Its All Worth It

"Its the little things," they tell you, "that make parenting worth it."

Its also one of the things that is the hardest to remember and grasp when its 2am and the baby is screaming while someone else is puking and a third child has peed the bed. Also hard to remember when you find that your otherwise capable elementary school children are seemingly unable to put their laundry away in any semblance of order even when you've shown them 10 times. Losing joy when driving around for 87 jazillion hours for umpteen activities. Grumbling and miserable while sweeping up goldfish crumbs off the kitchen floor 15 minutes after you last cleaned it.

But then... it IS the little things.

Months ago we watched the movie "Tangled" and shortly thereafter, Thing3 started saying to me "I love you the most!" and then I would tease him back with "That's what the mean mommy says!!" He would giggle and say "Then that makes you the beautiful princess." Super adorable and it became our "game" especially at bedtime or after a punishment.

Then the other day after I had been stomping around picking up after my sloppy adorable children, I sat down on the couch and sighed a big sigh. My sweet Thing3 climbed up in my lap and said, "I love you mommy!" and I said "I love you the most!" expecting our little game to ensue. But instead he said....

prepare yourself....

Thing3 said "Not the most. Always. I love you always."

And then I had to clean my melted heart off my couch.

Yup. Its the little things that make it all worth it.