Expectations

We'd been planning "family-night" all week.
And when I say we, I mean Jacob and I talked about it on Tuesday - shopping for the kids summer clothes, Ethan some soccer gear, out to dinner maybe at the T-Rex Cafe and catch the "How To Train Your Dragon" movie.
On Wednesday we informed the kids we would be going to the movies, and I continued to dwell excitedly on our planned time together. Making plans and building-up expectations of what our family time would be like [in my head] throughout the rest of the week.

Complication #1 - No one can read my mind
Complication #2 - I am the mother of a four-year-old and a three-year-old
Complication #3 - My husbands patience and shopping tolerance is connected to his blood-sugar (which tends to be low right after school)
Complication #4 - NO ONE CAN READ MY MIND

Ethan was really excited shop for soccer-gear, specifically shoes.
So when the Nike Outlet didn't have his size in stock somehow that affected his like of the soccer shirt I had picked out to coordinate with the burnt-orange and navy shorts he was trying on. And he melted into a puddle of tears and attitude on the dressing room floor.
Sympathetic dad says "we don't have to get anything-here"
Annoyed mom says "I'm his mom, it's my money, and I can buy the shirt if I want - he doesn't get to throw a fit and just get whatever he wants"
Mom and dad decide to each take one child (guess which one mom took) and do some more shopping.

After a 10 min break - dad and Ethan rejoined us soccer shoes in hand. Mom received a sincere thank you and apology from Ethan, and then dished her own apology to dad.

After rounds at, GAP, OSHKOSH and Carter's (thank goodness for the LEGO table) - budget depleted and list accomplished it was time to recharge daddy's blood-sugar.

Daddy headed to the car to drop off our loot, and
I did my best to steer the wild horses through the growing crowd of people
I reprimanded spiderman for shooting random strangers (luckily the two-teenage boys just chuckled and grabbed their chest as if they had been shot).
And we gazed at the fountain, and danced to the music that filled the courtyard.
We were only half way to the restaurant, standing around the fountain, when daddy rejoined us.

Miss, I'll do just about anything - Charlie broke down into tears and was shaking with fear upon seeing the life-size roaring T-Rex at the entrance to the Cafe. After a promise to return...disappointed big-brother Ethan put on a brave face and we walked to another restaurant.
Dinner was good, except for Charlie falling out of her chair and not eating any of her requested Mac-n-Cheese (I think it was the crumbled corn bread on top that threw her off...and really who puts corn bread on top of Mac-n-Cheese?)

We loved the movie. It was a fun and exciting story with a sweet message about being yourself. Twizzlers in hand, Ethan leaning on daddy and Charlie resting on mommy's lap we watched intently and ducked as images jumped from the screen into the audience. And although, Ethan fell asleep (causality of an 8:30 showtime and a no-nap school day), and Charlie removed her glasses half-way-through, it was a wonderful time.

I'm glad no one can read my mind. I mean, really - what potential for embarrassment.
And if everything went as planned, I would have missed so much;
I wouldn't have had special one-on-one time with Charlie while daddy and Ethan shared shoe-shopping time.
I wouldn't have had the chance to steer wild-horses or watch Charlie dance, or laugh as "Spiderman" apologized to strangers.
I wouldn't have had the chance to hear Ethan sweetly tell Charlie "they're not real dinosaurs Sissy, but it's okay to be afraid when you're 3. When you turn 4 - like me, you won't be afraid anymore" or watch him share his corn-dogs.
I wouldn't have had the chance to stare in awe at my sleeping little boy or hold both the hands of my little girl and husband at the same time.

I am happy to be a perfectly-imperfect family with fears and flaws living a forgiven life.