Be Mine.

Yesterday I attended Charlotte's preschool class Valentine's party. It was no easy undertaking for me to make it there but I did it (albeit a few minutes late). First I had to schedule Levi's feedings around the party time. FYI: Newborn + schedule = big laugh! Those two things don't go together. Not in the least. But I made it happen. Then I had to find festive attire for Charlotte and me. Charlotte's outfit was easy to assemble. Her wardrobe is filled to the brim with red, pink and hearts. My outfit was a different story. It involved me wiggling/squishing myself into my non-maternity pink jeans paired with a lovely black maternity top accessorized with a lovely hot pink scarf (an attempt to distract the eye). My hair was pulled back into a greasy-haven't-showered-in-many-days pony tail and make-up was applied liberally in order to make myself appear somewhat alive.  I would say I was somewhere on the spectrum between semi and fairly presentable.

^Charlotte's depiction of us (+ Levi) at the party. 

^What we really looked like at the party! Well a filtered version of us. 

The party was fun. Card making. And cookie decorating. Heart sorting. Handing out valentines cards. All the usual four year old holiday fun. But what struck me at the party was the way Charlotte's eyes lit up when I walked in. First a look of relief. And then love & adoration. Which then reminded me of a conversation Joe and I had the other day about school pick-up. 

Apparently Joe very much dislikes doing school pick-up. For good reasons too. The parking lot is too small and always congested and difficult to navigate. Which means you have to get there early in order to get a parking spot. Which then leads to standing around awkwardly in the school entrance with the other preschool parents. Then after Charlotte is released there is another 10 minutes of waiting outside until Isaiah is dismissed. And just to clarify outside in Minnesota is not exactly a pleasant experience in the winter! Add in an extra younger sibling (or two!) and it is a downright trying experience. Yet despite all of these little annoyances, I LOVE school pick-up. Because there is always that wonderful moment when my child and I lock eyes as we are reunited at the end of the school day. 

And no matter how things had been before school...regardless of how desperately my child and I needed a little space and time apart at the beginning of the school day...the reunion is so sweet. I love seeing my children searching for ME in the crowd of parents. Their eyes scanning the faces until they find mine. And then we lock eyes. And in that moment I see absolute love in their eyes. Without saying a word they say "I am yours and you are mine. I love you".  And for just a moment in time all is right in my world...

until I have to navigate my way out of that too small parking lot and all serenity is lost!