12 years of wedded bliss have brought us to this day

It's kind of ironic the movie I was trying to watch on TV last night was called "Just go with it".

Jeff was working and I was exhausted. All evening, the kids had somehow managed to be even louder than usual, alternating between running around and wrestling with Gus, and complaining to me that he was getting too wild.

Finally, with the blessed peace of bedtime looming, I'd sent AJ into the bathroom to take a shower. Sydney and Gus had followed.

And then... quiet. Ahhh... such an amazing moment. I should have been suspicious, but I was too thankful and busy savoring the calm.

Which was probably good, because it came to an all too abrupt end when AJ - in somewhat of a state of undress because he'd been getting ready to shower - ran into the living room. "Mom, Sydney did something. She needs you. Come quick!"

And so into the bathroom I ran. I'm sure the final few minutes of the movie weren't that good anyway... the couple just finally gets together and lives happily ever after. I reached the scene of the disaster, and there Sydney huddled on the edge of our tub, tightly gripping a mirror and moaning. My little vain one loves looking in that mirror. Had she somehow broken it? Had she cut herself on the broken shards?

I wrapped my hand around hers and gently pulled the mirror away, fearing the blood that would be revealed. Instead, I saw this:

"Mommy," she said, her voice quiet and apologetic, "I used your black stuff."

I really, really wanted to sound stern in my response. But all I could do was laugh. Sydney looked so worried. And then she found a silver lining, "Hey, I kind of look like Daddy now."

Why yes, I guess I do see a bit of a resemblance between her thick, blackened brows and Jeff's.

Did I mention today's our anniversary? Thank you, sweetheart, for the last 12 years. As we so often say to each other, thanks for putting up with me. I love you!

 Looking back on that magical day, we pledged our love for better or worse. We had so many dreams for the future. So many hopes for happily ever after. I'm fairly certain none of them involved a preschooler getting into mommy's make-up bag, but overall I wouldn't change a thing.

P.S. No I did not grab a camera before running into the bathroom to check on my daughter's welfare. I did that afterward and made her re-create the scene. She might as well learn that if she makes a mess that big, it's gonna end up on the blog.