It's Friday night.

It's me and the littlest monkey -- just shy of four years of age -- in bed cuddling before sleepytime, and she says to me...

"Let's talk about memories."

Be.

Still.

My.

Fudgin'.

Heart.

Seriously, people.

From the mouth of the cutest one-tooth-missing babe in town,

"Let's talk about memories."

"Okay, sweetie," I said.

She didn't want to talk about how I had yelled at her a few minutes before.

She didn't want to talk about how I put her in an ineffective time-out just moments earlier.

She didn't want to talk about how she wasn't fond of her dinner and how I got on her for it, or about why brushing her teeth is her least favorite activity in the world and how I'm the meanest mom 'cause I make her do it anyway.

She didn't want to talk about how I rush her and make her feel unlistened too, or how my anxious nature unintentionally rubs off on her.

She didn't want to talk about how I forgot to wash her favorite dress or how I accidentally vacuumed up her princess necklace.

She didn't want to talk about how I forgot to pack her home lunch for school or that I didn't bring her ballet shoes for her dance class.

Do you know what "memories" she wanted to talk about?

Those that mattered to her.

Those that stuck.

Those that mean more to my little tornado tyke than I could ever imagine.

She wanted to talk about how I sing to her.

She wanted to talk about when she was in my belly, and her siblings would hug on me, and since she was in me, her.

She wanted to talk about how we're best friends.

She wanted to talk about the time we ate popsicles together.

She wanted to talk about a picture she saw and mommy and daddy's wedding.

She wanted to talk about her dogs.

She wanted to talk about her past birthdays.

She wanted to talk about that time we laughed so hard we clunked heads.

She wanted to talk about how I play with her hair when we cuddle.

THESE are her memories.

These are the moments that are filling her cup, the actual moments, and the conversations about them.

Us mamas so often feel like we're screwing up, and that our "mess-ups" are what's gonna stick with those we love so flippin' dearly.

But, we're wrong.

Let's talk about memories, mamas.

Let's talk about the million and one things you are getting right.

Let's talk about how all of that is what sticks with our kids.

Let's talk bout how we're the memory-makers,

how we always have been, always will be,

and let's then get out there and make some more gosh darn stick-with-you memories this anything but ordinary day.