Getting Rid of "I Should've"

So, yesterday, I had a pretty good mommy day. Usually, I melt into my bed at the end of the day, exhausted and panting and just grateful to have another place to plant my backside besides the driver's seat of the Suburban. And I'm usually full of  "I should've..." 's.  I should've been more patient;  I should've left earlier;  I should've tried harder;  I should've planned better;  I should've hugged more... But yesterday? Yesterday was pretty good.

I got J-man to baseball practice early, as in before 9am... and with all of his necessary equipment.  No small feat for this wanna-be late morning sleeper. And it's funny, because once I'm up, I really like the mornings. They're peaceful.

I noticed this sign on my way back home, and was inspired and hopeful for a good day.

I also noticed this red barn. And now you're thinking... okkkkaaay?? Well, hold on because I'm about to get really east Tennessee on ya...

C'mon... even you northerners have to admit... in the dismal, drab, dead-of-winter, this red barn glows. It's beautiful!  Even if it is in a Green Acres kinda way....

Then at the stop light in town, I looked right and saw this:

See, in the north, we use these signs just to tell when services are held.  Here, lessons can be learned. "Keep thy heart with all diligence."  Persistence, care, caution, constant and earnest effort, persistent exertion... diligence.  Pay attention to what matters. So then I thought of my Austin, my middle child, who has yet to be seen on this blog.  He was off at a church retreat this weekend.  I love this child.

Isn't he sweet?!

I went home and made pancakes, which  I later blogged about.  And later in the day, I made meatballs and yummy chocolate chip cookies (so mommy-like).  I organized Austin's soccer team stuff, and loved on Lexi quite a bit.  I got her to a birthday party at an indoor pool, and again(!!) (ahhemmm): ON TIME (woo-hoo!), with a birthday present and card that she picked out.

I even showed up early to pick her up, camera in hand...

(That's her, on the far right, in the brown & pink.)

And when she asked to bring a friend home for the night, I said yes, even though her brother already had a friend spending the night... (What's one more, anyway?)

I noticed this old barn on the way home and the beautifully simple "cut-outs" on the doors. And the Christmas wreath. Even though it's almost February, I love it.

So, instead of running around like an idiot, getting projects half-done and not knowing which way is up and being barely able to breathe because I can not do that one more thing...

I did breathe.  And I loved, and I noticed the sunset... 

And when I went to bed last night, there wasn't one "I should've" on my mind.