I woke up horrendously sick Friday morning. The "stagger out of bed and somehow drive your kid to school and then collapse back into bed and set an alarm for 4:30pm so you remember to go pick him up" kind of sick. 

I was supposed to spend Friday photographing new shinies for the anniversary update on Sunday. I might've been able to push through it, but it would've come at the cost of not being able to take Miles to the downtown Halloween street party that he's been looking forward to for months. So I slept instead, and then knocked back a fistful of decongestants and pain medications and took him downtown for an hour and a half.

The delight on his face was worth it.

I was supposed to spend today uploading new shinies and going to a friend's wedding. I might've been able to do one of those things, but not both, and it would've come at the cost of not being able to take Miles trick-or-treating tonight. So I sent my regrets to my friend and didn't even think about work, and I've been resting as much as one can with a four-year-old hopped up on sugar. If I take another fistful of pills, I should be able to take him trick-or-treating tonight.

He's been counting down the days to Halloween all month, and asking every half hour since he woke up this morning if it's time to go trick-or-treating yet. 

When you're a single parent, there are a lot of hard choices to make. Choosing between keeping my promises about Halloween to my 4-year-old and getting the 10th anniversary update done on time? That's an easy choice.

The shinies will still be here on November 2nd or 3rd or whenever it finally happens. You'll still be there to celebrate with me. And I can rest and recover knowing that you wouldn't want me to prioritize work over Miles's happiness. 

Thank you for ten amazing years of knowing I can always make this kind of choice.