I Tried for You.

Today Sweet Nonie,
I tried for you.

In a few years, you'll look back on this time and you'll think -
"I did everything on the sidelines of Declan's games...."

And you'll be right.
You did your reading. You hugged your Mama. You collected flowers.
You filled, happily I might add, countless hours of "down time" as Dec
learned to play Lax, Gaelic Football and Soccer....

Today, You even got up the nerve to yell at the 43 boys on the field decked
out in full lacrosse uniforms, "Craddle Boys! Now Craddle! Don't you hear the coaches yelling
to CRADDLE?"

But tonight, I gave you a bubble bath and warm dinner of ham, potatoes, and carrots.
We were going to read together while the boys lacrossed. I was giving you (ahem, and me)
a "night off" from sideline duty. At least, that was my Motherly Plan.

Then the text came through:
"Running late. Will meet you at lacrosse".

Did I mentioned that Nonie and I weren't going to Lacrosse today, Coach?

Suddenly, your peaceful eve was over.

My sweet girl was sidelined once again.

Or, in your assertive 3-year-old eyes, my sweet girl was suddenly appointed assistant coach. I can't really tell which:

"Craddle boys, now craddle... Don't you hear the coaches yelling to...."

A Pocket Full...

Sometimes I come home, empty my pockets, and surprise myself with what I've collected.
Oftentimes there are paper clips, rubberbands, paper scraps, marbles, math tools, bracelets.
Things that were handed to me and things that I've taken.
Things, though, that are not totally out of place in a pocket.

I was on a field trip today with my class and one of my students had something in his hand he was shoving into his pocket.
Ooohoohoo that kid sneaking things around... I thought.
So, as I often do, I held out my hand to take, whatever it was, from him.

As I held it in my hand I had a horrible thought...
So I turned to the lady next to me and asked,
"Oh my gosh, do I have his mother's underwear in my hand right now?"

And without much more thought,
I took those undies,
and put them in my pocket.

Just keep going, just keep going

Wow. I am just...
Wow.
January and February slipped away from me.
Okay, March did, too.

I feel like I'm in some sort of dream where time is running out and there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to get done.
Except it's not a dream.
It's life.

Unfortunately, I am no expert a gifts such as "perspective" and "keeping one's cool".
And so my head is spinning, and my heart is racing. And time won't stop for me

so I've got to find a way to keep up.

I finally breathed a breath of relief around 4:30 this afternoon. I don't know who needed a romp around more, Drake or myself. But we both seem relieved after a few minutes of playing ball in the yard.

He holds nothing against me. He is patient and forgiving. He is resilient and playful.

Lord, may I be more like my dog tomorrow.