Every Other Year

I have yet to make it one complete year blogging.  My two previous attempts were in 2009 and 2011.  It appears, then, that every other year I make this attempt.  Writing is still very much something I want to do.  However, it all too often takes a back seat to family life and household upkeep. 

Yes, I know all that about needing to take time for myself, keeping up my own interests as a person not just a mom, and having to make it a priority.  But sometimes that just isn’t practical.  The changes of the past couple of years – including a child in school all day and a pregnancy then a newborn – have wiped me out.  It's not just in lack of free time and sleep but also in mental energy needed to put scattered thoughts into coherent writing: whether blog posts, emails, letters, or fiction.

I’ve learned something from each of my past two blogging attempts – first that I need a plan, second that I when I get excited and feel well I try to do too much and then can’t sustain it.  So, it’s 2013 and things seem to be easing up a tiny bit in my life (for now) allowing me some thinking space, and I have a modest plan that I intend to strictly adhere to.  Attempt #3 is under way…

How Math Got Us Lost, and other adventures at the doctor's office

My son recently turned 9 months old so we had his well-child checkup.  7 year old had the day off school so I packed all three kiddoes in the car and set off.  Later than I had planned, of course, but having planned to leave early it wasn’t too terrible.  I didn’t make the wrong turn I had last time we went and traffic was lighter so we were on track to actually get there early.

Naturally curious, 7 year old daughter thought to ask what it would be like if we all gave our ages in months.  So I set about to do the math in my head -  newly 7 year old was 85 months old, almost 4 year old was 46 months old, mom – 30 something – came out at an impressive (to 7 year old) 400 months even.

“Really? I thought you’d be a hundred or less!”
“Dear, you were right around 100.”
“I was?!”
“You were 85.”

Excitedly continuing in that vein, she asked what it would be like in days. “Well, 365 days per year, plus one extra for each leap year and however many since your last birthday,” I said.  Now curious myself I had mentally gotten through 7 year old being 2,591 days old and was trying to figure out the best way to mentally get almost 4 year old’s day age when I realized I had been so focused I missed my turn.  It seems we can’t go to the doctor’s office lately without going the wrong way first.

With minutes to spare – because the clinic clock is faster than mine – we made it in the door.  And I realized I had left the diaper bag in the car.  Going back to the car with three kids is not quick, but we did it anyway, got back in and had made it on the dot.

The adventure continued in the appointment.  Even with three kids our appointments are typically blessedly boring.  But little boy had started coughing the previous morning, becoming progressively hoarse throughout the day, and he registered a temperature of 101 at the appointment.  When the doctor heard him she said he sounded croupy, but she needed him to be irritated so he would cough.  Just then he coughed and she laughed saying it was, “Classic croup.”  So that was figured out, without an extra trip.

She continued the checkup finally examining his mouth.  She noted the four top teeth all half way in then mentioned the two on bottom.  I pointed out those had been there a few months, but she said she meant the two new ones on either side of the old two.

All told, within the space of a month, my infant son has had a cold, which may have coincided with four teeth starting to come in, and now has croup along with two more teeth coming in, with the first four not all the way in yet.  However, he still manages to be cheerful, laugh, and wants to be constantly on the go and into things like nothing else is going on.

(And if you are curious: almost 4 year old’s day age then was about 1,390; mom’s was about 12,159)

How about you?  Any related stories to share: doctor visits...getting lost...math problems?  Surely I'm not the only math geek here... ;)

Not Even Life

Life is hard right now.  Please forgive me for saying so.  There are people facing much bigger, more drastic, more difficult situations than I am.  Mine is a small hard; the hard of never ending to do lists and days that never seem to go the way I plan; of being frustrated with myself and what I perceive as my weaknesses.

The past few months I’ve been able to say, “Life is hard, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good.”  Still, some days the hard is louder than the good.  These are the days I have to talk and pray myself out of bed.  A song came to mind as I was praying this morning, “And neither life nor death shall separate us from the love of God.”  Neither life nor death.  I have heard that verse often but never particularly thought about the “life” part.  It’s from Romans 8:38,39 – that list of things none of which, “shall be able to separate us from the love of God.”

Life.  The chaos, struggle, bad days, craziness. 
Life.  The difficulties, trials, problems, temptations. 
Life.  The calm, successes, good days, peace. 
Life.  The blessings, gifts, joys, overcoming. 

All of that and none of it can keep God’s love from us.

Hallelujah.  Thank you, Lord!

Any of life hard for you lately?  May I pray for you? Any encouragements that have come up in the midst of life you’d like to share?