Normal, but perfect day

Today has been a calm happy day.  It started out with me and the girls making red velvet waffles.  Oh, man, they were good!  We attended stake conference, and I actually got something out of it!  I have a church bag that contains all sorts of things to keep the kids quiet while they listen to the speakers.  

I came away motivated to keep the faith and stay true to the commitments I have made to my Heavenly  Father.  After church, Michaela wanted to make cookies together with her Easy Bake Oven.  Caleb, seeing our fun, decided he wanted to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.  While we waited for the cookies to bake, me, Caleb and Michaela played duets on the piano.

When the cookies were cleaned up, Emily begged me to take her on a bike ride.  Then Jake and I played a basketball game outside.  I helped Caleb finish up some last minute details for something school related and it was time for bed.  

Caleb could sense something and said, "Mom, you okay?" as I knelt down for family prayers.

"Oh, I just have a headache, love."

"Oh, I'm sorry!"  He reached for my hand.  

I read with the girls and got them to bed.  As I tucked Emily in, she was picking her nose and said,  "Yum.  Mommy my boogers taste like cookies!" and giggled.  Silly girl.

After turning off the girls' lights, I went to the boys' rooms.  Caleb told me to lie down on his bed--he wanted to give me a surprise.  He placed a cool rag over my eyes to help my headache go away, and whispered something to Jake.  They each grabbed a foot and rubbed lotion onto my cracked heels and arches.  Next, they rubbed lotion onto my hands, arms and elbows.  I could hear Caleb maneuvering nail clippers and I cried out (in a whisper), "Oh, thanks, boys, but how 'bout just the lotion?!"  I couldn't shake images of my fingernails cut to the quick, bleeding all over the bed.  To finish off, Caleb rubbed the side of my right hip since he knows it hurts me frequently. (I'll be having arthroscopy surgery in 9 days to fix torn cartilage and reshape the femoral head.)  

Last night, Michaela and I had a pretty ugly fight.  I won't go into the details because it doesn't need to be recounted.  However, this morning as she crawled into bed next to me and we hugged she said,  "I'm sorry about last night."  I said I was sorry and squeezed her tight and reminded her, "Today is a new day with no mistakes in it."

She nodded and said, "Can we start over?"

Motherhood is the hardest thing I have ever done.  I'm grateful for new days with no mistakes, like today.  I am grateful for our four beautiful, sweet compassionate crazy booger-eating children!  Along with their dad, they are my breath, my life, my everything!  I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus  Christ that reminds me we can start with a clean slate and not let our past dictate our future.  I love my family, and I love Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father!