The Team

Monday was a long day. I was worn out from camping and haven't been feeling the best for the last week or so. Mike had a golf event for work, so I knew I was on my own. I got the kids, we worked together as a team to get dinner, and got to Dec's sport camp on time. That's when it started to go sideways.

D was super excited about camp. Until we got there. And they gave him a blue t-shirt. Which somehow insulted his dignity. He simply refused to go out and play with the group, which was a big bummer because they were throwing a red football around. Footballs and the color red are in D's top five things. The only way I could have sweetened this deal is if we were somehow on a Hot Wheels track with a hockey stick and loudspeakers blaring music.

I let the girls go play on the playground, but made Declan sit on the sidelines with me. I told him that his choices were play football or sit with mom and watch others play football. He didn't get to go to the park after camp because he didn't have great manners while sitting on the sidelines. My nerves were rather frayed by the time we got home.

Quinn and Dec got ready for bed and I helped Fiona with her cathing. It was inevitable, after 3 years of cathing, and I spilled the pee bottle. As I stared at pee all over the place and took a deep breath to try to not cry, Fiona grabbed my arm and said "how can I help, mom?" Quinn ran out of the room, dragged a chair from the table into the kitchen, climbed up, and grabbed the paper towels. Declan ran off and came back carrying two packages of wipes.

In one second, I went from blinking back tears to a bursting heart at how helpful they were. I didn't ask them for anything. They simply sprang into action because I needed them. Sometimes when everything feels like it is going wrong, you discover you are actually doing something right.