...and today is his birthday too!

Last Mother's Day I was allowed to possess the remote control the entire day, which meant no NASCAR race or baseball games. I think we ended up watching Raiders of the Lost Ark as a family while eating popcorn. I didn't cook or clean up. I was granted quiet time from my boys and they were told not to bug me, but to leave mommy alone to rest. I didn't have to wipe dirty faces or wash sticky hands. Bathtime was daddy's duty while mommy sat on the couch. It was my day to do whatever I wanted to.

Fast forward to Father's Day on Sunday. My boys surprised their dad with a handcrafted key holder. Matt presented Steve with a couple packets on "Why My Dad Is So Special". They both made cards and Matt wrote a poem: For my dad who is the best, today I will give you rest.

I mowed the lawn for my deserving hubby who usually works all day and walks through our door to give even more time to his sons. I picked up his favorite pizza at Uno's Grill and after the boys went to bed I made a DQ-run for Steve's favorite Blizzard (Heath). I tried to be on top of all other duties thinking Daddy needed his time out, but to my surprise, Steve told me to sit down while he served the kids.

He took pride in filling Mark's glass with more milk and grabbing a spoon for Matt. He enjoyed helping Mark snap his carseat buckle in place. It's as if he was celebrating his responsibilities as a dad instead of shelving them for a day like someone else I know. He even replaced a door's doorknob which busted the day before.

As I watched him willingly do these many things, I also learned that doing what appears to be nothing but a mundane parental task are actually tasks that speak life into our children. They should be celebrated and not dreaded. I decided to flip my attitude switch from bad to good. Yes, wiping a child's face for the billionth time gets old, but they appreciate the hard work we put into it and that makes me happy.

It's still morning while I type this. Mark is sleeping like an angel and Matt is hard at work playing his beloved baseball video game. Steve is getting ready for work with loads of reading and typing ahead of him for his class. The day is ahead of me and I pray my attitude remains good, calm, collected and that through my daily work, though mundane, breathes life into my kids and that alone fulfills me.