They Notice.
Wow, I am tired.
The beginning of a new school year is busy. Back-to-school nights. Meet the coaches. New routines. And re-adapting to the beloved alarm clock screaming at us before the sun even comes up.
I hope you all are adjusting a bit better than I am!
This week, Lance was away—first with friends for the first game at the Buffalo Bills' new stadium, and then in Vegas for a bachelor party. My kids stepped up big time to help, but both boys also got colds, so sleep was minimal.
It's funny, because I claim to try to keep perspective, but sometimes exhaustion trumps reality.
But as I sit here, ready to put on my pajamas at an embarrassingly early hour, more than exhausted, I am a very proud mom.
And let me be very clear: I don't know how I got the world's best kids.
I take ZERO credit for their amazing qualities. Sure, I fed them, clothed them, drove them approximately nine million miles, and pushed manners like a freaking psychopath. But I don't take credit for the amazing humans they have become.
On Wednesday, Flint Hill invited us to an all-school assembly where they had selected three speakers—one from each division.
The sixth grader was incredibly impressive. As was the eighth grader.
And the 12th grader selected to speak was our boy, Bensten.
I knew he had been working on his speech, and I had given him bits of advice. But nothing prepared me for watching him get up in front of 1,200+ people and give a heartfelt speech that honestly inspired me.
For so many reasons.
(video attached)
Bensten is not comfortable with public speaking. In fact, when he originally decided to run for school president, one of his reasons for doing it was to try to overcome his fear of public speaking.
But fear got the best of him, and he decided to back out.
The administrators at Flint Hill encouraged him to at least give it a try. They saw something in him that, at that moment, maybe he couldn't quite see in himself.
I am so grateful they did.
(And if you are ever looking for a school, I cannot say enough good things about Flint Hill!)
Watching him speak on Wednesday reminded me of something I think we all forget sometimes:
We should never underestimate our ability.
Our ability to do hard things.
Our ability to push through something that scares us.
Our ability to defy the odds.
And maybe even our ability to find happiness in the most ordinary moments—a school speech, an afternoon in the yard, or simply staying home with our dogs.
(dog videos attached!)
Because somehow, in the process of trudging through the everyday perils of raising kids, these little moments sneak up and remind us that the exhaustion is there for the very best reason.
Yesterday, I was outside helping Boeden dethatch our lawn.
No, I had no clue what dethatch meant either.
But he was VERY excited to get our lawn ready for the next season, and with Lance gone—and leaving again for a week of work travel—I was apparently the best available candidate for the job.
I was sweating like I was in the Sahara when a delivery person appeared with flowers.
I didn't immediately stop to look at them. Boeden is a tough boss, and I didn't want to get in trouble for slacking.
But when I finally took a break, I opened the card.
“Thank you for being our rock. We appreciate you, and all of your hard work more than you know. Xoxo — Four of Us!”
And just like that, the exhaustion didn't seem quite so important.
So maybe that's my other takeaway from this week:
Don't underestimate what your kids see.
The rides. The meals. The worrying. The nagging. The showing up. The sitting in the stands. The helping with homework. The endless loads of laundry. And, yes, the pushing manners like a freaking psychopath.
All of those ordinary things we do while wondering if anyone even notices.
They notice.
I am still exhausted.
But I am also incredibly proud. And incredibly grateful.
My kids bring me so much happiness, and I wouldn't trade the exhaustion for anything.
Thank you, Izzy, Liliana, Bensten and Boeden, for reminding me why it's all worth it.
And thank you to all of you who let me bake for you every week. I really do love getting to share a little piece of something I love with all of you.
Have a great week!
Xo,Heather
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