Giving Up

Today is going to be one of those days. There is snow on the ground, which is ridiculous. I have several hours of manual labor planned and my car has a flat tire. It's official - today I am giving up.

I take my job very seriously. I work hard to keep a clean, safe house for my family. I plan and cook healthy meals. Sam is far ahead of what I had expected when planning his preschool curriculum. I try my hardest to expose Sam to social situations and to get plenty of physical exercise.

The one (big!) problem with my job is that it never ends. I truly love what I do. But it never ends. Imagine if playing a major league baseball was your dream job - and then it happened! And you played constantly. From six in the morning to eight at night, you played baseball. Once in bed, you were woken up several times a night to play a quick inning. The next morning, it started again. And again. And again. And again. Every day of the year. No weekends or holidays off. And remember - no paycheck!

At some point, anyone would crack. That's why I will occasionally have a day where I just give up. Sam and I wear pajamas. We watch videos. I let him paint and play in water and do all the things I usually consider too messy. Needless to say, Sam LOVES Give Up day!

I took this picture on our last Give Up day (which, embarrassingly enough, was not that long ago). We were having Chef Boy-Ar-Dee (gasp!) and eating in front of the TV (the horror!). Sam was wearing an old t-shirt because I didn't want to have to keep him clean. The house was a mess. And honestly, I think it was one of the best moments of Sam's life.

THIS is what true happiness looks like!