Happy Tears

The last couple of weeks have been crazier than normal around the Sweeney house. I have been burning the candle at both ends planning the YWCA's 10th Annual Men Who Cook event which is our biggest fundraiser of the year. Various men from the community cook a 4-course meal for 21 tables of 8. Nick and some friends cooked for 2 tables this year. So on top of regular Mom & Dad duties we both had this on the side.

Dirty clothes are piled higher than usual. The fridge is more empty than usual. My patience is thinner. Plans have been broken. Nights sleep have been lost.  Too many nights. The five of us haven't had a lot of time to spend together for the last 3 weeks. Thank goodness Nick went shopping for Ellie's presents and cake because I simply could not squeeze one more thing is- even my daughters 2nd birthday.

Than I came across this blog post that has been shared a gazillion times on various social media sites and it resonated right to the middle of my heart.

http://momastery.com/blog/2012/01/04/2011-lesson-2-dont-carpe-diem/

Men Who Cook was Saturday night. Yesterday morning the five of us were being good and lazy. Nick and I were nursing sore joints and feet. The big girls were coming down from their "we had a babysitter" high from the night before.

And Ellie? Well- she was my moment of Kairos time. She stood in the middle of the living room and started to dance. With her whole body. Singing a song that only she knew. Then she wanted her pj's off to dance in just her diaper. She just kept going. And somewhere in the middle of it all I started to cry happy tears. Just seeing her genuinely happy. Nick looked at me and said "She's all yours!" Yes, yes she is.

There are days that come and go without so much as a moment to be grateful for what you have. But yesterday, Ellie dancing in the living room? That was my moment when I knew that while I can't seize every moment- I can seize some. Some really good ones!