Sunburned Feet

So here is the deal that you sign up for when you give birth:

1) feed, clothe, bathe, and keep an eye on this new individual (NI)

2) make sure NI has enriching/positive experience with school, teachers, classmates, principals, neighbors, siblings, grandparents, cousins, coaches and every waiter/ress and checkout clerk encountered

3) plan for birthdays, First Communions, Halloweens, Christmases, First Day of School, Last Day of School, Spring Breaks, Valentine's Days, St. Patrick's Day (even if NI is not of Irish descent), and of course, educational AND fun summer vacations

4) sign up for, pay for, and attend the following: sports teams, music lessons, after-school activities, etc.

5) drive to places where (1), (2), (3), and (4) happen

(to be continued)

(OK, I'm back from Benihana...where was I going with this? oh yeah...)

Yesterday, I spent the day at Alpenrose watching my son play baseball and other sons play baseball and some daughters play softball. We had the opportunity to not run from field to home to Next Activity on the Calendar. All the while, the lawn needs mowing and there were cereal bowls in the sink. Horror!!!! How did I ever sleep last night with such guilt? Answer: like a baby. I was tired and sunburned, right down to the tops of my feet through my cool Nike Air Rifts.

So, you can think of your family activities in terms of the price of gasoline and the loss of your "me time" or you can thank God that you have a child playing in the sunshine. Or that your child has a mom or dad watching them play in the sunshine. Or a grandparent watching them. Because many don't...watch, or have the opportunity to watch,...or play.

Happy Mother's Day to the moms and grandmoms and godmothers and stepmoms. Thanks for going the extra mile.