The Voice Mail

So I got a phone call from my 4-year-old this morning.
I was enjoying a rare moment of selfishness by staying in bed after 7 a.m. - all three kids are with their other parents, a rare treat that some parents in blended families get to enjoy once in awhile. I missed the call, but heard that two voice mails were left for me. When curiosity overcame my indulgence, I checked my messages.
The first was from Gabriel, telling me he had a new drill from Build-a-Bear Workshop for his favorite snuggly, Bowtie. And that I should tell Bowtie this for him.
The next message was from Julian, who's 6, saying that the drill is actually made for some Worker Bear, and that Bowtie would not be getting it.

Did my kids really just have an argument on my voice mail??

In addition to the entertainment from my beautiful boys this morning, Batman and I really enjoyed a lovely evening together for the first time in many months. We actually ate dinner together, enjoying warm food, entire sentences, and not once did anyone burp aloud and laugh hysterically, causing hysterical laughter from other diners. There were no warnings of spilling drinks or losing dessert. No pleadings to behave as if one actually had parents who really were trying to instill some level of human-like behavior at the table.

It was wonderful.

Do I enjoy a quiet meal with my sweetie more now that it is such a rare occurrence? I think all parents come to appreciate the little things that we probably took for granted in our pre-kid lives. Enjoying an uneventful dinner, the ability to go to the bathroom for three minutes in peace, running to the store -real quick- for just two things. So I guess this makes us all just a bit easier to make happy, since our lives have been much more complicated by these small, wonderful beings we have brought into the world.

Lower standards. Greater joy. Ahhh.... the bliss of having children!

And now I have an important phone call to return.