Our special Wednesday

It had been (sigh) one of those weeks by Tuesday! But on Wednesday, I had such a BEAUTIFUL day! It was a blessing from God. I had been running on empty and was feeling quite burnt out. Wednesday I got up early, showered and had my coffee. As I was waiting for a daycare family to arrive, they called and said they were not coming because one of the kids was sick. Even though the others were fine, they wanted to make sure not to spread it. (I am SO thankful that I have daycare parents who are incredibly considerate!) So what was going to be a day with 7 kids turned into a day with 4 - my three and one more. ( Now I love my daycare kids, but YAY! We can all fit into the van!!!) We were going SOMEWHERE!!!!
We had a relaxing morning, eating a later breakfast and watching a few cartoons. Then we headed off  to pick up lunch and met Mirzet at a park near his work. It was so fun to sit and hold his hand and watch the kids play. Then we ran around on the playground with them a bit and then he headed back to work.
 I then took the kids to Como. Now all of our trips to Como this year have been DISASTERS! Every time there have been trillions of people there, no parking and crabby kids by the time we get in.
This time was PERFECT!
We were able to zip around and look at all the animals. The animals must have been missing people, because they were all ready to perform. Sparky had his nose up to the glass giving kisses and high fives to the kids. The penguins were jumping and sliding, the spider monkeys swinging, the giraffes had two babies....even the lion gave us a head nod! :) The kids got to watch without being rushed or crowded. No one cried or fussed and the sun was so warm.
God knew we needed that day. It sounds so simple, a lunch and the park and a quick trip to the zoo, but it was so relaxing. Later Mirzet asked me how a trip to the zoo with 4 kids could be relaxing, but it was! Sometimes you have those days when things just WORK! And I am so thankful for those days, because it was fuel for me. I say all this to tell you, take advantage of those rare moments with your kids, to do something for them! Give them memories of now, when they are small, that they can someday look back on. Of a day away from the daily grind. Let them see the real you, not the stressed mom or strict mom, but the mommy who knows how to have fun. Who will go down that twirly slide, (even though its a little tight!) Who will try to swing on the monkey bars or hold their feet so they can go across. Who will lay in the leaves and look at the sky and talk to them or find cloud pictures.
I know I have the tendency to get caught up in my list. Even story time can sometimes be another thing on the to do list. Let them see YOU. I felt wonderful after my Wednesday. Ready to face the rest of the week with gusto and enthusiasm. God knows when you need a break, and he just might make it happen. If it does, put it to good use!