Sammy the Brave

Sigh....it's been a long month, give or take a week or two.  The days have run together in my mind.  I still kind of don't know what day it is. 

A while ago we all came down with and recovered from some god forsaken respiratory flu. 

But Sam just couldn't shake his.  His fevers continued to bounce back over a month's time and, after three trips to our pediatrician (and so many missed days of school), his doctor was finally concerned enough to do a chest x-ray and some blood work.  Lo and behold, even though his lungs sounded just fine at every appointment, he had pneumonia. 

My poor boy.  I love our pediatrician, but I could have slugged her for not being more proactive.  My normally happy and healthy boy had deteriorated over the course of a few weeks as his body tried valiantly to fight this persistent virus off alone. He was a trooper, but it was awful to not have answers for so long.  This was more or less easily remedied once they figured it out, but it made me think about families who are dealing with truly life-threatening illnesses.  Their anguish and exhaustion is unimaginable to me and, especially after this ordeal, they will remain in my prayers. 

He was excited about the x-ray.  He thought something might go awry with the equipment and he'd become a superhero like Hulk or Spiderman. :)

The blood work...not so much.  They had to stick him a few times in both arms.  But with a little distraction from me, the promise of camouflage bandages, and his utmost bravery, he didn't shed a tear. 

This last photo was from just a few days ago when, after being on a very high dose of antibiotics for over a week, he broke out in a terrible rash everywhere...I mean everywhere.  Ends up he's not allergic to the medicine, just sensitive to it.  Today is his last dose and we are all very glad to be rid of this terrible miserable no good crud!

One positive thing came out of this mess.  Sam stopped sucking his thumb!  We've been talking to him about it for some time, but I think the fact that he was so miserable and isolated for so long drove home that his thumb is a squishy little vehicle for nasty germs to ride into his body.  It's been over a week now with no thumb sucking and he said this morning that it's getting easier every day.

Yippee! 

He amazes (and exacerbates...but mostly amazes) me every day, my brave Sammy boy. 

The Power and Presence of Love

Sitting in downtown traffic on my way home from work Monday evening, I saw an old man running down Broad Street with a bunch of roses in his hands.

He had a big beautiful smile

on his wrinkled weathered face.

Slightly behind and beside him was a man I recognized from work directing the smiling fellow: right hand on the old man's sloped shoulder, left pointing down Broad Street toward Fourth.  He too wore a smile, the same wonderful smile the old man wore. 

I watched as they parted ways and wished each other well.  The old man, clutching his bouquet of red roses, jogged across Fourth Street and joined a small crowd of people at another crosswalk.  Frowning faces buried in their iPhones, the group nearly missed this sweet man so full of joy, so alive with anticipation of a special moment, so present.  A reunion of some kind maybe?  A surprise date with his wife?  Dinner with a grandchild?  Birth of a great-grandchild?  The obvious rush of love this old man had for whomever he was meeting was almost lost in the sea of distracted worn down people of this city. 

But then he put his hand on the shoulder of the young man standing next to him, who started defensively until he met the old guy's eyes.  And wouldn't you know that young guy started smiling too.  I don't think he could help himself.  Soon everyone else in this little gathering of world-weary pedestrians shifted their collective focus from their phones to this smiling happy old man.  Smiles began tugging at the corners of their mouths as they looked around apprehensively at each other. Their unease quickly melted away replaced by laughter, followed by the shaking of hands and the well-wishing slapping of shoulders...

Strangers to each other.  But every man recognizes the goodness of love when they see it.  And that old man was oozing it.

His smile, his excitement, his touch, his love - it changed these people for a moment. 

Connected them.  Elevated them. 

It was a precious moment caught accidently while stuck in traffic.  A reminder to be present in all things, because I'll never know when another opportunity to be connected or elevated by someone...or an opportunity for me to connect or elevate someone else might arise if I don't take the time look around. 

Lena's 5!

My sweet, spirited, stubborn, independent, smart, nurturing, funny little girl turned 5 last week. 

I can't think about it too much or I'll start crying again. 

Too late...

We celebrated her actual birthday with a few of her favorite things: First was a trip to Starbucks for chocolate milk and a scone.  Then we headed to Half Price Books where she found a couple of books she couldn't live without.  After we had browsed for awhile, she started looking for books her brother might like.  I told her that today was her special day and that I wasn't planning on buying books for Sam.  She looked down at the two books she had found for herself and said she would put one back so we could get a book for Sam too.  Well, my heart just broke for her love for her brother, so of course I got her both of her books and one for Sammy.  I love that my kids always think of each other.

 

Then I dropped her off at Rich's office for lunch and an afternoon with Daddy (while I attended her parents-only preschool orientation).  The Fashion Meets Music Festival was gearing up downtown, so there were street vendors and rides everywhere, which she thought was awesome!  I think it worked out to be a very special day for her. 



 

 

 

That night I cooked her requested meal for dinner and she opened a couple of presents.  A low key but special day. 

We talked about doing more of the low key special birthdays and less of the big 20 person parties from now on; reserving the bigger parties for milestone birthdays.  The parties are so much fun and special in their own way, but they just seem a little overkill to keep doing every year.

Let's be real...some of our motivation is selfish.  It's a lot of extra work and expense for Rich and I to throw these parties.  But most of our motivation is the expectation of excess.  It seems extreme for our kids to get so much for their birthdays when so many kids get nothing.  It seems out of balance with what we're trying to teach our kids about the world and their place in it.  We want them to know that they're special and unique and loved and cherished, especially on their birthdays.  We just think there are better ways to do that than grooming inflated expectations.

But this year was a milestone for Lena - 5 years old!!  So we had her big birthday party this weekend with her friends and family.  She chose to have another beach themed birthday party (same as last year), so out came the beach balls and limbo pole and swimming pools and hula skirts.  Good times.

 

It was storming most of the day, so the majority of this beach party was indoors.  No matter.  Rich played Marco Polo, limbo and a giant beach ball game with the kids in the basement, then upstairs for sand pudding, beachy snacks and presents.

As the party was wrapping up, the rain stopped long enough for the kids to move outside, so they got to splish splash (just like the invitation promised) after all! 

 

My sweet girl.  Slow down...it's moving too fast.

 

The Thirty Second Blessing

At church yesterday Pastor Amy preached about the dreams we have for our kids...and the worries and powerlessness we can sometimes (always) feel as parents sending them out into the world. 

Oy.

It was a very timely message since my Sam is now in school every day all day.  And my little Lena is starting her second year of preschool very soon.  I'm a neurotic worried emotional mess. 

They're happy as little clams, excited about their new adventures and showing no signs of anxiety or apprehension.  Which thrills me.  So I keep my worries to myself and, in addition to making sure they know what's expected of them, we cheer them on and make sure they feel our unconditional love and support.

But my worries remain.

Yesterday Pastor Amy offered a genius way to deal with that sense of powerlessness.  She blesses her kids each morning before they leave the house.  In the midst of their crazy morning rush, her family takes 30 seconds to be still and stand together while she puts her hands on their precious little heads and says,

"God bless your heads, your hearts and your hands today.  I love you."

Bam.  That's it.  Who doesn't have 30 seconds?

It centers everyone just for the slightest moment before everyone's days begin.  It helps us parents feel like we're doing something proactive to help our kids by asking God to bless and protect them.  And hopefully our kids become more aware of their thoughts and words and deeds on a daily basis, a gentle reminder that those things matter. 

Of course in the midst of our crazy morning rush, I forgot to bless them today...

Fail. 

But I'm integrating this into our morning routine.  It seems such a simple thing, but as it is with life, sometimes the simplest things matter the most. 

So wise, Pastor Amy.  You should preach more often!

Life Lately

Rich and his beautiful built-ins.  He.  Is.  Amazing.

 

Here are some progress photos...

 

 

 

And the finished product. The middle is being reserved for a large flat screen, but it will take a while to save up for that:)  We plan to put one of Rich's pallet creations up there in the meantime so it doesn't look so bare, but even bare it's still so lovely.  And it's incredible how much taller and wider the whole thing makes the room seem.  Love it.  Love Rich.  Love his mad skills.

Night out with my girls.

 

A peaceful day at home...

Our last days volunteering with Westerville Area Resource Ministry (WARM).

 

 

 

 

Quick road trip down to see my Jen.  Here we are at the very surreal and very cool Buddhist monastery nestled in the middle of nowhere in the tiny South Carolina town where Jen lives.  

Ever dutiful, Jen had to work one day I was there due to the crazy amount of rain that had fallen.  Stormwater and erosion inspections rest for no man.

Why is it so difficult to decorate a hutch with anything other than plates (not my style) or books (my style, but they've been relocated to our amazing new built-ins)...here's my first attempt (of what I assume will be many).

Daddy dance party!