in the morning...at your table...milk and cereal

Last night, I went to K-mart for like two hours to be alone. It was exactly what I needed. While there, I picked up some items for our last trip of the summer, which starts tomorrow. I got batteries for the portable cassette player, water bottles, a gift for my godson (Happy early Birthday sweet Thomas!) and at the last minute, remembered we were all out of milk and cereal for this morning's breakfast. It was near closing time, and so I hurried back to the other side of the store where I initially reached for Cheerios but then...I don't know, maybe it was the excitement of getting away for a few days as a family, I changed my mind and grabbed the biggest box of Honey-Combs I could find.

This past month, I've stayed up till all hours of the evening, planning lessons and getting chores done that I can no longer do in the mornings because in the mornings, I teach my kids from home. I've spent so much, s-o-o-o much time agonizing over the choices that I've made as a mother. I pray unceasingly for forgiveness, wisdom and patience. I work my tail end off to just barely keep on top of the details - the logistics of raising young children, and I've grown accustomed to the reality that such herculean efforts are almost always either ignored or resented, especially if they limit: sugar consumption, video-game playing, or the wearing of fur-lined moon boots in the middle of summer.

I knew when they woke up and headed down the stairs for something to eat - something boring and grainy and unsweetened, my little ones would be shocked to discover the treat I'd impulsively purchased on their behalf. I waited from the hallway, expectantly, for what I knew would be a celebratory, grateful, and squealy type of response to my breaking of the rules just this once, on this special occasion (the eve of our mini-vacation), and I was not disappointed...

"Mama, Mama thank you! You're the best!"