The Lighter Side of Motherhood

Today I liked my children. Don't freak out. Every day I love my children with a passion and intensity that can only come with motherhood, but not every day is one where I enjoy their company. Let's be honest, there are plenty of days when it's 2pm and you have dealt with spilled juice, leaking bottles, 15 temper tantrums, 6 sibling fights (with injury), 4 arguments over which cartoon to watch , 2 fights over the volume of the cartoon in question and an incredible amount of poop either in diapers or worse, all over the bathroom floor....all this and you are still unshowered and reheating the same 1/2 cup of coffee you've been trying to drink since 6am.
But not today! Today the gods of harried mothers with late-working husbands showed mercy and I had 4 wonderful, well-behaved children that remembered their manners, did their chores without arguing, took naps without tantrums and made it to the potty on time (obviously I am referring to my 3 year old- my 7 and 10 year olds have it down pat, thank you very much). Then as the cherry on the sundae, they all played together happily after dinner. I had the best time sitting at the kitchen island with the baby and watching my other 3 play some strange hybrid game that seemed to mix freeze tag with hide and seek- with new rules involving the "it" having to sit on a toy truck while chasing the others who could only hop on one foot. And apparently if you jumped out and scared the other player into screaming, there was some kind of bonus that included valentine's candy and a flying stuffed hippo....it's all a bit hazy, but I enjoyed it almost as much as my 8 month old son who squealed and bounced every time a sibling went careening past. So tomorrow, I may again be crazed and craving caffeine, but for now life is happy, boisterous and oh so very sweet.