Managing My Own Attitude

Follow up to my previous post....

While I can't control other peoples thoughts, I can manage mine. I guess I need to pray about keeping my own attitudes in check. Pray for ways to help my husband. Pray that I let all of those other things melt away.

Mishapen

I NEED to begin training! Even if I don't actually sign up for a race, regular movement has such a powerful impact on my stress threshold.

This evening I went to the gym. I did a spin class. It was incredibly apparent how out of shape I am. Crazy how quickly a person can loose their fitness level. I have swam a few times over the past two months. Each time I climbed in the pool I expected to sink to the bottom. Thankfully that did not happen. =) I was still able to complete a very slow 1500 yard work out. At least I can still get by.

I love swimming. When I die, there had better be some really great lakes in heaven! he he he Although I suppose in heaven there wouldn't be the need to seek out that special serenity I seem to find during a long swim.

Love Is In The Air - Crush Revealed

Today was Luke's Valentines Day party at school. He was very interested in the princess Valentine that came from Emma W. (there are two Emma's in his class) I asked him if Emma was a good friend. He said 'Oh yes'. She is the best girl at school. He went on to say he loves Emma. If Emma W. and him grow up at the same time they could 'have a marry'. He said 'I will ask her if she would live with me for the rest of our life. Emma and me love each other so much'.


I had to keep a straight face. My son has a crush. What a sweet revelation. I am honored that he would confide his feelings without any hesitation. Now that is the best kind of Valentines Day present!

Octuplet Mom

All I can say is wow. When the news first broke that there was a women who gave birth to octuplets at thirty weeks I couldn't helpt but think, what a miracle! That seems like a long gestational age for so many babies. Then the story began to unfold. She was single, had six other children, unemployed and as suspected, had medical assistance to achieve this pregnancy. Another wow, okay hmmmm. I hoped that maybe she was independently wealthy or perhaps she had some sort of supernatural support outside her family unit. I cringed everytime I heard people bashing her or some nosey journalist uncovering some 'juicy' detail about her life.

Then I saw the interview on Dateline. While I attempt to reserve judgement, truthfully my heart aches for those beautiful children. The mother appears to be dilusional. The lack of reality can only be the result of some sort of mental illenss. I seriously wonder how long it will take before social services steps in.

Now people are up in arms about the fact that the state of California will probably be footing the bill for the medical care of those babies. While I am not crazy about this fact either, shouldn't we be taking a step back? She isn't the only one whose baby is receiving free medical care. I don't know the statistics but, I wonder how many OTHER premature babies born in the state of California are done so on tax payers dime. It HAS be more than eight. No one is screaming about that?

I am in no way defending this mothers poor choices. But I do think that public condemnation will never benefit those fourteen precious lives. Whats done is done. I pray we begin to hear less trashing of this mother. Her situation has brought many important topics to light. I hope we begin to hear healthy debate surrounding obsessive mental illnesses and ethics behind these types of fertility treatments. Most importantly I pray we hear more about how we should handle the huge population of people who seem to care very little about the impact their decisions have on the rest of the world.

Follow Up

Praise, Traci's surgery was a success. The doctors removed all the cancer and took one lymph node. She was able to leave the hospital the same day. At last check her pain was under control. Now the rescontruction process can begin.

Oblivious

Our children are oblivious to the fact that we can hear every giggle, every foot step, and every motion coming from their rooms!! Their rebellion is filled with such innocence and sincerity. Sneak around? What's that? I love that they don't understand what it means to be sneaky.

Lately there have been issues at bedtime. Wyatt will escape into Luke's room to play. I can hear the laughter coming from upstairs. I know whats going on. Yet I pause. I don't rush to break up the fun. I have to admit that hearing their joyful noises (even if its in disobedience) makes me smile.

Eventually I trudge upstairs and put on the stern Mommy face. I love how surprised they are at being caught! =) Wyatt gives me the wide eyed, UH OH look and Luke hides under the covers. Wyatt RUNS to his room. I supress my snicker and secure the babies back in bed.

Wyatt and the Hot Dog

We took the boys to the train museum yesterday. Got to love free admission! After our jaunt through the museum, we picked up hot dogs for the kids. Jeff ordered those really awful concession stand nachos. You know the ones...they usually consist of some sort of processed cheese product, topped with soggy jalapenos lying on a bed stale tortilla chips. Scrumptious. The hot dog man was feeling generous and gave Jeff extra cheese. Our curious Wyatt started dipping his dog in the cheesy goodness as if that's what it was there for all along! Not really a big deal but the sequence of pictures from his cheese experiment had us laughing.

Two. What a fun and challenging age.

Why Blog? Today's Thoughts

I am not quite sure why I am blogging! I want to write. I know that much. What do I want to write about? Well, honestly I am not sure. At this point I figure its a way to express thoughts, ideas and life's daily happenings. After that, who knows.

Thoughts for today rest with my friend Traci. She is going in for a double mastectomy on Saturday. We have all been praying for her for three months. I find it surprising how deeply someone else's hardship can touch others. For me it was a profound sense of sadness. I cried for an entire day about how unfair it felt that this was happening to her. Not only is she loosing an important part of her womanhood but her ability to reproduce. Traci wanted so badly to have a sibling for N. After her surgery she will not have to undergo chemo but, she will have to take drugs that will put her into early menopause. My sadness for her is over the loss of hope. The dream of carrying a child in her womb. Nursing that child to health and happiness. Watching that baby grow and learn. Interact with with it's big brother.

I pray her surgery goes well. I pray the Lord is with the doctors and nurses. I pray that He not only restores her body but also any parts of her spirit that may feel broken. I pray that if she feels her family should still grow, that the Lord reveal His will to her.