Do Something Nice For Someone Friday

I'm sure that most busy moms have certain days scheduled for certain things. For instance, we have Car Wash Thursday, Errands Wednesday, Gardening/Outdoor Chores/Pets Tuesday, Laundry Monday (seldom really happens.) Please don't criticize my inability to put that previous sentence in sequential daily order...I just typed what I was thinking--and it happened to be backwards.

So today, I dubbed the Haner's Fridays, "Do Something Nice for Someone Friday."

The thought here is that this is the only day all of us are home together all day. We have no outside activities, no preschool, and usually by the end of the day, no sanity. So, we needed a focus. Conveniently, my friend Dani had a baby last week, making it the perfect opportunity to start DSNFS Friday. Thanks Dani! Next week, I intend to have the kids brainstorm all the people in our lives and write them on slips of paper; then we will pull one out each Friday and decide what nice thing we could do for that person. I think we'll add one slip for "Random Person We Don't Know" just for fun.

So, the kids and I prepared a list of grocery items we needed to make fruit pizza and tortilla soup for Dani. We grocery shopped and then made the food--enough for both families. (The kids helped with OUR family's food--it's not really nice to have preschoolers help fix food for other families what with the constant taste testing and finger usage for stirring.) I took lots of pictures...none of which I have energy to download/upload right now.

We also had an exciting morning prior to going grocery shopping for DSNFS Friday. After breakfast, I made the very sillly decision to talk on the phone to my dad...with all three children awake and activity-less. As a result, Wyatt (2) and Kya (4) took to playing with the kitchen blinds, and as I tried to negotiate with them and not be rude to my dad (this involved lots of angry gesturing), I finally just turned around and, like the proverbial ostrich, buried my head in the sand to the whole ordeal.

CRASH!!!

I turned to find that the entire water cooler (newly filled by my frugal husband with fresh-from-the-tap water) had been completely knocked over. Wyatt, obviously struck with grief and horror, looked at me as though perhaps his little life might end right then and there. I was so proud of myself though. I was filled with DSNFS spirit and even this two inches of water flooding my ENTIRE kitchen and entryway could not set me off on a bad parenting tirade today.

Calmly, I said, "Please go get some towels and then get out of the kitchen," and then I leaped to save the new laptop cord from immersion. I hung up on my dad. I explained why it is important to be careful and how to be polite and courteous while mommy is on the phone. I also mentioned calmly that when mommy gestures like THIS (waving arms madly and shaking finger back and forth) it means to STOP the activity in which you are currently engaged...for future reference. I don't think they were following me at that point.

And now the kitchen floor is clean...and I believe in the power of doing something nice for others, because for me not to scream bloody murder in response to the water cooler incident is truly miraculous. Thus sayeth the Lord, "Love one another." Pretty smart God. Pretty smart.