So it was 10:30 and I was in the midst of doing the laundry, while checking my email, while having a phone conference, while my kiddos were playing in the backyard (completely unattended), and realized I was still in my pajamas, hadn’t showered, or even brushed my teeth, and had to leave for an in-person meeting in a matter of minutes. And then I hear my not-so-patient little Mia proclaim, “I’m Thirsty…RIGHT NOW!” So I literally screamed (phone conference on mute). I was having a total “Whoa is me” moment. But then, a mere minute later, I hear her say “Thank you.” I was still drowning in the laundry, with no intention of stopping my multi-tasking mania for a drink break, and was thoroughly confused by her gratitude. Was my 3 year old using sarcasm to rub in the guilt of my absentee parenting? So I peek outside and see this (INSERT PICTURE). Zoe had gone inside, gotten the last yogurt in the fridge, along with two straws, and was lovingly serving it to the littles. Nobody was there to praise her. She just wanted to help her brother and sister, even if that meant she went thirsty herself. And, right then, my day immediately changed, like turning on a light switch. I am grateful for having the choice to work from home, so that I can get paid to multitask in my pajamas at 10:30 and to be able to peek outside my window from time to time and see THIS  (INSERT PICTURE ). I am so grateful for the wildly difficult balancing act that is my life because it is the only thing that keeps me from following my flawed intuition of being an absolute helicopter mama, and forces me to let my kiddos just be, without my good-intentioned interferences.  I am thankful that even though I swear they might kill each other some days, when it comes down to it, when I’m not there to break up the battles, they take care of each other…even when there is only one yogurt, two straws, and no mama in sight.