It has become apparent to me that I have been severely misinformed. Let me rephrase that. I have severely misinformed myself because for some reason I was under the impression that once my child was potty-trained and could walk, life would get a little bit easier. And by easier I mean that I might be fortunate enough to have some brief moments of “me” time…not much, mind you. I’m talking enough time to sit on the potty and read one trashy, gossipy, unimportant magazine article. But alas, it seems that the age increase in our dear child has meant the need for MORE attention. This becomes more apparent to me when the weekend comes and Dan has to work because I find myself waking up on Saturday morning and thinking, “Wait. I need to rest. This is the weekend. I have worked. I am tired.” So, there I am, wracking my brain as to what we can do outside of the house because I know that staying in is NOT an option.

It’s these times that make the Barnesville Buggy Days sound like the most fun place ever to be, so it’s exactly what I start building it up to be. Mimi and Aunt SuSu came along and I’m sure that the four of us were a sight to be seen. Why, you ask? Between Aunt SuSu catering to Brittain’s every need, Mimi never missing a “here, use this hand sanitizer now” opportunity, and the rain that poured almost the whole time we were there, I have a feeling that there were quite a few people who enjoyed our little show.

In the end I was reminded again “what it’s all about.” Despite the rain, we all left with smiles on our faces because it was another day spent with family and knowing that as long as we’re together, anything is fun.

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I have learned many things since becoming a mother. There are the obvious things like the fact that my kid won’t die of a disease if she doesn’t get a bath every night or brush her teeth everyday, or that when you put them to bed at night and they cry, it’s actually NOT a known fact that it hurts you more than it hurts them. But then there are the other not-so-obvious things like finding out that throwing a penny in a body of water and making a wish will thrill a child beyond belief. This was the case a few days ago when I called Aunt Susan on a Sunday afternoon and said, “Hey, what are y’all doing? Mind if Brittain and I come and ruin whatever plans you might have previously had?” And so it was that we got in the car, drove to Atlanta and met Aunt Susan, Kristen (and Mimi as she was on her way back from North Carolina) and headed to the Botanical Gardens to be inspired.

As soon as we arrived and Aunt Susan paid a million dollars for all of us to enter, it immediately started to rain. But aside from it preventing me from taking what could have been some great pictures, not one of us said a word about it. For Brittain especially it seemed to be an added bonus to the day, as if NOT having the rain would have made it less fun. I think she even inspired the rest of us to take on that same thought process. Because just as the rain renewed all of the beautiful plants and flowers, it seemed to also renew us as we enjoyed the time together.

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While there were numerous things Brittain enjoyed, I never would have guessed that having the opportunity to throw a coin and make a wish would have been at the top of the list. And it was the next few minutes that seemed to bring even more meaning and enjoyment to the day as we all stared at Brittain watching as she concentrated on the important task.

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