prayers

at bedtime when i tell little tayloe it's time to say prayers, he puts his little hands together and closes his eyes and sits perfectly still as i ask god to bless our family and friends and thank him for whatever i can think of to be thankful for that day (the blue sky, that i found my swim cap, the eggo waffles that were on sale).
then i put him in bed and close his door and start to pick up the pieces of our day. sometimes i find cars stacked inside a box, largest on bottom, smallest on top. very frequently there's a sippy cup in the bathtub. one of our toothbrushes is always somewhere near the toilet. blocks are always in our shoes.
i check all of his favorite hiding places - under the rugs, behind the doors, the dog food bag, the trash.
i discover his masterpieces and unveil his treasures and realize this is what i'm thankful for.