A Very Good Day

Today I walked a half-mile down and then a half-mile up our street four times.  First I did it with all six children, #5 and #6 in the jogging stroller, #2 balanced thrillingly on the front of the stroller with me chasing after #4 on her bike, my flip-flops flapping as I gave crazy waves to Moms who could stroll more casually on the way to school.  Then it was with #5 and #6, me doing my frantic Mom run behind the stroller - flip-flops flapping again, but with even more urgency because I decided to squeeze in one more quick chore before picking up #4 who we chased back up the hill once we got her.  Back down I went again in the afternoon with #5 in a single stroller since #6 was napping and Dad had come home and was able to fend off the dreaded mid-nap wake-up.  #4 was again on her bike, but this time she let me walk and just did loops around me as she descended the hill, her lips all giggly and smiling.  After seeing #1 and #3 get successfully on their bikes headed uphill, I pushed #5 back up the hill keeping an eye on #4 peddling way up ahead with the big kids while #2 chatted happily to me, her freckles sparkling, all the way home.  She could have walked a few more miles without coming to any loss for words.  Then it was one last time down the hill to pick up #4 from a friend's house.  This time I escaped with nobody else in tow - just me, myself and I to enjoy the blue sky and the pockets of crunchy leaves along my way...until I heard some thumping behind me and turned to see #1 who had just finished his homework barreling down the street looking rascally and triumphant.  He wanted to tell me that Dad said we could watch Studio C before dinner if we hurried back home.  Once the message was delivered I asked him if he wanted to keep going with me to get #4.  He said, "Sure."  So down we went together.  When we picked up #4 at her friend's house a big, black poodle escaped through the door and #1 went on a chase up and down yards on both sides of the street in a fruitless, yet joyful, attempt to get the dog back home.  #4 and I were half-way home before #1 reluctantly gave up the chase.  And I can't help but think that life is beautiful even though the rest of the day was changing laundry while ignoring the dead cockroach on the basement floor, cleaning the hair off the bottom of the bathtub, and realizing that I really did make the chili a little too spicy.