Today was a beautiful day. It is the beginning of September, and for the first time in a few months, the weather allowed you to have your house windows open. The kids played outside in the backyard while I cleaned, and I was able to hear them! The sun was shining and warm, yet in the shade you would be at the perfect temperature if you had on long sleeves. There was an ever so soft whisper of a breeze. It was pretty much as close to perfect as you could ask for.
We were at the park for some time. Of course, my lazy self sat listening to my iPod while constantly scanning counting the kids, to make sure none of them escaped. This was nice. I was in the shade, with that above mentioned whisper of a breeze. The kids were running, climbing, pushing/shoving, swinging, laughing, and all sorts of park stuff. Life was good.
After we had been there about an hour, Audrey decided she wanted to take her shoes off. That of course, was not OK with me, if she wanted to run around the playground. So I made her sit on the bench by me. "Let's take a picture of this perfect, "Good Mom" moment," I thought.
"Say Cheese!", I said to Audrey. She made this crazy looking face. (See picture) So I say, "Let's do another one"....
Then it happened. The slap in the face that brought me out of my "Good Mom" day dream. Audrey decided to sit Indian style for the next picture.
After I had cleaned enough to see that I had done anything at all, I felt empowered enough to take the kids to the park. I felt like that would be a "Good Mom" thing to do. I will admit, I don't do it often enough, because truth be told, I'm lazy. So, in my "Good Mom" mode, I put Juli and Audrey in the wagon. Mason and Alena both rode their scooters, and neighbor friend Jordan rode her bike. Off we went, and walked to the park. 
"Yay!" I thought to myself. "I'm actually doing something fun with the kids! I can say I wasn't a total failure as a mother this day" I told myself.
We were at the park for some time. Of course, my lazy self sat listening to my iPod while constantly scanning counting the kids, to make sure none of them escaped. This was nice. I was in the shade, with that above mentioned whisper of a breeze. The kids were running, climbing, pushing/shoving, swinging, laughing, and all sorts of park stuff. Life was good.
After we had been there about an hour, Audrey decided she wanted to take her shoes off. That of course, was not OK with me, if she wanted to run around the playground. So I made her sit on the bench by me. "Let's take a picture of this perfect, "Good Mom" moment," I thought.
"Say Cheese!", I said to Audrey. She made this crazy looking face. (See picture) So I say, "Let's do another one"....
Then it happened. The slap in the face that brought me out of my "Good Mom" day dream. Audrey decided to sit Indian style for the next picture.
I didn't take the next picture. Because it was at that moment, that I realized that my sweet little red headed child, at some point in the day before we left to go to the park, lost her underwear. So, there she sat.....for all the world to see....
It was suddenly time to go home. "Good Mom" left the building at that point.
