Every now and then in the trenches of mothering young children (many of them) there are sweet moments that make you step back and realize how ‘worth it’ it all is.

If I did better at recognizing the moments, I’m actually quite sure they happen more often than “every now and then”.

It’s just that the poop on the wall, the toothbrushes all lined up IN the cat litter box and the 100th request of the day for something, all these things hinder my ability to see the sweetness.

Like today, after a couple days of working out in the morning (which gave me more energy than my half pot of daily coffee intake), surviving my coffee-fast (in an effort to calm my poor stomach),  by 3 PM I hit a wall (today was NO workout+NO coffee=disaster).  I had been reading out loud to the older two kids for over an hour, I couldn’t believe they still wanted more and I didn’t want to say no.  But I finally said, “Hang on while I make some coffee and we’ll read more!”.

I went to make coffee.  But I dropped the entire canister of beans onto the kitchen floor.  It was loud, the kids called out “Are you okay?  What happened mom?” from their post with the book waiting for me.

“I spilled coffee beans all over and made a huge mess!”  I answered.

No sooner had the words come out of my mouth then the kids both popped into the kitchen.  Didn’t say a word.  Both just bent down, starting scooping up beans and putting them in the sink.  We worked and cleaned together.  I started to thank them and wound up in tears.  There is something so sweet, so precious about watching your kids respond instantly in the right way.

It’s easy to chalk up the times they get it wrong and buckle under the temptation of ‘mommy guilt’.   It’s equally easy to forget to commend them when they do get it right.  This coffee-bean-moment was one where we all got it right and it made my day.  Despite the fact my head is pounding and I haven’t washed my hair in three? days and I’m still in my pajamas.

As I hugged them and their little chests puffed with pride, Rylee said to me “See mama, we all worked together and it got done so fast didn’t it?”.

Yes it did.  And I was thankful, again, that they are here with me.  Just like I was earlier today when Rylee was holding cards up and teaching Kyler his letter sounds at the table.  And when I found Rylee getting Audrey all set on a chair with picture books, her favorite monkey and her lovey, “So she can have quiet reading time like me mama” she informed me.

I adore what happens every day around our table for six.