one of those days...you never want to forget

today is sunday.

and last night was one of those nights. a crying child awoke oh-around-3am.

after some 3am cuddling and soothing and repeating the back and forth hallway shuffle a few more times, 7am came along and i could barley move enough to realize it was morning. usually, i would peel my limp body frame from my pillow-top mattress, throw a toothbrush in my mouth and attempt to snag some form of clothing that is within my grasp as i head into the day.

but today, oh my. today was a day to remember.

one of those days that i won't soon forget.

after my initial 7am wake up, i drifted back into wonderful, peaceful sleep. i awoke suddenly to silence. unusual, perfect, silence. i sat straight up in complete alarm mode. silence? where is the crying? where is the "mommy! i'm awake!!"? where is my husband? what time is it? what is happening?

i blink several times at the clock in disbelief. does it really say 9:30am??

i stumble downstairs to find 2 happy children, a smiling husband and a gloriously CLEAN house!

carpet vaccumed, check.

toys put away and ORGANIZED, check.

old, unplayed-with toys in goodwill pile, check.

books stacked to perfection in big to small order, check.

kitchen cleaned, countertops wiped and dishes put away, check.

kids fed, check.

2 loads of laundry washed and dryed, check.

cluttered stairwell now uncluttered, check.

clean coffee cup sitting ready beside steaming pot of coffee, check.

i could hardly speak! my amazingly gracious and stupendous husband had been slaving away, cooking and cleaning and de-cluttering and entertaining the chitlens whilst i was snoozing!

he chose to let me sleep. one of the truest forms of love, in my opinion. we parents know the cherish of sleep, and how it is a gift more precious than precious metals or a million dollars. (ok, maybe i'd take a million dollars, and then sleep, but you get my point :)

i really am married to prince charming!

what a handsome and remarkable man!

today proves, yet again, what i see all the time...

a husband who makes so many sacrafices and is so very selfless, even to the point of clean-kitchen-ness!

the thing is, my clinto seldom reads my blog. in all of his humbleness, he would probably be embarrased to know that i have gushed on and on.

but i just have to put it out there. it's too unheard of, these days. a husband that works hard at work and works hard at home?

he is to be commended.

each and every day he passes on a legacy to our boys that can't be taught, it can only be watched.

a legacy that shows what it is to be a man who serves his family.

a man who will never claim to be perfect, but will strive each day to take pride in what he does, even if it's stacking the kid's books the way he knows only i would appriciate, setting a coffee cup out, cleaning the dishes, or letting mommy get some much needed rest.

he's the dad i always pictured. he's the dad who's crawling around on the floor playing hide and seek, moments after arriving home from a grueling day at work. he's the dad that bakes cookies with his sons. he's the dad that teaches his sons the difference between a wratchet and a wrench. he's the dad who builds forts out of cushions and races cars on the kitchen floor. he's the dad who goes to work early so he can come home and have more time to spend with his family. he's the dad who swaddles our newborn and stays up during late-night feedings, even when he has a full day of work ahead. he's the dad i want my boys to emulate.

he's the dad our kids will be proud of...in fact, they already are :)