Mother's Mistakes: our favorite stories!

 "Tell us the story about when you ordered socks you thought were all the same, but they had different colored stripes!"

The boys were matching socks and making conversation.

It's a Very Boring Story, really, and their request pretty much tells everything there is to tell.

So instead of retelling the story they had already told, I said, "You want that one, or the one about when I ordered tiny shoes?"

They LAUGHED and said, "We like them both!"

I didn't actually tell it, because they remember better than I do, that in a Mom Moment of "I'll save some time and quick order these online," I failed to realize I was ordering infant sizes instead of youth.

It was a rough equivalent of some of the shortcuts I suggested on road trips, that I DON'T recommend you ask my mom or brother about.

In other words, it saved no time.

Instead of telling the story, I just told my boys, "You just like hearing about my mistakes!"

"Yes! We LOVE hearing about other people's mistakes!"

Me too.

I prefer to live the good, uneventful days (now I'm sounding like my mom!), but generally speaking, good days make really boring stories.

It somehow gives me courage to hear how others navigate unexpected, self-created obstacles.

There's something life-giving about someone being honest enough to own up to their own mistakes and make a good story out of it. My dad was like that. He could laugh at his own mistakes.

I want to pass that Life Skill on to my children.

Meanwhile, I'm off to other adventures, in which I hope to have a Really Good Day Worth Telling About!

Of Shuttle Services, Guarded Parts, and My Own Heart

 

Part 1: Shuttle Service

One part of motherhood that I majorly underestimated was the time and effort allotted to Shuttle Service.

There are the routine things: classes, piano lessons, church.

Then there are doctor appointments, dentist appointments, chiropractic appointments, and immunization appointments.

Add some special needs in there, and you get therapy appointments and more appointments.

Stuck in between all the everything, you get grocery store and merchandise purchasing runs.

So one of my full-time jobs is Shuttle Service Coordinator. Usually I also fill in as driver.

Another fun part of this job description is keeping track of the names, birthdays, and insurance cards for each child. I don't know why, but since I'm multiplying this mental task x 4, I've been scrambling their birth dates. Right day, wrong year, etc. It makes me feel, right up front, like I'm losing it. Thankfully, we have many gracious people in our lives, and they never make me feel too incompetent or stupid.

Part 2: The Guarded Parts

One reason I currently feel especially busy in the Shuttle Service department is that two weeks ago, we had upper respiratory and double ear infections x4. We were fortunate to get 3 kids in to be seen at our Dr's office for same-day appointments. The other kid came down with symptoms the next day, and they ordered meds based on symptoms and asked us to bring him in with Baby for a recheck in two weeks.

Fast forward to today.

He loved watching while Baby Sister was being examined.

But when it was his turn?

"Why are you curled up under the chair?"

[Came up to whisper in my ear] "Because I don't want her to look in this ear, because of That Pain."

After some struggles and obstacles which I shall not describe in detail, he let her look. 

The infection was gone, but still some fluid build-up, causing the discomfort.

Part 3: My own heart

Walking with my son through his appointment helped me see one of my tendencies. If there's a part I find myself really guarding, it may be just the part that NEEDS to be looked at, so the problem can be located, named, and addressed in ways that lead to healing. 

Also, I have to trust the person(s) I have help me.

Also, it's more fun to watch my sister being examined.

The End