Go To Bed Early

It's an amazing thing. My parents told me when I was younger that there would come a time I wished I could go to bed early. I just knew they were lying to me; trying to get me to go to bed so they could play games and watch tv without me getting in the way. Every child knows all the fun times happen when they're sleeping.

I recently discovered my parents were right. The time has come when 9:30 is past my bedtime. Not even CSI New York can entice me to stay awake. Homework, housework, and paperwork must wait for another day, because staying up late means waking up grumpy. It means cobwebs until 10:00 am and a nap after lunch.

So take my parent's advice. Early to bed and early to rise.

What was THAT?

I failed miserably today. I was grouchy and picky. My kids spent more time in time out than on the comfy rug. Well, I made it up at lunch a passed hugs out like they were cotton candy. You know, these kids are so forgiving. They just smile and it seems like they forget I was Atilla the Hun in the AM.

A smile goes a long way. I watched them mimick the way I felt, if I frowned, they frowned. If I smiled, they smiled. I'll have to remember to smile more. They look up with those expectant faces as if to say, "Show me how I'm feeling today." I wonder if it's that way with adults too. I'll have to remember to smile more.

Smiling is infectious,
You catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.

I passed around the corner,
And someone saw my grin,
When he smiled I realized,
I'd passed it on to him.

I thought about that smile,
Then I realized its worth,
A single smile, just like mine,
Could travel round the earth.

So, if you feel a smile begin,
Don't leave it undetected,
Let's start an epidemic quick,
And get the world infected!

Why?

No matter how old I get and no matter how many things I accomplish, I still feel like a child when I visit home. Why is that?