Feeling Loved and Field Hockey

My winter blues began in January.  So at the end of January, I developed a battle plan for February that included 2 key parts.  First, we are going on vacation.  Not just any vacation, but our first family trip to Disney World.  Not only are we all escaping the cold weather to go do something fun, but the weeks leading up to the trip have passed quickly as we pour over maps and plan our days in Florida.

The second thing I am doing–I am playing field hockey.  Last night, I dusted off my stick (it was literally covered in dust!) and my cross trainers, remolded my old mouth guard, and drove to a local elementary school gym where I played 5 x 5 hockey for an hour.  After about 10 minutes, I looked at my hand and discovered that the black grip on my stick was disintegrating and my hands were completely black!  I guess 11 years is a bit long for a stick to sit unused.  Winded and exhausted would be an understatement, but I had a lot of fun, and, more importantly, it was a great workout.  This morning I am so sore that every step is a bit painful and even my shoulders hurt, but I feel great inside!

Helping that great feeling inside is another easily overlooked fact.  I arrived home to a tidy house with 3 of my 5 children in bed and another two waiting up only to give me a good night kiss.  This was not the state of things when I departed.  The kitchen had not been touched, a baby was crying, and nobody was asleep.  Evening chaos was in full force, and I missed it all and walked into a serene and happy home.  It was a good thing too, because I was so exhausted from the workout and a busy week, I was able to simply take a shower and relax last night.

And then this morning, I came into my kitchen and everything was clean.  Not just half clean, but really, really clean.  My counters were scrubbed, the floor was pristine, and the sink shining (ok, not shining, but close).  Our morning has gone off without a hitch, and I did nothing to get the house ready last night. The kitchen and clean home are a gift from my oldest two children and Mr. Red.  They all wanted to make things easier for me, to allow me to have a little fun.

And so this morning, with every sore step I take, I am feeling an immense amount of gratitude for my husband and my oldest two children.  It does get easier ladies.  Kids grow up.  They clean things.  They love you back, and want to do something nice and truly helpful, just for mom.  I feel so loved.  And who could have guessed that dusting off my old hockey stick would make me feel like that?