Don't take me too seriously, people.

Hmmm. It occurs to me after reading the comments on yesterday's post that I may need to set something straight. I do not actually wish I could get a job and ship my kids off to someone else for the summer. Well, at least not 95 percent of the time. The other 5 percent? We all have those moments.

Please don't tell me if you don't have those moments.

I genuinely love being a stay at home mom. OK, most of the time I love it. But motherhood is similar to the nursery rhyme.

"When she is good she is very, very good.
But when she is bad she is horrid."

And yesterday was just kind of horrid. And I'd be lying if I didn't admit that my fantasies for the day had been reduced to something depressing like actually folding an entire load of laundry without having to stop to utter a phrase like "Clara, no, please don't eat my lipstick!" or "Brandon, when I asked you to watch the little ones WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT MEANT IT WAS OK TO PLAY WITH SQUIRT GUNS IN THE HOUSE?"

You know, hypothetically.

But today was better. Today felt much more like what summer is supposed to be about.

Today...

• When I left the house this morning four cars were parked on the street. Four of Brandon's friends who spent the night and stayed up all night playing video games and shooting pool. While I am not sure I will ever get used to the idea of his friends having their own cars, the sight of them this morning passed out on the floor, sunburned and washed in the innocence of sleep, felt like a glimpse into summers past. Even if they are all six feet tall.
  
• We went to the pool with some friends and Ben finally ventured into the deep end with nothing but "water wings." I was so proud I started calling family members from my cell phone. He was so proud he called his dad. It was awesome.
• Clara almost drowned twice in the 12 inches of water they had in the baby pool. How do you teach a one-year-old to "just stand up!" I put a floaty on Clara after that. She was the only kid I've ever seen sporting swim ring in knee deep water. (OK, this part was actually kind of scary especially after my friend's toddler did the same thing. That thing about kids being able to drown in 6 inches of water...It's totally true.)
• Ben and Clara decided to be friends again. In fact on the way to bed tonight we did an "I love Clara" conga line to the tune of "I want candy." I am not naive enough to think this is a permanent condition, but for the moment...priceless.
• Tonight when Ben went to bed he said, "Night Mommy. I'll see you when you wake up so we can have another superfun day."

How is it that the exact same kids that had me hiding in a closet with a bottle of wine yesterday left my heart feeling too big for my chest today? It sure is a rollercoaster, this parenting gig, but I'm certainly glad I bought a ticket.

Or, you know, four.