it is.  Why did it take a seven year old to remind me?  We kept talking, and she had been sad that she didn't win the Sorry game.  Then she brushed my hair out of my face and said "It really makes me feel better when you're here with me."  Of course I welled up with tears and bear hugged her.  Then I helped her get in the shower and bragged to Ryan about what an amazing kid we are raising.  We have got to be parents of the year.  She's so smart, so compassionate, so expressive, and so happy.

I went back in to wash her hair and she looked at me with those big round eyes, held up her toy and proclaimed "Look, Mama.  Yoshi's selling margaritas.  Do you want one?"

Okay, maybe not parents of the year.  And rethinking taking her to La Hacienda so much.

So close, yet so far away...