Families R Built with Love

I am sooooo tired.  But it is good. It was a weekend rich with memories, with family, with laughter, and with the happy realization that challenges could be met and overcome.  Today was the second day of recital.  Last  year instead of this being the easier day, it was harder for KC.  Instead of giving him the comfort of knowing what to expect, that knowledge had petrified him almost to incapacitation.  Today, he was totally able to handle it, and most of the time, to be relatively relaxed.  Yes, when they lined up to go back stage he did have to clutch my hand in a ninja death grip (lol) but he really really danced well and was of a much happier demeanor.

But I wasn't just happy with KC. One of the things that I kind of insist on as a parent is that we as a family are going to be there for each other.  Pretty much no matter what.  That means that you sit through things that might be boring. You might have to reschedule things sometimes.  But  you will be there.  You will cheer each other on. I have friends who think I am nuts for some of the things that my youngest kids have done to support Rob or Fiona.  And some who think that I am out of my tree for making Rob come to a 4 year olds gymnastics meet for instance.

And one of my great joys tonight is that I can see that my kids really get that it is important to be there.  Rob at nearly 15 did not balk at sitting at the recital today with Kirsty.  Despite having seen part of it yesterday.  He sat through all of it today.  Lissa at 4, hung in there for 4 hours in the cafeteria of a high school doing crafts and playing with kids she doesn't really know well because it was my day to be the back stage mom and to provide crafts and snacks for the hordes.  She was also totally silent when we were back stage with KC, my megaphone daughter fully realizing the need for utter silence in those few minutes.

Now, Rob is at youth group and the littles are abed.  When I put KC to bed tonight he asked if I would like to be a mermaid.  He has always loved the idea of merfolk and I have been gifted with many drawings of mermaids and mermen.  I said I thought it sounded like it would be a lot of fun.  He paused for a minute and then said, "but could you dance?"  I know he meant literally, but I could not help but feel like this weekend, our whole family danced together and surely the merfolk do too.