A Time to Laugh

Tonight started out like almost every other night.  Come home from school, homework, homework, homework.  Unfinished chores from the morning next.  Now it's dinner time.  Hurry and get it on the table, and then everyone eat...QUICK!  We still have Family Night tonight.
Dishes were done, and I just felt beat from the day, well really just from about 3:30 on...We finally sit down to have a peaceful few minutes, and what do you know, my 4 year old is being difficult, and refuses to do anything we ask.

My sweet husband says, "I think it's time to pull out the 'tickle fingers.'"  The "tickle fingers" are these adorable blue mitts.  I'm sure you've seen them, they came with the "Tickle Monster" book, in this cute little box, and we pull them out when life just gets too serious or to difficult.

My husband took the gloves, and chased our screaming kids around the house, catching them and tickling the screams out of them!  Then we all settled down and read the book, which means the screaming and wriggling around continued (you can't just read the books....you have to tickle throughout the reading to make it more fun!).

Finally we were kind of able to settle down, and wanted to share a spiritual thought with them.  I went to my bible and looked up "laugh".  I a scripture that used to be one of my favorites, Ecclesiastes 3:4, "A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance."

Wait, I'm supposed to have times to laugh?  God wants me to laugh?  You mean throughout this mothering thing I'm still trying to figure out, I'm supposed to laugh?  And not just laugh, but dance too?

Suddenly I was reminding myself that amongst all the things that I have to get done, I might be missing the most important parts.  Yes homework is important (that's what I'm supposed to say, but I could completely live without it!), dinner does need to be made (tonight it was hot dogs and chips and salsa), and unfortunately, and laundry does need to be washed (otherwise... well, you get the idea).

But what do I want to remember in 20 years?  What do I want my kids to remember in 20 years?  I want them to remember that we laughed, that we tickled, that we had fun together.  I want them to remember how much I loved them, and that cleaning house, or pursuing my own interests only came second to them, because they were and continue to be my entire life!