I ran over to say hi to an old neighbor today. She immediately started telling me what a good decision I had made. I was thinking, "You like my new shirt? It was smart to go swimming on such a gorgeous sunny day?" No, the fact that I can go to the park with my kids, the fact that I'm home. She went on and on. It kind of weirded me out and it humbled me.

Weirded me out because I rarely think about the fact that I've given up my career and my income to stay home with the kids. I think about whether I have enough fruit leather in my backpack and how I'm going to convince David to stand still for the sunscreen. In moments of greater introspection, I think about whether Rose should start violin lessons this fall—is that overloading her? how can we find a teacher whose style matches ours? will I be able to stand the screetch of a beginning violinist? I'm so in my life that I almost forget that it was a choice to be in it.

Her effusiveness also humbled me. I should be a little more thankful that I was able to make this choice and a little more appreciative of the experience. I take my time with the kids terribly for granted—yes, indeed we have time for reading books, playing race cars, doing a puzzle, and carrying you around, and that was just before 8:00 today--nay when the bickering and whining set in I resent my time with the kids. It's not always good to have your outside observer sitting on your shoulder reminding you to cherish the moments (especially when it's 2:00 a.m. and you are going downstairs for the ice pack), but sometimes it is.