A drawer full of shoes

I was playing cars with Rueben in the library this morning when he decided to get up and take a walk into the front entryway where he quickly discovered the new dresser that Ethan and I had build the previous afternoon. I watched as Rueben gave it a once over. He opened the bottom drawer and was delighted to find an amazing treasure, a drawer full of shoes and slippers! What a find. He promptly began to empty the drawer of its contents, flinging shoes over his head in amusement. Finally, he had conquered the drawer... it lay bare before him. Then he decided it was time to put all the shoes and slippers back in the drawer. He put every single shoe back in the drawer and when they were all put back, he closed the drawer, looked at me with a wide smile, and started clapping.

"Did you see what I did, mom? I discovered a drawer full of shoes, emptied it all out, and then put them back in. What an accomplishment. That was the first time I've ever found a drawer full of shoes. And I took them all out and put them all in, all by myself. I'm so great. Aren't you proud of me? I wonder what else I'm going to find today."

Ah, life's little wonders. Sometimes people ask me what I do all day, since I'm a stay at home mom. They ask if I ever get bored being at home. How could I be bored when I get to witness my kids discover, learn and experience things for the first time. So today, I watched my son empty a drawer and fill it up again. It might sound boring. But I also witnessed the joy and sense of accomplishment on his face. I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world.