Bad Mom, Good Mom

We spent a lovely couple of hours at the park Monday afternoon.  I enjoyed visiting with the adults, and the kids spent the entire time happily collecting caterpillars.  (If you'll recall, caterpillars are a source of much joy every year.)

When it was time to go the kids came running, caterpillars in hand.

 (This is Katie's cute son Brigham.)

My kids were crushed when I told them that they couldn't take the caterpillars home.  We had no containers in the van, and I wasn't about to invite small creatures in if there was a (good) chance that they could become permanently lost somewhere in my car.

I assumed that our yard would also be filled with caterpillars, and I was wrong.  We have yet to see one of the crawly creatures here, and I am really hoping that it is because we seem to be at a slightly higher elevation and therefore a few days behind whatever's happening in Durham.  (truly)

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Later in the week we went to the mall to do a little shopping at the Children's Place sale.  Generally I do all of the shopping by myself, but Jared is in between sizes right now so I wanted him to try on shorts before I bought them.  They were all cooperative and delighted to be the recipients of new clothes.

As we walked in to the mall, we passed the lovely fountain.  The kids, of course, asked if they could play in the water.  One day last summer we came with swimsuits and towels and they played to their hearts content.

I told them that this day they could play in the fountain a little, but that they couldn't get all the way wet.  They were so sad.  I guess partially wet is just not satisfying.

Then I told Jared that he could jump over the fountain when it was really small.

Except that it was right at that moment that it got tall again!

And then I thought for a minute.  My reasons for not wanting them to get all the way wet weren't that important.  Sure, it is only April.  Well, 80 degrees is 80 degrees.  Sure, I didn't have any towels to dry them off.  Fortunately I'd just bought a bunch of new clothes.  I decided that if they were willing to change in the car than they could get as wet as they wanted.

Which was thoroughly.

I wonder what my kids will remember about me when they're grown.  I know that there are far too many days that I am busy with the minutiae of running a very full home; cleaning and cooking and napping.  I know that there are more times than they'd like when my answer to their requests is no; no caterpillars in the car, no dessert tonight, no playing with friends.

I hope that they also remember that sometimes I did say yes.  That we took crazy vacations with exhausting hikes, that we spent days flying kites and playing bocci at the beach, and that sometimes I let them play in the fountains even when we didn't have towels...