I typically have Brody on Mondays, and Lilli after school, but since school was out yesterday (but not for Emmie), I had them both. I thought it would be fun to take them to the aquarium, and Rain Forest Cafe, both located in a big mall near her town, so we loaded up and headed out.

They loved the aquarium, even though it was quite crowded because apparently everyone else thought it would be fun, too. They oohed and ahhed over the beautiful “Dorys” and “Nemos,” screamed a little over the sharks, and were mesmerized by the stingrays and jelly fish. There was a cool play area, too, where they ran a lot of their energy out before we headed to the restaurant. By the time we got there, the line was reeeaaallly long to get in, but we persevered because I had promised.

By the time we finished eating, Brody was visibly tired. Lilli was even a little worn out, so when we got home, I put Brody down for a nap, and sent Lilli to lay down and watch a movie, hoping that she might drift off, too.

No such luck on EITHER count.

Lilli wasn’t surprising, but Brody ALWAYS naps. This time, however, he messed around in his bed instead of going to sleep, and as it inched closer and closer to time for us to leave for Lilli’s gymnastics, I decided to let him get up instead of risking his finally falling asleep and having to wake a bear.

We got to gymnastics, and it was clear that he was teetering on the edge of falling completely apart. He sat in my lap for a while, and I tried to keep him there by letting him watch Toy Story on my phone. It worked for a while until both of our heads shot up at the sound of a little boy shouting “To Infinity…and BEYOND!” from the front of the room, followed quickly by a hand shooting up with Buzz Lightyear in its grasp.

I was doomed.

He started wriggling around in my lap, and trying to get down, headed for that little boy and his precious Buzz. But I knew if I let him go, his sharing skills would be destroyed by his lack of sleep and toddler carnage would ensue. Just then, another little boy of similar age showed up with the car from Toy Story 3 that Buzz and Woody use to get back to their friends!

(Seriously, has there been a resurgence of Toy Story popularity? I really thought it was just us!)

Boyfriend was overcome. OVERCOME, I SAY. I kept trying to tell him that Lilli was almost finished and Mommy would be here any minute, but he was having none of it. He turned, took my face in his hands, and said with urgency…

“MIMMIE, I NEED MY PEOPLE!”

Just as I was about to let him go (and because God loves me), his Mommy walked in the door and the gym was saved from The Great Brody Meltdown of 2016. Left to her capable hands, I bid my charges farewell and headed to my car, his words ringing in my ears.

I need my people.

You know, I do, too. When I’m teetering on the edge of a meltdown, or happy as a clam, I need them. I need their groundedness, their exceptance, their love. I take them for granted, sometimes, forgetting to tell them of their importance to me. Forgetting to hug their necks everyday and make sure they know.

Maybe I should remedy that today. My guess is you should, too, because we need our people, you and I.

To infinity…and beyond.