Trifecta

I had a mommy hat trick yesterday. Read on...














1. Flash came running into the family room to inform me that he had dropped an important piece to a game and it had slid under the oven. I checked with a flashlight. I found a long handled spoon to fish under the oven. I pulled the oven out (which I hate doing because then I feel compelled to clean under there.) No game piece.

I looked at him, and asked if it could have gone anywhere else. He very solemnly looked at me and told me it had gone under the oven. I wrinkled my nose and prepared to check under other pieces of furniture in the kitchen.

Then I stopped, looked at Big E and said, "If this were Mermaid Princess, I'd give up, but this is the kind of thing Flash knows. I'm looking again." And sure enough, a thorough search turned up a little green game piece tucked halfway into the foot of of the oven.

Hey, I think I'm momentarily getting the hang of knowing my kids!

2. Less proud of this one... Brand new ivory damask tablecloth from Big E's mom. We don't have much in cash reserves right now, so little gifts like this mean a lot to me. It was sitting out in the family room, waiting to be put away. I sat down to read Milly-Molly-Mandy to Mermaid Princess and Flash when my mommy sense kicked in and I looked up to see JackJack drawing lovely orange lines with a NON-Crayola washable marker (which means I have severe doubts about whether it will actually wash out).

Now JackJack is highly aware that markers are allowed only in the kitchen and only for drawing on paper. This was done because he was peeved that he did not have my full attention. I swept up the marker and the tablecloth and went into the laundry room to count to ten. I was HOT.
In the meantime, Big E had slid over to JackJack. I emerged from the laundry room to hear Big E telling JackJack to walk over to me and say he was sorry. I sat on the step into the family room, and here came my littlest boy, looking truly repentant.

He looks up at me sorrowfully, and says, "I'n torry, Mommy. Hug me?"

I went from steamed to melted in 1.2 seconds. There wasn't even the littlest bit of frustration, anger, or irritation left. In fact, I loved him more, if that's possible.

I have to wonder, is this how God forgives us?

3. Finally, as I was putting Flash to bed last night, we played the "I Love You" game where each of us says I love you and tries to get a kiss in before the other does. Suddenly, he stops, pulls back and says to me, "But you really love Daddy."

"Well, honey, I do love Daddy as my husband and best friend. And I love you because you are the sweet boy that God specially picked for our family."

Flash looked grieved, not the reaction I was expecting.

"Mommy, don't be sad 'bout this, but I love Mermaid Princess most of all."

Is this not cause to head to the family room for the mommy merengue?

I know that someday, this conversation will be about his wife-to-be and it will be a little more bittersweet, but today, it completes a mommy trifecta.

And now I have it recorded for those days when I am resisting the urge to jump in the car for a mad dash to Starbucks before anyone notices I'm missing...