just a moment

weekday mornings are typically pretty hectic at our house.  usually, i take the teen to school and then have enough time to head back home, get the bean ready for school and then drop her off on my way to work.

but this is finals week for the teen.  this means a slight change in the schedule, since school starts just a hair later than usual.  just enough to throw me off completely, leaving barely enough time to get back home, get the bean dressed and have something to eat before we hop in the car and get the day going.

this morning, we picked up rock-ell on the way to school and as always, the car was filled with laughter as the girls cracked me up again and again.  i literally had tears in my eyes as we pulled up to the school.  and just like every other morning, the teen gathered her stuff up, flashed me a quick grin and a "love you" as she exited.

and then at preschool, the bean dutifully gave me my goodbye hug and kiss.  as usual, her BFF came running up to her to give her a hug, and she was swept up into the flurry of activity with her friends.  but as i watched her, she turned around and caught my eye.  i gave her a wink, she winked back (which is really stinking cute, let me tell you), smiled her funny little half-smile, and waved.

moments like those are really quite ordinary, i suppose.  just a few seconds of happiness and love, which i tend to take for granted as they happen a zillion times a day.  but today, for some reason, i thought about them all the way in to work, and all through my four-hour shift.  i pictured the teen and her beautiful smile, heard her voice say "love you" over and over again, smiled at the memory of the bean's wink and wave.  and i thought of how these little flashes of light in my life would only last for so long, as they grow up and move on with their lives.  they won't need me forever - the teen will get to drive herself to school pretty soon, and the bean - well, she won't want to give me those precious goodbye hugs and kisses as she gets older.

it's times like these that remind me that being these girls' mom is the most awesome thing that's ever happened to me.  sure, there'll be times when they'll drive me nuts - and vice-versa - but whenever that happens, all i have to do is remember that smile and that wink...and everything will be just fine.