red wagons and white flowers

So, yesterday did not start out well. It was one of those days that you wake up just feeling off. Maybe you had a weird dream, maybe you missed your alarm and didn't make it to the gym, maybe you are a bit more hormonal than normal, whatever the reason, you wake up with a little black cloud above your head. Well, that was me, and to top it off we had to take our van into the shop, meaning the boys and I were stuck at home all day. I have no problem being home, I like it actually, but there is a definite difference between choosing to stay home and being forced to stay home. It was also really windy, (I detest the wind), so in my mind going on a walk or to the park was also out of the question. I'm sure the boys pick up on my moods, and are affected by them, so they seemed a little out of sorts too. Picking on each other, following me around, lots of whining, etc. I decided we needed an activity to make the endless morning go a little faster, and chose to make cookies. This is something that tests my patience on good days, so I'm not really sure why I decided to attempt it yesterday, but I did. The four of us were all crammed into the corner of the kitchen, each trying to find a spot on about 12 inches of countertop. At one point all three boys were on one chair, pushing, crying, and falling. We finally figured out placement for everyone, and I frantically started making the cookies with little arms and fingers shooting out all over the place. Finally the cookies were made and the mess cleaned up, and it was still only 10:00! So, out the door we went for some fresh air and space to move without tripping all over each other. That actually was just what everyone needed, and the boys were soon enthralled with their daily bug hunting and digging. A few minutes later I hear them say, "Mom, don't come over here yet, we are making a surprise for you." Oh great, basically that can be interpreted as, "Mom, don't come over here because we are making you a surprise that will actually be more like a huge mess for you to clean up!" But I thought, we are outside, and virtually any mess can be cleaned up, and for crying out loud they are playing on their own, so I left them be. Pretty soon I was summoned to see the surprise, so I tried to sound excited as I said, "I'm coming!", all the time dreading what I would find when I turned the corner. Well, I come around the corner and there they are, both grinning from ear to ear standing in front of their red wagon. There is no mess that I can see, and then they lift up the seat of the wagon which they have filled with these little white flowers. They filled a wagon with flowers for me! I literally had to sit down I was so surprised. Here I was super annoyed thinking about the mess I was going to have to clean up, and how this was just adding to the terrible day I was having, and they had actually thought about what I would like and took time to make something so sweet. They had thought about me! I just heard a speaker at a women's event talk about how as a mom you feel kind of invisible. There are just things you are expected to do, and no one thanks you or acknowledges that you have done them, they just expect they will be done. Well, I guess I felt noticed by my boys, and that was enough to literally turn the day around for me. It was like a rainbow appeared through my black cloud, and I was able to refocus on the multitude of things I have to be thankful for. Which I know sounds so pathetic, but I tell you what, these little guys have my heart, and when they are able to give back to me just a little, it actually ends up meaning a whole lot. All because of a red wagon full of white flowers!