The kids are loving the new hardwood floor… well, they were… S discovered today you’ve got to be careful… while trying to get a drink and go back outside to play she tripped on some dirty clothes in front of the washer… and went face first into the dryer. The result???
I know it could be worse. I understand it’s not the end of the world. I know there are LOTS of people out there dealing with MUCH harder issues… All that knowledge doesn’t make this easier to stomach.
My sweet S has been saying “What?” when I talk to her a lot lately… I figured it was a 3 year old goofing off. One who didn’t want to put her toys away, or pick up her clothes. Then she started telling me she couldn’t hear whatever we were listening to in the van… well, it was kind of low… Next she started standing in front of the TV… I started to wonder if she was having vision issues… Yes, I can be kind of thick…
Then earlier this week it was, rather off-handedly, “my ears hurt.” She’s got her second set of tubes in… when she’s got an infection, I know it because of the “drainage.” Again, I just though she was messing around. Then (really how much should it take before a mom starts paying attention????) a couple of days ago she started jacking the volume on the tv up… and I would make her turn it down… “But I can’t hear it!” You can hear it just fine… I’m sitting right here and I can hear it, so I know it’s not too quiet…
Yesterday, after yet another tv volume jacking, I called her pediatrician’s office. The nurse on call (the one who answers parent’s questions and helps determin if a child needs to come in or if there is something that can be done from home) suggested one of those tubes might be blocked and she should be seen.
Once she is seen, her dr. says those ears look clear… no fluid, no infection… and rather as almost an after thought suggests testing her hearing. Sure I say, thinking this is no big deal… she hears me just fine… after all she answers me, and is very clear when she talks.
His nurse came to take her into the room where they run the test. I packed the other three (the boys are off for fall break this week) up and follow… after all, the door to leave is right there by that room and we will be leaving as soon as this test is done…
G, being a goofy boy, does his best to make noise and be silly while we stand there waiting on the test to be done. I have to get onto him several times. He’s making too much noise and will mess the testing up… probably not, but he really making too much noise to be in the office.
The door opens and S bounces out, followed by the nurse, who looks at me with a straight face, “She failed.” What? “Both ears.” WHAT???? As we head back to the room, my mind fogs over with a million questions, and I can’t even think of one. I do manage to ask by how much, to which I am told they really don’t know. This test is just a pass/fail test. For more information, we must go to an Ear Nose Throat dr. Back to the guy who put the tubes in her ears.
I called them as soon as we got into the car. They have a specialist who will retest her hearing next week. I have to wait until next week to get any kind of answer… so until then I have to wait… and trust God.
This has made me want to hug on her a bit more tightly… and this was very evident this morning. She curled up next to me on the couch when she got up. “I want some milk, Mommy.” Ok, baby, I’ll get you some milk. I hugged and kissed her a bit more. “I want some milk, Momma.” OK, baby, I’m going to get you some. “Then stop hugging on me!” OK, some things just don’t change.
Even a mom of four can have one once in a while… I got to go with some friends for a Girls Night Out, to a Nashville Predators hockey game a few nights ago… and as always, my kids have to make things “interesting” … or something like that.
The plan was to leave at 4:30, grab the kids some dinner, meet my DH at his office by 5:30, give him 3 of the four, take K with me to meet the others by 6. My mistake, you ask??? I went to the bathroom. I’m quite sure there is a rule, written or unwritten, somewhere, that says a mom can not go near a bathroom until all children are in bed. If she does, the children either 1) must follow her into said bathroom or 2) use the free time to do something they know they should not.
Sweet, sassy S decided number 2 looked too good to pass on. I should have known when I actually had a few moments to myself that I would live to regret laugh at it… eventually.
Upon returning to the living room to begin packing children, diaper bag, juice glasses, homework, shoes, etc into the van, I was greeted by K’s sweet smile… such a joy… oh, man she pulled her hair band out… wait… it’s more than that… What is that??? I spot a bottle of lotion… nope not the right consitancy… then I see it… on the floor in front of the couch… a newly emptied tube of DESITIN!!! Yes, S had finished off the tube in her sister’s hair…
She got a very quick bath, a Dawn shampoo, and we were off to the hockey game… At least we had fun!
Music has always been a big part of my life. As a kid, I knew the words to all the songs on the radio. As an adult, I wrote music/concert reviews, and generally played around in the Christian music industry until J was born.
Music has pretty much been background noise for T. He loves the sounds each of the instruments make, but words? He’ll make up his own, thank you very much. Seriously… if he gets four words in a row it’s time to celebrate!
G falls somewhere inbetween. This became evident driving home the other day. “Again, again,” he would say every time a kids Bible song would end. This version of “Keep My Commandments” is a throw-back to the 80’s, very heavy on the keyboards. G is sitting in the back singing with the words… until he gets to the end of the line and he adds his own touch. What the singers sing is “keep my commandments and you will live,” while G’s version is “keep my commandments and you will win.”
Sometimes adding your own words shines a light on a great thought.
That seems to be the topic of the last couple weeks. Yesterday it was while sitting in our church service. Our older kids (3 and up) sit in the service for the worship, and then are dismissed to their classes. Before they were dismissed this time we had our monthly baby dedication.
Our pastor emeritus, L. H. Hardwick, was talking to the parents standing on stage and those in the congregation. My kids were drawing to keep themselves out of trouble. The congregation was asked to stand and pray over the new parents, when G looked at me with wide eyes, “Momma… is that GOD talking?”
Not to be out done, when we started praying, S looked at me, also with wide eyes and sweet grin, “Is Jesus here?” God’s location is a tough concept for 3 year olds…
This is the question I was asked on our way to pick up the boys today.
“Yes, He is… He’s everywhere. He’s even here in our van,” was my reply to my brilliant three year old, S.
“You know, this is actually a mini-van” was her stoic retort. I think maybe we need to work on staying focused…
We had a great example of this a couple of weeks ago, when S played her first soccer game. She ran really hard, and even scored a goal, for about the first five minutes… Then she pulled her shirt over her head and ran around. Once the adults laughed… well, she did it off and on for the rest of the game… Focus is not a strong suit.
I have now had two nights in five days where three of my four kids got me up…
Last Saturday was the worst… S climbed into my bed around 2:30, J came down at 3 to tell me he had thrown up again. S coughing too much, so breathing treatment for her and back into bed at 3:45… K up at 4, J back up at 4:15ish, I got back into bed at 4:45, K back up at 5… T got up with her, she was screaming… which means I can’t sleep… so I get back up at 5:20, and finally into bed about 6. Mom woke me up at 7 to say they were leaving (they had a 9 hr drive ahead of them), I couldn’t even get up to hug them bye.
Then last night K again woke me up… at 3:30, S opened her door about 3:45 to say “I hurt myself” (I can only guess she fell out of bed). I rocked both girls for a bit. S was so tired her head kept sinking lower and lower, so I helped her back to bed. On the way she asked me a question, but I wasn’t sure what I heard, so I repeated it, “You want me to play with you???” No was the answer, restate the question, and again I repeated it, “You want me to lay down with you???” Again the answer was no, “Will you PRAY with me??” I actually got it that time… so we prayed.
As I was praying, I felt another pair of hands that did not belong to either girl. I opened my eyes to “see” (not much seeing in a dark room) G. “Momma, I had a nightmare.” I pulled him into the prayer. Then I kissed his cheek, turned and kissed S, and by the time I turned back around G was up the stairs headed back to bed.
K continued to fight me. I finally had to nurse her to help her settle down and get back to sleep… or not quite asleep, but enough she didn’t cry when I left the room. Back into bed by 4:40… and up at 6:20 to get the boys ready to leave at 7:20 with T.
Ultimately, this is the call of mothers… to love her kids at all times. To nurse them back to health, to comfort when needed, no matter what time it is. No matter how much sleep she looses. To pray over them and protect them. This is what servicing your kids is. This is what parenting is. This is what love is.
Very Important People Know Who They Are… a very important person from my high school years and I used to say that to each other. It became our slogan… our mantra of sorts. It got started because someone else we (she) knew didn’t celebrate birthdays… it wasn’t important to mark the moment you came into this world… and we thought otherwise.
As a parent of four, I still feel it is very important. There is life, and life changing going on in that moment and it’s worth celebrating. And I don’t mean just the first one, either… each one of these babies has changed my life in a dramatic, beautiful and God granted manner.
Each one of these children, as they hit the milestones they are expected to in their growth, have helped me hit moments of growth of my own. I don’t feel like I will be 38 in a few hours (well… ok, so some days I feel more like 83, but that’s another blog). Sometimes I feel like I’m an eight year old stumbling in the dark, clueless in the steps I am expected to make. Then I see those eight beautiful blue eyes looking up at me… and suddenly I can change the world.
The reality is I know The One who can and I will do everything in my power to reach Him for their sake. They are a gift from Him, I will give back to Him. And it’s so incredibly exciting to hear someone on the political stage speak in the same thought patterns. Life, no matter how small, is worth celebrating.
And for the second time in my life, I will be voting for a V(I)P, rather than a President.
My cousin, KS, is a first time mother. Her sister, RR, came for a visit not too long ago. KS took the time for a shower.
When she came back she was very excited. “Thank you! Thank you! I got to shave both legs at the same time!”
Then there was this one from S: we were at my Grandma’s and S’s hair was the topic of conversation. Grandma was telling S how lucky she was to have curls in her hair. Mom added “And blond to boot.”
S replyed “I don’t have boobs.”
Or maybe the time I was asked by S to put her socks on. I told her they wouldn’t fit me.
“Not on you… You’re too fat”
Yep… You are a parent too.
Momma Kisses 