That Mom Thing

Tonight I will do that mom thing. You know, that thing where I talk about each one of my kids. That thing where I go on and on and on about them. Yeah. That thing. It's just that each one has been so delightful today and I just have to tell you all about it.

I'll start with the youngest. Actually, he's been the topic of so many of my posts that there really isn't much to say about him, except the results of our doctor's visit today: Both of Isaac's ears are infected. Again. This is the second time in a month that both ears have been infected. The doctor thinks that this is the root of all his current problems.

Nathan handed me the thermometer tonight and demanded, in his mostly-non-verbal way (by shoving the thermometer in his armpit and then handing it to me, and when I did nothing, he took it back and thrust it into his armpit until I finally got the hint), that I take his temperature. I obliged. He has a fever. Pretty high, too. I had no idea. Nathan is the kind of kid that can be in serious pain and never let me know it, because he's too busy being happy and silly and sneaky. However, now that I think about it, he has become oddly clingy the last few days. I think it might have been hard on him, all that time I spent away from him in the hospital with Isaac. Not sure. And now I find out that maybe he's sick? Well, whatever it is, I have to admit that I'm loving it. Nathan has always been perfectly satisfied to have nothing to do with me. I haven't minded, really, because I decided long ago not to take that kind of thing personally. And he's always been perfectly wonderful to me, just not real "lovey dovey". But lately he wants me to cuddle him and hold him and play with him. And, of course, every time I snuggle any of his siblings he throws a fit and demands my attention. It's all a little tricky with a sick baby... But, as I said, I'm loving it.

Blake. Oh, Blake. Blake always keeps me on my toes. While I was at Albertsons today, filling a prescription for Isaac, Blake jumped up on top of the shopping cart--you know, the great big car kind (at Albertsons they are particularly high). This is nothing new, by the way. You would laugh your head off at me if you saw me at the store, trying to balance four kids in one shopping cart. The kids are always climbing all over it. Anyway, Blake climbed to the top of this particularly high car shopping cart, slipped, and belly flopped right off and onto the floor. He must have knocked his nose pretty good too because there was blood EVERYWHERE. And believe me, I mean everywehre. And the screaming. Oh, the screaming. In the middle of an otherwise-quiet pharmacy. The best part was when I was examining his nose and mouth, both of which were perpetually gushing out blood, and I asked him where it hurt the most. He showed me his arm, which was not at all injured but WAS drenched in blood from his nose, and, since he could see the blood there, said that that was what hurt the most. Silly, silly boy. (Of course, if he could have seen his face, he would have seen that there was a LOT more blood there, so naturally THAT would have been the part that hurt the most.) All I can say is, Thank goodness for baby wipes. (I have baby wipes with me at any given moment.) And, you'll be happy to know, once the blood was cleaned up and the tears were gone, he was back to climbing all over the shopping cart, amidst MUCH scolding from his loving mother... "Don't you remember what happened LAST time you climbed up there??!!" Silly Mom.

And then there's Madeleine. Hahaha. My darling little Madeleine. She is quite anxious about our move to "Gramma Tana's" house. She's aware that I'm trying to pack for that, and tonight she decided to help me. So she cleaned out her dresser and folded everything into her blanket. Then she came in to inform me that she would need some of her toys because, "mommy, I don't think you realize that two months is a REALLY long time." I nodded in agreement. Two months IS a really long time and she should definitely think about what toys she wanted. So she very carefully went through her toys and selected a few to stuff into her blanket with her clothes. Then tonight, after she went to bed, I went through her blanket to do the REAL packing and I got such a kick out of her little treasures that meant so much to her. There were the usual dolls--Herbert in particular (a funny looking bear that my Grandma Nelda bought for her several years ago and who, for some reason, is Madeleine very bestest friend) and Genevieve of 12 Dancing Princesses fame, of course. But then there were little scraps of ribbon, a screw, an old bent valentine from her preschool teacher, an old straw from a capri sun drink, and some coupons that she'd gotten at the store. These were her TREASURES--the things that she simply can't live without while we're at Gramma Tana's. I feel like I caught a glimpse of her tiny little heart, and it is the darlingest thing in the whole world.

And now, everyone is sleeping. Sort of. It's 1:30 a.m. and I have already been summoned by Nathan twice and Isaac three times. Fortunately, I wasn't sleeping anyway. Too much to do. Not that I'm DOING any of it--I'm just unable to sleep because I'm THINKING about doing it.

And now, hopefully, I will go back to my usual state of thoughtlessness and get some sleep!