Counter Surfer

I don't know what has gotten into this dog, but since we moved to Kansas City, she thinks she owns the joint.  When we lived in Texas, I remember laughing when I would look at our security cameras and see her sneak on the couch....where she was not allowed when I was home.  She was a dog and she knew it.  Something happened between latitudes.  She owns the furniture and of late, we have been finding wrappers around the house.  Bread wrappers, bun wrappers, chip bags....what the what?  Nothing is safe.

On Friday, I made biscuits for the boys and left them warm on the counter while I took JLS to school.  This roundtrip to school would take at the very maximum 15 minutes, if not less. When I returned home, the 5 hot biscuits were gone and the glass dish was unmoved and unscathed, but with not one biscuit remaining.

The guilty party was found in carb overload flopped on the living room couch, because she thinks its her spot to be, sacked out.  I am not sure if there is a screw loose, but I have started to question if she gets anxiety when we leave her alone in the house.  I mean Ollie is there to take care of her but....

The guilty party always seems to have a way of making themselves known.  She used to be a lean, mean, racing machine.  Now she is nothing but a counter surfer who feasts on biscuits, buns, loaves of bread, chips.  All food must be protected, not from the kids, but from the dog!

All Those Prayers

I really REALLY want to get back to blogging. I love going back and reading my stories about the boys when they were little. So many nuggets that I had forgotten and WOULD be forgotten had I not written them down.  My intention was to re-engage for 2020.  So.  I am giving it my best shot.  This school year has eaten my lunch.  This is the first time we are at 3 schools with 3 start times and end times.  Our schedule is just nuts.  Plus, I have started doing some PRN work as an OT, loving it as well.  Juggling my own work, especially when my kids have never known me to work has been really difficult.  We aren't a family set up for mom to work because its so inconsistent.  The flexibility is what I love most about my job and the fact that I can make an eternal impact on my sweet patients makes my world go round.  I have had more God Moments this year with my patients than I think ever before.  The Lord has brought patients to me and I am certain of it.  I have had more patients with first time ostomies than in my entire career.  I had one gentleman struggling with a wound vac, another with Crohns.  I know that these people are put in my path if not for anything but an encouraging word.  I love being able to share my experience in an effort to help them any way I can.  Ostomies suck.  Wound vacs suck. Crohns sucks.  But I am here to show that there is another side.  You CAN be healed and you can live a normal life during and after illness.

My precious WHS is who I cling to on hard days.  I now know why there is "Third Child Syndrome."  When JBS or JLS are being "teenagers", I know that I can always go snuggle with WHS and he will snuggle back with a smile and love every moment of the time he spends with me.  At 10, JBS was expected to do so much more than WHS as the oldest boy.  Now, WHS is my baby and I cling to every moment of childhood with him I can.  He is always happy, always even and the best little caboose of the family I could ask for.

After teacher conference a few months ago I told WHS all the positive things his teacher said about him. She said he was smart.  She said he was a great leader.  He was teachable, responsible.  She said all those "trigger" words you want to hear about your child and for someone else to see the same.  

When I spoke to WHS, I said, “I’m really proud of you for lots of reasons but mostly because she said you were a really good leader.” We talk often about how leaders can be good leaders or bad leaders steering people to do right or wrong. Without missing a beat he said, “Well that must be because of all those prayers you’ve said.” 😝❤️🙏🏻Be still my heart. 

Of all the things I’ve screwed up, questioned, debated, and held my breath thru with my boys,  there’s one thing I’ve done that’s worked out well: PRAYER for my kiddos. 

I am so grateful that at 16, 13 and 10, all 3 boys still ask for me to tuck them in, say prayers and snuggle before they go to bed at night.  Those moments.  The lights go out and the mouths go open.  Those sweet moments are the best time of the day and make all the other "crazy" in our lives worth it.  Love them so much.