I Love You Over and Over Again

It had already been a long morning.

We woke up to mowing the lawn, changing out the laundry, preparing for mass and in general, getting life ready for the first day of school tomorrow.

Following lunch, I hauled my 3-year old daughter, Claire to do the week's grocery shopping.  We were listening to Vacation Bible School songs on the trek belting out all of the words.

And I was tired.

Viscerally tired. 

I just finished week three of training.  The weather is five bajillion degrees of Hell outside.  There's always something to do for the house and/or the kids.  And well, sometimes, I'm simply going through the motions.

Grabbing the fun kid-cart, I bought an iced coffee for me and a chocolate milk for her and we made our way down the list.

Until we got to the bread aisle which is bizarrely across the way from the pharmacy and she spotted "Doc McStuffins" band-aids that she had to have to which I replied, "Not today."

And for what seemed like an eternity, she whined, "PLLLLLEEEEEAAAAASSSSSEEE....(repeat ad nauseam).

Until by the frozen fruit, I broke down in my own whiny, please kill me now, I can not take this anymore voice, "Claire...I am NOT buying band-aids that we don't need.  You need a new tooth brush,,,maybe you'll find something you like there.  If not, it's not my concern today.  Mommy is exhausted.  I have next to no patience and I'm just trying to stay on task.  So, PPPPPLLLLLEEEEAAAASSSSEEEE stop asking me for something that I cannot give to you."

To which she said, "I love you," over and over again and again.  She's really good at this.  She has a smile that can melt your heart and eyes that bear into your soul and then when she uses her sweet voice to tell you that she loves you, you're done for.

But in that moment I realized, I've been tired for a long time.  I'm probably going to be tired for a lot longer.  Raising kids makes your bones ache and your head pound and your heart fill with more love that you could possibly imagine.

Here's to telling our people how much we love them...over and over again...ad nauseam.