Yesterday I planned to run a few errands over my lunch break. Annalyn’s birthday party is on Saturday, and this was really my last opportunity to pick up a few things without having her along for the ride.
(You might find this surprising, but most errands and chores are easier on the rare occasion I find myself alone.)
I told Mark that I wouldn’t be coming home for lunch, and that was that.
Until lunchtime. When Mark and Annalyn showed up at my office. Reportedly, that little girl had spent the last hour saying, “Mommy? See her? Mommy? See her?”
So being the good dad that he is, Mark brought her to see her mommy.
Okayyyyyy. Off to Target we went. We swept through the baby section, searching for a birthday party outfit and hurried over to the candy section to look for candy bananas to put on the cupcakes. Then as I paid for a shirt, a pair of pants, some small black shoes and a stuffed Elmo that I’d hid behind my back for 10 minutes, Mark got Annalyn buckled into the car. I ran out of the store (okay, I walked briskly, let’s be real here), and we sped off to McDonald’s, where we snarfed value meals and begged Annalyn to eat something other than our fries.
And where I found myself saying, “Stop! Don’t touch me with those hands! Here, use this napkin. Yuck! Baby girl! Those are my work pants!”
I know, I know.
Somehow, I let my errands and my work pants become more important than spending time with my daughter. I focused on not getting to the other store and the thought of stinky ketchup on my sleeve. And I almost missed that sweet girl just wanting to be with her mommy.
“Mommy? See her?” How could I think anything else was more important than that?
Reba McEntire sings a song called “Is There Life Out There?” and the video makes me cry every darned time I see it. It’s more of a mini-movie, really, about a mother who goes back to school and earns her college degree.
At the end of the video, her teacher returns a paper with an A but suggests she not submit stained work in the future. Those pages were stained because her daughter accidentally spilled coffee on her typewriter-typed report, an incident that reminded Reba’s character what was really important.
Reba tells her teacher, “I learned more from the stains than I did the paper.”
As I fussed at Annalyn about the ketchup on my sleeve and my pants, I thought about that scene.
I don’t want to be too busy to love on Annalyn. Time goes too fast and she’s already growing too much. I know this stage of Mommy-love and more hugs and one more kiss won’t last.
When we got back to my office – with a few minutes to spare, even – Mark told Annalyn to say goodbye.
“Buh-bye!” she said with a smile.
“How about a hug?” I asked.
“Okay!”
“I love you!” I said as she and Mark walked away.
“Wuv. Ooo.”
Turns out I had plenty of time to do my other errand after work. And I’m pretty sure nobody noticed the ketchup stains on my clothes. Although it wouldn’t have mattered if they did. One day not far enough from now, I’ll be the one saying, “Annalyn? See her?”
So I’m taking all the hugs and kisses and unexpected lunch visits I can get.
Such a good reminder. Thanks for that. :-)
You are amazing! Yep, it really is the ketchup stains and spilled milk on black pants that matter most!
And you had me at "wuv ooo!"
Friday Hugs!
Thanks a lot. Now I need a kleenex. *sniff* I also needed to hear this today. The last two nights Ruby has not been sleeping through the night. So instead of enjoying rocking her while she is still little enough to rock, I have been annoyed wishing she would hurry up and go to sleep. Thanks for the reminder that they won't be little for long.
Lovely insights into the working mom's daily juggling act! Thanks.
hi! i'm a fellow kansas city-an (or is it citian) and wanted to say hello. i look forward to following you more on your blog!!
I find myself doing this as well. I get caught up getting things ready for activities for my kids and cleaning the house so that my kids don't get hurt/sick, that I miss actually spending time with my kids. Yes, we are all in the same room together and I am talking to them the whole time, but I am not "with" them. So now I make sure that I spend at least an hour on the floor with them doing nothing but letting them climb on me or play blocks or whatever they want to do. I try to do more than this, but this is the bare minimum I will accept a day.
"Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman is the song that always gets me and puts me in that place…
Amen Sista!
Ohhhh i so needed to read this tonight..I've been struggling as a mom lately and I'll leave it at that…but I needed this. Thank you.
i found this through Your Life, Your Blog and i love this post!
before the end of the month, I'll be a first time mom and thoughts like these are the ones that are sticking with me. thank you!
This is my first visit to your blog, and what a sweet post to read. I had a lovely little connecting moment with my preschooler this evening and was so glad to be reminded to be present yet again in reading your story. :)
Loved the reminder. And thanks for getting that song stuck in my head right before I go to bed. Thanks alot.
ok i'm so glad that i'm not pmsy because i'm on the verge of tears! so sweet!
(and yes, i was quite behind on your blog…! nothing like comment overload from me tonight, huh!)
Can't believe I didn't comment on this when you posted it! Loved it so. :) I can't wait to hear Libbie say, "Mommy?"
Give Annalyn extra kisses for me!
You should make a Tumblr page.