Tough February

Stinkus is ready for March.  In the words of Sassy:  "She's had a tough February."  Indeed she has--poor girl.  In the past, I've worried about Sassy achieving all of the "firsts" in our house.  Well, I'm sorry/glad to say that Stinkus is fighting for her fair share of the glory.  In the past two weeks alone, she's managed to accomplish a few firsts around here:
1.  Crack her head open on a doorway and send us scrambling to the nearest emergency room.  (I'm guessing with the way she resumed running laps when we got home that this won't be our last visit. . . )
2.  Get her fingers shut in the car door (though we can blame this on a very remorseful big sister.  Sassy boo-hooed long after Stinkus had forgetten that her fingers hurt.)
3.  Lock herself in a room (AGAIN.)  At least this time, I could pop a paper clip in the little hole and unlock it--last time required busting the door frame apart.  Note to hubby--you still need to fix the door frame. . .  It's still amazing to me that we've had the same doors now for eight years and THIS child figures out how to lock them.

She's also sprouted a big goose egg from falling at Grandma's AND continued to exasperate me with potty training.  Though today she only had one accident (right after I put real panties on her. . .  Great timing there. . . )  On top of all of this, she's started a new daycare center and mornings have been a bit traumatic.  She's figured out that I'm a teacher and I think since this is her first "school" environment, she's decided that I need to stay and be HER teacher.  (Heaven help those children if I had to deal with multiple kiddos under the age of 12. . . )  I know that the meltdown only lasts for five minutes--it's good to have friends who drop off right after me--but man, it's tough getting out the door when her arms and legs are wrapped around me and she's crying, "I just want yooooouuuuu, Mama!"  A teacher peels her off and then the blood-curdling screaming begins as I try to get out without a meltdown of my own.  Bleh.  Tough February indeed.

But once again, I get a little dose of perspective from a friend whose son is going to Children's Mercy.  And no matter how "bad" of a February we seemed to have, it doesn't come close to what S is going through.  And I'm reminded how fragile these days are.  I'm not thrilled about the ER glue that will us cost hundreds of dollars but it's ok.  Stinkus is ok.  And she didn't do too much damage to the wall.  :)  The morning meltdowns will end and I know that she loves her school and they love her, and as a working mama, that's all that matters.  You want someone loving your baby when you can't be there.  I just have to remind myself that most of the "problems" we have are as fleeting as the months.  This too shall pass.  Although I have to wonder if life with Stinkus will ALWAYS keep me on my toes. . .   :)                

Daily Life

My life is boring.  I can usually tell you what any given day will involve.  I'll get up and work out (well, most days anyway. . .), eat two pieces of toast for breakfast, have a turkey sandwich and a bag of Sunchips for lunch (but I won't complain too much because I have a husband who packs it every morning for me. . . ) and head home from work.  Our evenings are dinner, baths, books, prayers, and bed.  Followed by me collapsing on the couch exhausted.  Some nights, it's the first chance I've had to sit down.  If I'm lucky, we get the dishwasher loaded or some laundry washed.  And that's my life.  Some days, the routine is mind-numbing.  The clothes are laid out, the bags are packed by the back door. . . we're ready to do it all again the next morning.  Sigh.

But then sometimes, a typical, boring day soon becomes something else.  You have a teacher come into your classroom and tell you that a plane just hit the World Trade Center.  You turn on the TV and watch with a room of eighth graders as another plane hits the second tower.  Or you get a phone call that you could never prepare for, a phone call that the person on the other end never dreamed they'd have to make.  We had a situation last week that I never thought I'd have to face as a mama.  And for a moment, it rocked our little world and I longed for my plain, old boring life.  I wanted everything to be right.  I needed the comfort of our "mind-numbing" routine: stickers for peeing on the potty (yes, I started another chart), Curious George during breakfast, and a certain little person repeatedly stealing food out of my refrigerator.  (Please don't expect an apple or tortilla from our house without teeth marks.)

All is well now--I hope and pray.  And like many other things I've faced in life, I have to remind myself that God can see something down the road that we can't.  He has a plan for our life, and a reason for the pain and sorrow we experience.  It doesn't make it better, but it's easier to face the next day knowing that He's not only with us, but He knows best.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have dinner to heat up, a dishwasher to empty, kids to feed and bathe, clothes to lay out, and another day to face.  And I'm so grateful for every boring, mind-numbing moment.  Maybe instead, my life is blessed.