I need to capture this before the memories of tonight get lost in the very unmagical nights yet to come 🙂

Taylor and I often stress over making evening-time a calm event. Or at the very least, less of a soul sucking battle. We practice routines, revamp ’em, and try all knick knack paddy whack strategies “guaranteed” by a mom in Wisconsin. Some nights are fine, and some are terrible.

And some nights are so amazing that they completely pay us back plus interest for all the other nights.

Tonight was a “paycheck” night.

It all started with dinner. Our family has a little tradition called “fancy breakfast”, in which I make a meal of choice for the lucky person chosen for this award. The awardee receives this fancy breakfast for going above and beyond in service for our home or for someone we know.

Last week these two little stars earned Fancy Breakfast. Their act of service was waking Taylor and I on a Saturday morning with this gift: a completely cleaned bathroom, complete with a shining sink. For reals.

I can’t find the picture of it, so I’ll upload later if I track it down. But WOW. WHAT IS THIS FANTASY.

They were SO proud of their hard work. I let a few days pass to let the feeling of intrinsic reward settle in their hearts, and then announced to them they had earned themselves a Fancy Breakfast.

The meal went over really well, especially because we laxed on our usual dinnertime rules. The kids weren’t required to taste test the breakfast casserole or pumpkin muffins I had also laid out at the table. (Little fools.) But the kiddos enjoyed the full autonomy of their meal. Dinner clean up was a snap, and then we wandered over to the front room.

The two little boys listened to me read a story, and then independently curled up to “read” their own books.

Meanwhile, Arrow and her dear daddy practiced singing a Russian hymn on the piano.

And mother basked in the unprecedented (we need a new word for this) glory of her family peacefully enjoying each other.

Is it too much to hope for another night like this tomorrow?