Recently my friend Jess wrote a blog post regarding a friend Wilma who manages to cherish all the moments, good and bad, with her own little Katie.
http://doodlebuglounge.blogspot.com/2008/03/we-should-all-be-like-wilma.html

I have been trying so hard to have a "Wilma Day." But no matter how good my day starts out there is always a moment, or two (okay maybe three) where I end up hollering at one or three of the kids. I. just. can't. do. it. It was starting to get me down but I decided I needed to start small. I was going to take it one moment at a time. So today was a typical day me hurrying Sam to finish breakfastandgetdressedandbrushteethandputonbackpackandHURRY! HURRY! the bus is here!!!!! And the cryfest that occurs daily when I brush Teresa's hair and fighting with Kate to get dressed. But in between these not so admirable moments there were a couple highlights. I had given the big kids breakfast (Sam, Teresa, Katie, and A.) and was setting up my baby for breakfast. I left the table to mix the rice cereal and warm the applesauce. When I returned, about three minutes later I found Katie looking at me her hair dripping, face shiny wet and wringing her hands which were also dripping wet. She had such an earnest puzzled kind of look on her face I just wanted to laugh. Apparently she had been dipping her hands into the milk of her cereal and giving herself a milk bath. I didn't shout or groan or even look mad. I just asked her what happened and she smilingly told me "I sticky Mumma...from my milk." Instead of feeling stressed about an extra chore thrown into the mix I just wanted to giggle...so I did. And Katie giggled with me and the two of us sat there together enjoying the utter silliness of what she'd done. Much later that day Sam got off the bus and walked to the house. He is the world's SLLLLLOOOOOWWWWEST walker ever. It takes him two weeks to get from the bus to the house. Seriously. I hate standing there at the door getting old waiting for him to get from point A to point B. Today was no different, I felt myself getting more and more impatient but managed not to holler. When he finally came in he kept telling me over and over and over something about experiments! and colors! and food coloring! and water! and please can we please! please!! please!!! Mind you I am trying to talk to my daycare parents as they pick up their kids and clean up and get dinner going. He kept bringing up this experiment thing and all I kept thinking was how tired I was and how messy it would be and ugh!!! But after dinner while they were getting ready for their tub I took out a muffin tin and food coloring and a pitcher of water. Sam noticed it immediately and sat down making up signs advertising our imminent experiment and posted them up all over the house while I combed out the girls hair. Then we sat together and mixed food color and water and I let Sam be in charge. After all, it was his idea. To top off the activity we dipped some napkins in the colorful water and made rainbow napkins. They all had to accompany me to the sink to watch me dump the water and Sam exclaimed "A RAINBOW! A RAINBOW DOWN OUR DRAIN!" The joy in his face, in his voice was something I want to bottle up and save forever. So even though I haven't managed to have a whole Wilma day, I'm managing to have some moments and for that Wilma, I thank you.