Emergencies

"Today, I will not have any emergencies. There are no emergencies!" -Ann Voskamp

First trip to the ER: We were having a calm morning (I realize that calm is a relative word... most of you would probably not consider our kind of calm to be your definition of the word!). I had gotten in a work out and a shower and was drying my hair while the boys were calmly playing together (I must admit that we were a bit out of routine this particular morning... I normally try to have all of the above done before my boys' feet first hit the floor in the morning! So maybe they were lacking a little parental attention) when Wyatt comes running into the bathroom screaming that Isaac hit him with a toy. Sure enough, blood dripping down the one side of Wy's face, was a pretty deep (small, but deep) battle wound. Well, the Lord in his Providence had provided me a way out... My sister was already planning to come over for a play date, so I was able to leave Isaac and Micah to take just Wy guy to the ER. Wyatt was all about the experience at the hospital while he got to watch TV in a treehouse and play with the ipad.... but it was another story once the doctor came in with gloves and a silver tray of tools. FREAK OUT!!! They had Wyatt wrapped like a mummy and a nurse's body weight pinning him down just to keep him somewhat controlled while (luckily) able to glue the wound...

Wyatt graciously reminded Isaac over and over and over the rest of the day that he was very disappointed in Isaac's behavior. About 24 hrs later right before we were supposed to be eating dinner and preparing to leave for small group, Wyatt decided to shove Isaac into the corner of a table. Now who is disappointed? All day long it seems that we talk about not repaying evil with evil, but boys will be boys... Now Isaac is screaming (and this boy is TOUGH, I tell ya) at the top of his lungs and won't even take a sucker to make the pain subside (that's when you know Ike is really hurt... he does not pass up candy). The pictures do not do it justice, he had a HUGE goose egg on his forehead. I can hardly stand to see my boys hurt! This is one time that I can feel my blood boiling...

A couple of days later Isaac got a very big, fat, bloody lip from jumping on Wyatt's bed and landing his mouth on the headboard. Ugh.... I can totally handle blood and guts UNLESS it involves my children, then I'm as squeamish as a little girl! Oh, and I've got to throw in the frog story. I thought I had caught a great deal by using $5 coupons at Hallmark that were about to expire toward 6 cute, little frogs for Christmas. (Note to self...when you buy living things prior to Christmas, you have to care for these living things until you gift them.) I came home with a cardboard box and went straight to my bathroom. Apparently Wyatt was curious.... something about an old cardboard box that in his mind must have read "There's something in there for me.... I can't wait for Christmas!" While I was unloading other things out of the car, my little help disappeared... right up to my bathroom. We crossed paths in the upstairs hallway and he had a look on his face that cause me to RUN to the bathroom.............. Much to my dismay, there were 3 overtuned frog tanks and 6 baby frogs bouncing all over my bathroom. Oh my! I screamed.... a squeamish little girl scream. I don't handle frogs in my bathroom well. Thankfully, Joe rushed in to the rescue of these frogs! There should have been a recording, it makes me laugh out loud to now replay the scenario in my mind. What a day and what a way to start out the Christmas season.... there's more to this story but I stop there!

Wyatt and Ellie finished the week with a little painting party--body, hair, tables, etc...anything but the paper they were supposed to be painting. I guess that's what you get for leaving 2, 3-year-olds alone with paintbrushes.... their creativity ran a bit wild! : ) But they were pretty stinkin' cute and very proud of their artwork!

I had been praying through a list of 10 points for joyful parenting and got stuck on #3 (the quote at the top of this post) during this very 'eventful' week. I don't know much about this author, but must initially wonder if she has boys?!! There seem to be many emergencies in our world. None that have been life-threatening, so I guess they haven't actually been real emergencies, but they were enough to get this momma's heart pumping! However, this quote has caused me to take time to stop and reflect on my responses during these sudden, unexpected events ........ am I able to rest and abide in the Sovereign One, even during the emergencies of life? He is Providence. And I'm thankful for all of the little ways he kindly and mercifully provided and cared for us during this events that seemed like emergencies to me.... all while being sifted through his very hands...under His control!