Happy Tax Day

Today was crazy and hectic and too busy and overwhelming, but it ended really, really nicely.

Paying taxes is not one of my favorite things to do. Since I am self employed, I get hit really hard in spring with thousands of dollars to pay and this does not a happy woman make. However, a few years ago, Joseph and I decided that rather than make it a national day of mourning like we'd like to do, we would find a way to celebrate the day. We began mailing in our returns and payments (sometimes full, sometimes partial) close to midnight. The kids would put on their pajamas and we'd go for ice cream on the way home. This made the day more fun and had it end on a happy note.

Tonight, I came home from swimming at 10, wrote the checks, piled family into the car and took off for the post office. I put on some special music I had reserved for the moment (DaVinci's Notebook's "My Enormous . . . well you can guess what body part) and sang along at the funny part of the chorus. We put the checks in the mail box to the sound of a makeshift drum roll and then we went out for a 11:00 meal. We put money in the juke box, got the wrong songs, and talked, giggled and ate. On the way back to the van, two of my kids were singing, with their arms around each other (keep in mind, these kids are 17 and 12) and my 15 yr old was walking with his arm around my shoulders. The dog was waiting in the van for us. We came home eager for bed but I was infinitely grateful for our togetherness.