So Much Fun

Oh, how things change.
How the passing of time, and a differing level of responsibilities, and growth in perspective, and an increasing appreciation of life - affects the way we see and respond to circumstances.
That is to say, I had a very long day Monday.
And it was wonderful!!!

My day "began" at 6:30 Monday morning, when I clocked into work.
Punched out at 3:00.
From there I did my weekly grocery shopping. Must have been in Wonder Woman mode because I was through the store, cashed out, car loaded, driving out of the parking lot at 4:04.
Then I went home, put groceries away, and started making dinner so I would be ready to receive two charming young boys into my care at 5:00, while their parents attended parent/teacher conferences at school.
Yet, for as exhilarating as it was to accomplish all that, the wonderful part didn't really begin until my young charges arrived.
What I mean is, as soon as the boys entered my house they were ready for adventure. Full of excitement and energy, and eager to get down to the business of having fun. We went downstairs to see what there was to do, and found a couple of cool things to explore. But then the decision was made to try a game of hide-and-seek, so we went back upstairs and took turns - well - hiding and seeking!
When that game became uninteresting, we went back downstairs and started playing foosball.
(To gain the full affect of the scenes I am attempting to describe, insert lots of laughter and horse-play and shrieks of delight.)
Not too long into our game, Brian got home and came downstairs to see what was going on. Annnnd now, the teams were more "even" and the real fun began around the foosball table. Even a bit of very young trash-talk between the brothers.
After our raucous game ended, we all hurried back upstairs for some more hide-and-seek.
This time the teams consisted of the boys vs. Brian and me. We had a blast pretending we couldn't find the boys' hiding spots, while also acting surprised when they discovered our location.
(Except that one time when we hid in the bathtub, behind the shower curtain. We stiffled laughter as we listened to them searching. Finally, my "sneezing" led them to us - and we all enjoyed a moment of celebration.)

The thing is, after mom and dad took the boys home and I had some time to reflect, I felt like I had a better understanding of the blessing of aging maturing. I grasped the reality of how our outlook changes over time. (I still don't miss "those days". Several of the moments, yes. But not the entire day!!!)
Honestly, I well remember the days when another game of hide-and-seek, or one more shoe to tie, or yet another moment of yelling (even if it was all in fun!), or "just one more" of just about anything had me completely worn out and ready to quit.
Or explode, depending on how the rest of the day had gone. *ahem*
But Monday - even at the end of a super long day - I felt simply delighted having two young boys vying for my attention, running around my house, making too much noise, and having the time of their lives. Because I'm on the other side of being "mom". Because I'm more relaxed now than I was then. Because God has given me the grace to enjoy the moment.
And now I am really looking forward to some day, when my children have children and they need me to play my role as Grandma. It's going to be so much fun!!!