"I Like This World"

We took Lucy (Annie, too) to the Mississippi State Fair last night with Erin and Troy. It was the opening night, and we did it right...ate chicken on a stick, fried dill pickles, cotton candy and soft-serve ice cream, petted farm animals, watched old people dance in ridiculous skirts, went down the 4-story slide on a burlap sack, rode the ferris wheel, played a game to win a hideous stuffed animal, we did it ALL. On the way to school this morning, recounting her favorite parts of the fair, we had the following interaction:

Lucy: "Mama, I like this world. It's so fun."

Mama: "Yes, God made a good world, didn't he?"

Lucy: "Mm-hmm. I like the fair parts of it."

Mama: "You can tell him you like the world, any time you want."

Lucy: (Without skipping a beat, closes her eyes, puts her hands together, and proceeds to pray to God, thanking him for every specific little detail of the fair.)

It was so sweet. Especially the part where she tells God, "...and I can pray to you whenever I want, in the bathtub and on the playground, and at the pool...and you can pray to me, too, because I want you to tell me things..." Precious. (The reference to herself as a god of sorts notwithstanding.)

So it got me thinking as my day went on...I like this world today, too. It's been a really good day for me...the kind where I took care of me and other people; the kind where I got things accomplished but didn't try to overdo it; the kind where the little things that irritate me during a the course of any given day just didn't sink in too deep. It started early...we had to take Michael's car to the mechanic because at long-last, the clutch is dying and the car is on its' last gasp of air (not part of the good day). So I got all four of us dressed, ready to go for the day, fed, and in the car by 8:00. Picked up Michael from the mechanic, took Lucy to school, got Annie to Erin's house, and the vacuum cleaner to the repairman. Then I went to my bimonthly sewing group, a sort of group therapy made up of a few of us mothers who sew clothes and whatnot for our kids and lament and laugh about life for 3 hours every other Thursday morning. It's really delightful, and we get the added benefit of making cute things for our kids. So I did that for a few hours, then left early to go meet three of my favorite people in the world for lunch. Really yummy lunch, too. John, Norma & Callie are my family here in a million different ways...I am totally crazy about each of them, and they love me about the same, so it makes our time together really sweet and fun. Callie is home for fall break from her sophomore year at TCU, and it's really good to just lay eyes on her and hear how she's doing, even if just in a nutshell.

Left lunch to meet Erin and get Annie back, and I just have to say very briefly, I could eat this kid up. She is so sweet and dear and fun to be with. And easy...there has never been an easier baby in the world. So I got to play with her for a little bit, then we went to pick up Lucy from school/lunchbunch/art lesson and all came home. After snacks and playing with both of them, they both went easily to bed for naps (AT THE SAME TIME...this still seems too good to be true to me every time it happens). Well, I actually caved in and let Lucy have her nap on the couch with me while I watched the NLDS Game 2. On television. This is pretty huge, as I have watched most every game of this season on my computer. Not to complain, I'm so glad I can watch them this way, but the difference between an internet feed of a game and seeing it on ESPN is huge. Lucy of course fell asleep before the 5th inning, but I got to sit in peace and quiet and watch the entire (really fabulous) game. As I have already written in my Cardinals update, we won, and did so in great style. Michael came home in time to watch the last few innings, then fixed dinner and helped entertain the girls until bath/bedtimes. And here I am, sitting on my couch getting to play on the computer. Hard to complain about today.

Oh, and as if that wasn't enough....a few random tidbits that were also very good:

• Michael's car isn't quite dead...a $150 repair is going to buy us some more life! And, it looks like we might have a good option of something to drive after the Honda really does bite it.
  
• We told my parents today about signing our contract with BJC in St. Louis, and they are thrilled...Mom cried and Papa just gushed and you could tell that it meant so much to them. It really kills them to not get to watch Lucy and Annie grow up, and the idea of us being there makes them so happy.


• Norma and I are hatching a fun project together that I think is going to be so fabulous...more on this later...but it makes me so happy to do things with her. And this is really good stuff.

A good day. Not all days are good, or this good. But for today I am profoundly grateful. For connecting with dear ones, for being a mother who has a life of her own, for enjoying my life's little pleasures. And now I'm off to bed. My children are safe and soundly sleeping in their rooms. My husband is home and not off moonlighting somewhere...and so far his pager hasn't erupted tonight. My heart is full and grateful. I like this world today.