Happiness Is...

As parents, we are here for them and not them for us.

However, when we take our jobs seriously it seems to come back in immeasurable amounts of blessings.

Thankfully for me, it doesn't take a perfect parent. Just a parent that can sit and take in the magic of children.

Happiness is the smile on Sook's face each time I've announced we were expecting, no matter what our circumstances were.

I took the children to Half Price Books today. On the way, I announced, "I have sixteen dollars. What is sixteen divided by four?" Max repeated me, "Four!"

Happiness is listening to the cheers and laughter from my children as they commented on how smart their little brother is.

Happiness is persistent requests for praise music.

Happiness is solitaire smack talk.

Happiness is picking an impossible amount of weeds with my husband while the children run around in their swimsuits.

Happiness is a big sister posing for her little brother that insists on taking pictures.

Happiness is a cool summer night with nothing on my mind but picking clover out of my lawn.

Happiness is the messed up face Max was making while he ran up to me and said, "eeeeeeeh stinky"

Happiness is peek-a-boo while changing his diaper, and the ironic disappointment when he realized that his pink Dora pull ups were all used up.

Happiness is my two year old pushing around his Hot Wheels because his legs are just shy of pushing pedals.

Happiness is the smile on my middle daughter's face knowing she can keep up with her older sister.

Happiness is the make believe world where my children pick apart plants and leave them on the sidewalk so the birds can make mushroom soup.

Happiness it the ambition to make a pile all the way to Jupiter.

Happiness is being awarded a huge invisible candy trophy because they both were the best cowgirl princesses in the bike race.

Happiness is being offered a piece.

Happiness is wearing dress up clothes to bed.

And the quiteness just after bedtime.