Rock On

Stinky's learned to make the "rock on" sign with his hands. He decided to show this new-found skill off during a quiet moment at church by standing on his chair and loudly proclaiming "rock on!"

Yes, I made him get down, but part of me secretly thought it was pretty awesome.

Growth: Somedays, it is just hard.

The last week has been a struggle for me. Last week felt like a series of intentional and unintentional slights, hurt feelings, and plain old bad luck. This week, our family has been sharing a cold- it is lingering longest on me. I don't think I'm getting much right. When you add in a medication* that is making me especially emotional this week has been quite the weep-fest.

Our church's semiannual conference was this weekend. I needed it very much. I needed words of wisdom and love. What I got was just that, but also a bit of conviction. Did you ever have that moment when a teacher or parent tells you "I just expected more from you" and you feel simultaneously loved and horrible? That's how I felt. I know I can do better. I need to do better. I needed the fire lit underneath me that conference gave me.

Sometimes growth is hard. Sometimes the best thing that can be done for a plant is for it to be cut down. That doesn't make it feel better right away, but sometimes you know what

*On that: We've decided to try for another baby, which for us is an intimate process involving WBH, my doctor, nurses, pharmacists lab techs, and me. Honestly, we're blessed in a lot of ways here. As far as fertility treatments go, what I require is the least invasive of all. Also, when the time comes for the birds and the bees talk, we think we can get by for several years with "When we decided to have a baby, the doctor gave Mommy pills. The end." When I mentioned this to my mother-in-law, she said if we do that, we'd better be careful when we say Baby Tylenol.

What goes around....

Dear Christine,

I am truly sorry for all the Sundays that Stinky, WBH and I sat behind you and your children at church, because they were more entertaining than the meeting. I apologize for how hard I laughed when one of your youngest said to his brother "I'm going to punch you in the nose until I kill you!" with a big ol' grin on his face. I understand if you hated us for laughing the time they tried to strangle eachother with their neckties.

You see, someone said to me last night "I so enjoy sitting behind you and your little boy at church on Sundays, you keep me awake all through the service," and now I know how it feels. I wasn't judging you as a mom. The Sunday you marched all of your children out into the hall for a talk about their behavior is in my top examples of awesome moms.

Thank you for not punching me in the nose, because I understand how it feels now. Clearly, what goes around comes around

Rae

Stinky's International Incident

We attend church in a meetinghouse with two other congregations. In this building are a Samoan congregation and a Spanish congregation. I remember walking into the building the first week after moving into our new home, and falling in love with the Primary childrens' voices singing in spanish. This week, however, I wasn't feeling the love.

After I picked Stinky up from Nursery at the end of all classes, WBH had to have a brief meeting. I decided a walk would probably wear him out enough for a nap. During the time Chris was in his meeting, Stinky managed to run through the Spanish congregation's Sunday School, and not once, but twice, did he make it onto the pulpit of the chapel where the Samoan congregation was preparing to meet. Upon reaching the top of the pulpit, he let out an ear-piercing scream. Remember, this was in the chapel a space designed for acoustics. Two times, folks, count 'em.

I finally caught him and left the chapel, tears filling my eyes as I was watched with glares and snickers. I found WBH and asked for the keys. When he asked what was wrong, all I could say was "Finish your meeting. I just need to have him strapped into his car seat and a tranquilizer dart." I'm still not sure who the tranquilizer dart was for.

I just hate feeling like 'that mom' with 'that kid.'

Today has been as much of a challenge, and while it may not have been in public, it did involve doggy destruction, several bodily fluids, and a refusal to nap. I thought about taking a picture for 'wordless Wednesday,' but most wouldn't be family friendly.