Happy Mommy Moment

Yesterday afternoon, The Peanut and I were in the car, singing along to some song in her favorites folder on my iPod...which mostly consists of songs from Kidz Bop and various Disney singing child stars and such, along with just enough "oldies" that mom has mixed in for the sake of motherly sanity.

And when I say "oldies," I mean tunes from as far back as the Dark Ages in the 1970s and 1980s and stuff.

Otherwise known as that time period when dinosaurs roamed the Earth and mom was in junior high and magically learned the words to all those songs that she likes to sing at the top of her lungs in the car.  Which mom threatens to continue to do well into teenage-hood just for her own personal kicks, too, may I say.

So anyway, we are happily singing along to something innocuous when it happened.  Suddenly, things got really quiet in the back seat.  Never a good sign, because it usually means something has spilled or is otherwise wrong.

And then a little voice piped up:

Mom?  Can I ask you a serious question?

At this point, I cringe, certain that I'm going to have to field something horrible or painful or difficult, and I honestly was not feeling up to it just at that moment.  It had been a long day of doing make-up and costumes for their play practice dress rehearsal, and I was fighting off a headache, and I was worried that it might be something awful. And if it was, that I would utterly flub my response out of tired and crankiness.

But I steeled myself for the worst -- because, honestly, what else can you do in that moment, right?!? -- and said:

Sure sweetie.  Anything.  What's up?

And then her sweet little voice said:

Can we have a lemonade stand next summer?  To raise money for kids in Haiti or Japan or kids who don't have any food at home here in our town?  I'd really like to do that.

I almost had to pull off the road just to hug her right then and there.  As it was, I had to stop myself from sniffling long enough to tell her "yes."


Every once in a while, The Peanut just amazes the hell out of me.  Out of the blue.  And I savor it each and every time.

Please tell me that will keep happening, even in the teenage years...

(Photo via pink.polka.  Loved the color in this shot -- so vibrant!)