LUCKY

Today I needed a clone.

The stars aligned just perfectly so to give me the gift of 2 big events for the boys, in 2 different places at {pretty much} the same time. 

If you're a parent, or even human....  this has probably already happened to you.  If not, beware...  it will.

So my "clone" was my male counterpart, my husband.

We split duties, took 2 video cameras, and went our seperate ways.  I got to experience Soren's Preschool Graduation Ceremony from preschool in person while Brian got to see the spring concert for 1/2 of the 1st graders.

On my way there, I witnessed an accident literally RIGHT in front of me.  Had I driven even 2 mph faster, it would have been ME getting hit.  Talk about needing a clone!!  One of me would have had to sit there and wait for the police, while the other one would have continued on her way to preschool. 

Thankfully...  I narrowly escaped the two {young} women basically t-boning the car in front of me.  I saw it all happen....  in fact, I pounded on my horn before the cars hit, in hopes of getting someone's attention.  But there was no way, it was too late.  I was a lil' freaked out, a lil' confused as what I was responsible to do as a witness, and a lil' pissed cuz I didn't want to miss the first of many "big things" in Soren's young life.

So, I slowly pulled around the cars (one was in my lane, the other was in the turning lane) rolled down my window to ask the girls if they were ok, only to be met with blank, shook-up stares and mumbling, and when I saw NO blood, or missing limbs, I drove away. 

(i know what you're thinking....  i should have stayed!  BUT, I called my hubby to make sure I didn't HAVE TO, and he said I was fine to leave...  Graduating preschool only happens ONCE, ya know!)

And I'm glad I didn't stick around to wait for the police.

From first hand experience, the beautiful evening was the perfect setting for thirteen 4 year olds to half sing, half watch birds flying by and try to catch balloons tied to the fence.  We were educated on "how hard" it was to earn their "degree", the alphabet in sign language, 4 Jesus songs (this is a Lutheran preschool), the handing out of their diplomas, as well as an audience participation song.  OH, and a cute little cupcake with Soren's picture in a black cap and gown on it. 

He was only disruptive a couple times by making fun of kids names (like father, like son?) and did a pretty good job over all.  He played with a couple friends, got his picture taken by what {very obviously} looked to be one of his GIRLFRIENDS, took a pic with his 2 teachers, grabbed a black balloon, and headed off to the next stop for the evening.

PROUD MOMMA.

We made it in time for {what i quickly learned} was one and a half songs of Braden's concert.  It took me til the last verse of the last song to even spot my kid on stage!  All because before we left the house Brian was gonna put him in a BROWN shirt... I get there and look at the stage and they're all in red, white and blue (do you see a theme, here?) AND I don't have my glasses.... so its a bunch of fuzzy people-like shapes with no faces. 

DUMB MOMMA

After the concert was over, and I met brian outside the auditorium, he tells me that the letter his music teacher sent home earlier last week about Braden being picked to sing in a "group" really meant that him and 4 other kids were selected to stand in front of what looked like 70+ other little fuzzy people-like shapes on risers.  So he stood in front of all his peers, and the place with tons of his peers' family members staring up at him, and sang.  HE SANG.  For a short time on the video, I could actually make out his voice above the others.

PROUD MOMMA

This is significant because if you go back to his first experience with preschool, he was the kid that WOULD NOT participate in anything that had to do with music, circle time, etc....  he'd sit along the side of the room against the wall, and NOT even LOOK at the other kids as they did the "fun stuff".  It broke my heart to see him tune them out....  It made me wonder.... 

Today, sometimes, I still wonder....

But tonight, I didn't wonder. 


I had PRIDE.

I had AMAZEMENT.

I had TEARS.


These boys of mine are growing up so quickly.  (Kellyn is too...)

It seems like only a "heartbeat" ago I was holding their tiiiiny hands as I nursed them.  Where does time go? 

In a "heartbeat" he paths of those two drivers crossed right in front of me.  Their broken and smashed cars showing me just how things can change.  Luckily, it appeared as if there were no serious injuries.  The cars were cleaned up, the people involved all got to go home safely.... 

Be glad you are given every second with your family.  Those "heartbeats" keep coming, you can't stop them.  One day its wishing for a clone to be in 2 places at once, the next its high school graduation, and they are off on their own...

I am grateful for what I have.

LUCKY MOMMA

~d