A letter from my loving daughter...

Here is a note I got from Alison tonight. It's pretty awesome. I found it folded up on my pillow, bound with a hair rubber band and flower clip. On the outside it said "I'm sory". Here is what she wrote on the inside:

Dear mom
i love you
you can be a pane sometime
i still love you
your still my mom
Love,
Alison!

P.S. test tomoro

We'd had an argument right before bed about her spelling words. She wanted me to give her a test, I said I wouldn't because 1) she was supposed to be in bed in five minutes, and 2) she'd only copied them down one night. We save the practice tests until Wednesday or Thursday, after she's had a few nights to copy them down in preparation for her test at school on Friday. As you can see above I'm hoping soon she will be bringing home "pain", "tomorrow", and "sorry".

I can't wait until she has a daughter of her own and I can show her this note.

Simmer down. No one is going to be killed.

Ah, parenting. The joys. The sorrows. The frustrating moments. The times where you think you may just know what you're doing. The times when your husband is traveling and you've dropped kids off at school. Picked kids up from school. Taken the dog to the vet. Prepared meals. Cleaned up after those meals. Reinforced some books for the school library. Gotten snacks. Nagged children to do their homework. Nagged children to clean their room. Nagged children to clean up the playroom. Wonder if you are making any sound with your mouth parts while nagging children. Done one or two or eleventy billion loads of laundry. Looked longingly at the book you are trying to read mocking you from the kitchen table while you walk by with the laundry basket. Send text messages to your husband like this:

This is the conversation I had with Oliver just as I was uploading this photo:
"Mama, I hope I am never without you."
"You're never going to be without me, buddy."
"But what if I go to college?"
"I'll always be here for you, Little Man. You couldn't get rid of me if you tried."
Then he wrapped his arms around my neck and gave me a big hug. (You should know he was wearing Batman footie jammies. Yea. Uber cute.) So, I guess I can wipe up sticky messes and make countless meals and nag until I'm blue in the face. It's all worth it.

Edited to add:
After reading books before bed Alison gave me a little note and a snack bag full of my favorite candy, M&Ms. How great are those kids?