gifts

Fall Sundays have always been some of my favorite days. Crisp cool air, big newspapers, football, doughnuts...lately they have been a little hectic, and I haven't been able to enjoy them like I used to...until today. Partly because I have tomorrow off and so don't have to scramble to get EVERYTHING done, and partly because I decided last night life is too short, and too long, to not enjoy the little everyday gifts.

I woke up this morning (after actually getting 6 whole hours of sleep!!) to the Pea, standing by my bed. Her standing eye level is exactly my laying down eye level..."wake up, mommy, me wake up...you wake up now?" It's 7:30...first gift of the day: an extra 30 minutes of sleep.

"Mommy, me want punkin doughnut! Me want punkin doughnut!" Ok, sure why not, I could use some coffee, we were gonna do that today eventually, why not head out now...so I start to get dressed. I am standing in the bathroom, with only my underwear on and the Pea comes up, puts her hand on my belly and looks up at me, tilting her head "Mommy, you have BIG belly, WHHHHY? Why you belly so big mommy?" I'm giggling a little at this point, cuz while I don't have the flat perfect belly of a twenty something it's really not THAT big..."Well honey, I guess cuz I like to eat pumpkin doughnuts." For some reason this strikes her as HILARIOUS and she starts laughing that baby belly laugh, which makes me crack up as well, and I am standing in my bathroom half naked cracking up. Second gift: a good belly laugh.

After hitting Dunkin Donuts we head to Walmart. I have had sugar, caffeine, a good laugh, and plenty of sleep...I can do this. I am prepared for the worst, bracing myself for discount hell, and surprise, surprise...it wasn't that bad! Apparently the key to not wanting to kill yourself or others while shopping there is to do it before 9am on a Sunday. Third gift: bags of cheap groceries without the usual accompaniment of a nervous breakdown.

As I sit here now, the Pea is in the garage making me playdoh presents, gifts, and I can't help but smile...it doesn't get any better.