The kids will probably remember the giant waterslide, the endless bouncing and the birthday cupcakes.

I'll remember a half-finished frozen drink, a little girl who stopped exactly where I asked her to, and a day that reminded me just how differently kids and parents can experience the very same moments.

I spent part of Saturday chasing one child around a tennis court while trying to convince the other that the tennis racket wasn't broken. Somewhere in the middle of all of it, I caught myself waiting for my shoulders to tighten and my jaw to clench.

For the first time in a long time...

...they didn't.

When Sophie asked me to "change your mood please," my first instinct wasn't reflection... it was defence. It's amazing how quickly your brain can build a case for itself before it stops to consider what the other person is actually asking.

The first thing Wesley wanted when he woke up wasn't breakfast... or cartoons... or a toy. It was connection. Looking back, I realized the rest of our day wasn't all that different.