I was having a bit of a rough morning. I arrived at Hayden’s school for his class Christmas program after fighting traffic, pulling my hair out the whole way only to find out the program was the following day. I asked if I could volunteer since I was there. They asked me to read a story. A little girl with adorable blond curls handed me a special Christmas book she had brought in. Hayden hung back a bit actually up in a loft with another friend when I started to read. I could feel that he was a bit nervous. Will my friends like her? Will they think she’s cool? So I have to admit I felt a little pressure to be sure I made him proud. But what does that look like? Act normal, no sudden movements or strange voices?
I decided to be me. Before I knew it, I had taken off on a theatrical journey. Totally over the top. About two pages in, Hayden and his friend were out of the loft and seated right up front. Okay. That was a good sign. With each page turn, my crazy morning started to fade and finally to vanish in the rearview mirror. No getting around it; I was having a blast! When I said, “The End,” a couple girls jumped up and gave me a hug and then more and more ran up. Pretty soon it turned into this massive group hug. So funny how when you do something for someone else, you always end up receiving waaaay more in return. I needed a hug that morning. Boy, did I get one. Probably the most adorable hug of my life. As I was heading out, I heard Hayden call for me. I looked down at his cute little face looking up at me with pride written all over it. “Mama, can I give you a kiss?” This is where we insert photo of heart melted in a puddle. I knelt down and Hayden gave me the cutest little kiss. It sealed the whole experience with sprinkles on top. Those are the moments as a mom I treasure and will always remember. I love that little boy. I love him more than chocolate, and that’s saying a lot!