The other morning I did something helpful for Ian. He was really grateful and said, "Thanks, Mommy!!! You're one of the best Mommies I've ever had!!!" I hadn't realized I was in competition with anyone for this position, but at least I'm way up there. :) I love that he gave me props, but still gave me room to improve. Gives me something to strive for. ;)
Merry Grace is my one who loves to go. She loves going to the store, to someone's house, the library or anywhere else that she can. Yesterday we had a lot of errands which, frankly, wore me out. On the way home she said, "Today was the best day ever!" Too bad I can't just send her out to run the errands for me. :) But I'm glad she had fun just being together.
Cory, of course, is raising our kids to be true Tarheels. So far, he's succeeded nicely. This morning, Paige, who is learning to pray on her own, blessed two things: Grandma Dee-Dee and Carolina, which she blessed twice. :)
Elise was going to church the other night with Cory for her activity and he to Cubs (he's the Cubmaster). He told her that night was pack meeting. She said, "Why do you have to call it 'Pack' meeting? I wish you'd call it 'Ram Meeting'!"
Love these cute kids. :)
There's a lady that works in the office at the kids' school. She is very efficient and good at what she does. She's just a "matter-of-fact" kind of person. She can even come off as a little sharp or gruff sometimes. Not that she's really that way, just how she can seem sometimes, if you don't know her very well.
Rewind to a month or so ago. I had just barely come home from the hospital. I can't remember where everyone was or what they were doing, but just Cory, Paige and I were at home. Cory was exhausted, having not gotten much sleep the last few nights and Paige was worn out too and feeling pitiful. The two of them were settling in for a nap and I decided to go get my prescriptions that were ready to be picked up. Cory tried to convince me to just stay home, but I was sure I could handle just going to the pharmacy. Almost all the time I go through the drive-through to drop off or pick up medicines, but that day I decided to go in. On my way out, this lady from the kids' school was coming in. She stopped me and asked how I was doing, having heard about our situation from the kids' teachers, I'm sure. And then she told me her story of loss, having lost her first two children, one in the same way we did and another was a late term stillbirth. What a blessing it was to have her share her experience with me. I felt like here was someone who really knew what I was experiencing and could relate to me and my feelings and situation. We chatted for a minute, shared a few thoughts, feeling and tears before hugging and heading our separate ways.
I had to go into the office at school one day this week and had just a minute to chat with her again. In just a few words, I again felt refreshed, knowing there was someone else who really got it. What I felt even more than anything was knowing that that day picking up my prescriptions, that this sweet lady had been put in my path to help and comfort me. She's someone who I would likely not have known beyond the "Hi" and "Hello" of school comings and goings. And yet now when I see her, its like seeing someone who knows just a little piece of my heart.
Another recent experience was with my doctor at my check-up. She was the one who had to deliver the first news that there was something seriously wrong with our little guy. She had been tireless in her desire to arm us with as much information and counsel and guidance as any one person could. She devoted all the time in the world to us and we were so grateful. Again, at my check-up, she was wonderful as we discussed different aspects of this situation and what it might or might not mean for the future. But the one thing that stood out more than anything was when she said, "You have four beautiful children...no...you have five beautiful children..." That is exactly how I feel and I'm forever grateful to her for recognizing that.
Not long before Christmas, two dear friends came over and brought lunch and just visited with me for a while. We're all busy and don't have nearly the time to "just visit", but that day we did. It was so fun to catch up and visit and reconnect. The visit was so much fun and wonderful. After they left, I looked in the goody bag they'd brought and found, among other things, a beautiful gold angel to hang on my tree. It had a note with it that said, "Just remembering your little angel this Christmas and always." Insert happy tears. I will always remember. How wonderful to know there are others who remember too.
Thanks heavens for Someone who sends earthly angels into our lives, even when we might not realize how much we need them.
...or at least the stairs.
One day, right before Christmas, Cory was at work, while we were packing for trips, cleaning the house, and baking to our heart's content. I mentioned to the kids that I wanted them to take a crib mattress from under one of the beds down to the basement. I came into the kitchen just in time to catch the older three before they attempted a ride down the stairs, Home Alone style. Unfortunately, they still sent the mattress flying down the stairs on its own. Also, unfortunate was the fact that I'd left a nearly full gallon of Carolina Blue paint on the top step to take down on my next trip. And, as luck would have it, the mattress caught the can and tipped it over, busted the lid off and then spilled baby blue paint all down the stairs and then puddled on the tile floor at the bottom. I just stood there in stunned silence, completely unable to believe what I had just witnessed. The two bright spots in all of this are that #1, the stairs are going down to the basement and are in a much less prominent place in our home then they could be. And, #2, we are huge Carolina fans, so if some color paint had to spill, thank goodness it was Tarheel blue.
Instead of cleaning up the spilled paint on the stairs, I just quickly went through and painted them all light blue with the little bit of paint left in the can and what had already spilled on each stair. And I swiped up most of the paint on the tile floor with plastic grocery sacks. (Honestly, I have no idea how to clean up that amount of paint. I didn't want to use anything "useful", like towels, because then they would be ruined. So I settled on the plastic grocery bags. It seemed to do the trick.)
So, a word to the wise: Do not leave paint on the top stair, no matter how tempting it seems. And if you're going to take a mattress downstairs, you doggone well better enjoy the ride. :)
