Priorities, Parties, and Pictures

Today, Will had a birthday party with five close friends. Realizing Will's dream since birth, they had a fencing lesson, and then came back to our house for cake and play. The build-up, however, brings to mind that parenting - life, too - is all about priorities. Here is how we prioritized our lives today:

Priority: A celebration for Will with friends.

Price: Humility. Despite my best efforts, the house remains an absolute wreck.

Priority: A celebration for Will with friends.

Price: Amidst the preparations, I forgot about lunch, which translates to fire-breathing daughters.

Priority: The opportunity to see our kids wielding swords in fencing suits.

Price: $100+

Priority: Family togetherness at the party.

Price: John's second nap, and therefore desperate measures to distract him.

Priority: Transport the kids back to our house safely.

Price: Clara (lunchless) rides separately from Will, unleashing all her fury on the poor souls who kept her from her brother.

Priority: A homeade cake.

Price: Baking in the bathroom so John can sleep. (Loud mixer.)

Priority: A homeade cake.

Price: A quasi-decoration of a book, without the longed for Narnia lion symbol. (Tasted good though.)

Priority: Pictures.

Price: No pictures. Since I perilously lug my camera around with the kids to take so many pictures, the camera finally broke. Sadness.

So there you have it. My priorities for today are pictures, parties and cake. And I'd do it all over again.