Last Day on Earth

There's so much work involved in parenting three kids, not to mention indignation. People step on you and drop foreign objects into your milk glass. And you clean up the splash those foreign objects make.
Sometimes with all the drudgery I forget that I am in this business for the joy of it. In fact, when I saw on Facebook earlier today that a friend said if it was his last day on earth he'd spend it with his family, I sighed. Like, of course you're supposed to want to spend your last day on earth with your kids, but at the moment I could imagine me on my very last day, saying, "You mean I will never get a day off again in my entire life?"
Like this afternoon. I volunteered to take the kids to the local children's museum, feeling like I was doing my husband a huge favor by allowing him to watch the playoffs in peace. When we got there, we found out that the place was closed for regular play because they were about to have a children's concert. And would we like to buy a ticket?
This was the kind of thing I would go out of my way to seek out when Nutmeg was a baby. But money is tighter these days, and I was this close to dragging them back out the door to go grocery shopping instead.
I'm so glad we paid up and went to the concert. The girls both just rocked themselves silly. Nutmeg is Miss Enthusiasm about so many things that it wasn't that shocking to see her dancing her heart out, and getting picked to dance up on stage.
But in the past Pebbles would hang back. If I took her to any kind of performance while Nutmeg's in school, Pebbles will be reluctant to sit with the kids, instead fighting Toth for a spot on my lap.
But with Nutmeg at her side, Pebbles was nearly fearless. She followed all instructions from the performer, a talented young songwriter named Thaddeus Rex (more charming, less cheezy than the picture makes him look). She spun circles and frog jumped and head bopped.
Even Toth bounced his hands and feet around, and I think that is the first time I have ever witnessed him reacting to the beat of music.
I had a wonderful time watching the three of them. At no point was I tempted to sneak out my Kindle.
It didn't feel like work. It felt like joy, and I didn't even for a moment wish that I had been the one to stay home alone while Epu took the kids out somewhere. I just felt a little sorry for him that he missed it. (Although I don't think he felt sorry for himself, since he got to watch both playoff games!)
So, perhaps I will pencil that into my Last Day on Earth Day Planner: Take kids to concert. Sit back, enjoy.
Would also be nice if I could fit a massage or a lounge chair on a sunny beach in there too, though. Just sayin'.