...cont.

pick up your socks. your dirty socks that i have asked you 47000 times to NOT leave in the floor. why must you incessantly tease your sister? if you are going to have to end the conversation with "i'm just kidding" in a snot nose tone, then you don't need to have the conversation to begin with. please sleep all night long in your own little bed because you are so much happier when you get enough sleep. no, you may not stay inside all summer long rotting your brain with video games. go outside today while it is not raining & thank your lucky stars it's not 100 degrees + humidity like it is in certain other places that shall remain nameless. stand up straight so you won't have a hump in your back when you're older. you're too pretty to have poor posture. why oh why do i pick up the same dang toys 13 times a day? argh! can't you pick them up on your own? you can walk, you know where your room is & you're good at putting things in your myriad boxes.

and to think that those other families will never. have. to. say. these. things. again. and the ache gets a little bit bigger. so tonight i'll pick up your socks & ignore the teasing because that's what they all do anyway & i won't sigh if the monitor erupts at 3:00 am & if you linger over breakfast tomorrow, i'll let you because at least you are here & we'll work on your posture tomorrow & i'll pick up the toys for the 14th time before i go to bed. because today you are here & i am so thankful for that.