“I didn’t have fun today,” my youngest said as I was putting her down for bed.

Her gleeful cackling minutes later assured me she did, to some extent, but still...

to be on the receiving end of your offspring’s

“I didn’t have fun today,”

when you are the fun-director of the family,

it stings.

I get it though.

Today wasn’t what I would describe as a thrilling day either.

You know what my family did today?

We got treated for lice. All five of us,

Yeah, good times.

‘Cause, apparently, even if you are

quarantining,

self-isolating,

aren’t seeing people,

and haven’t been in school for over two months,

you can still get lice and pass it amongst the family.

Who knew?

You know what else has happened during corona for us?

My car has crapped out twice and our washer and dryer kicked the bucket.

All pretty crappy stuff, very annoying, but truly minimal in the scheme of things and on the problem severity scale.

My kid didn’t have fun today, and, too be honest, I’m sure there’s been plenty of other days these past few months that were far from picture-perfect (and even more to come).

Heck, I didn’t have a lot of fun today either

— doing 18 buttloads of laundry so we don’t get reinfected by those pesky hair pests — 

but that’s life, and there’s always tomorrow for more joy, right?

In regular parenthood and while parenting during a pandemic there are gonna be lots of days for the kids, you and your spouse where some or none of y’all have fun.

And, you’ve got to just take those days for what they are and keep your eye out for and on

the next bombtastic, fun as hell day

as it sure as heck is on the horizon.

‘Cause it just so happens, that if you keep your eye on the prize

— those humans you birthed and are raising —

you’re practically guaranteed to fill up on hope that many of the days to come will bring loads of smiles, laughter and great times for all.

Not every day is great.

BUT, with my kids in my everyday, every day is good and that means so am I.