So often I’ll write up a long list of goals that I hope to accomplish on a given day or during a given weekend.  Rarely do I ever get all of those goals done.  Usually the list hangs on the fridge as an ominous, frowning taskmaster, reminding me of all the ways in which I am failing to measure up.

One of the things I hoped to accomplish this weekend was to start the terribly-overdue painting project in the basement.  Yesterday I actually located the paint and the paintbrush that I need to use.  Today I told myself that all I needed to do was to get downstairs and paint for a short time.  The day tumbled by, and I sort of thought the evening might allow me to escape to my job in the basement.  But alas, as the designated time approached, Amelia asked if I would be willing to help her practice her piano lesson pieces.  Of course, that is a priority, so I said I would be happy to help.  We had a wonderful practice and I enjoyed our time together very much.  Amelia is such a diligent, focused little pianist.  After that, I went upstairs with Amelia to help her get tucked into bed, and that’s when Lillian woke up.  I knew instantly that my evening of planned painting was not going to happen.  So I scooped up Lilly and took her back downstairs with me.  We sat on my bed and I nursed her.  Judah came in and spent some time with us, and after Lilly was done nursing, Judah brought her some toys to play with.  Lilly’s new trick is to grab a toy and throw it aside.  So that’s all she wanted to do, but that was lots of fun anyway.

As I look back over on my evening, I think I must do my best to forget the frowning to-do list.  Instead, I want to focus on remembering my little girl doing her best on her piano practice, and I want to remember the beautiful chubby baby that I held and nursed.  I also want to keep the picture I have in my mind of a boy playing with his baby sister.  After all, those are more important than painting a wall, right?