"Well, I guess I could call off work...Would that help?" That simple question would prove a daysaver for my lovely bride and a whole new perspective for me.
Rarely do I get the opportunity to spend time alone with my youngest daughter Rowan. Between the demands of the older kids, Rowan somehow gets less 'daddy time.' Mainly, in part, because she's just the littlest voice out of the 4 kids. I recognize this and am trying to work on spending more time with my little Tweety Bird; so, taking the day off and having the opportunity to go to her preschool's Christmas party was a treat for both of us!
I sometimes forget how cute 4 year olds are. When I arrived at the school, the kids were sitting on the 'listening rug' 'listening' to a story from Mrs. Putnam. I snuck in and Rowan didn't see me; she was in the front row looking up bright-eyed at the story book. I picked a mini-seat at one of the round tables where there lay a litany of goodies waiting to be devoured. When Rowan turned around after the story and saw me there, her little heart sprang with joy--and so did mine :) We spent the next 45 minute eating our reindeer sandwiches, cookies and Christmas chocolates together. She's cuter than I can describe.
Flash forward a couple hours later. My wife and her business partner were in our kitchen preparing their Pixie Pop( https://www.facebook.com/#!/pixiepopshop ) orders for their customers for the week. After being an observer for a while, I asked invitingly,"Is there anything I can do to help?" Boy, was I in for a 'treat.' After a long washing of hands, I was subsequently instructed over the course of the next couple hours (8 to be exact) to roll balls, help decorate snowmen, reindeer, santa clauses and to add meticulous details to what seemed to be limitless Pixie Pops. By 11pm (when we finished), I was exhausted and wondering how my wife does this day in and day out.
Okay, I've figured it out: my wife is an amazing woman. If you ever get to know her, she's better than what you expect. She always surprises me about how good she is. She's sweet and kind-hearted. She's thoughtful. She cares about people, especially her kids. She endlessly gives of her time freely to better others. She serves without regard for recognition. She's fun to be around and has a warm, approachable personality. Needless to say, after 8 hours of Pixie Pops, I was Pixie pooped; but I certainly learned, even if it was in microcosm, how much my wife does on a daily basis and how much I appreciate her unrelenting goodness.
