Just keepin' them alive

Some days I just feel like I am keeping this family alive.

I wake up daily and shortly after making my coffee, which is basically the only thing that makes me feel alive before 9 am, I start feeding everyone.

The dog looks at me first. So, I open his over-priced dog food and measure out a half a cup in his bowl.

Then the fish. Seriously, the fish is swimming to the top of his little tank as soon as he sees me walk in the kitchen. I finally decided this week that this is now my daughter's job. I would just like to not be responsible for keeping one thing alive. Well, other than my husband. He is pretty good about feeding himself most of the time.

Then I feed the kids breakfast. Then prepare lunches so they can survive through the day. Then at some point around lunch I am thinking about what to make for dinner.

So, as if meals were not consuming enough, getting through parking lots alive is another miracle in itself.

"Hold hands."

"Look Both ways."

"Hang on to the cart."

"Stay right by mom."

I mean!

Today after leaving the StuffMart, I am pushing a cart full of stuff (including dinner) when we enter into the crosswalk. I wait to see if a certain car will stop. He does. We proceed. My daughter, who has been writing her birthday and Christmas lists (yes, already), drops her pen in the lot.

She breaks from me and runs back into the crosswalk to get it.

The car that had stopped?

Is now moving forward.

I have my son hanging on to me and the cart which I am about to let go of.

I yell. Really embarrassingly loud.

She stops.

He stops.

I breathe again.

Whew. Everyone is still alive.

When I got in the car, I realized I was shaking. I sat there for a minute thanking God for a missed accident and looked at my little cherubs who were alive and well. It is really crazy how I just go through my days taking care of these little human beings when just a wee 10 or so years ago, I could scarcely take care of myself.