There was an old woman...

...who had so many shoes, she didn't know...

Wait, that's not how it goes.

Lived in a shoe.

And had SO many children...

OK, two.
I have two.
Well, two that I've had from day one.
Little genetic progeny of my very own.
Well, half the DNA at least...

But over the years, I have been very fortunate to acquire several more children.
"Psuedo" children, as one of them says.

Children who have filled my life & my heart with laughter, & pride, & love.

The friends of my children, & children of my friends...

My Dance Kids; my Marching Band Kids; my Musical Kids...

They let me feed them, & spoil them, & watch them perform.
We have laughed, & cried, & created memories.
They learned to ignore the camera that inevitably followed them around.
We shared inside hugs, & jokes, & costumes, & more than a few pans of spontaneous brownies.
They texted "I love you" on Mother's Day.
And showed up at my door for cake.

We have shared their dreams, their triumphs, their failures.

They let me watch them grow up.
And became wonderful young men & women.

I treasure each & every one of the children that have entered my life.

And am SO very proud of them all.

And that... was my first thought on waking up this morning :)