Thank Goodness For The Good Days

Sometimes, our family really REALLY needs a good day together to remind us that we all love each other and are happy to be in this little family. We've been working around a variety of illnesses lately that have left one (or many) of us grumpy, irritable, and a little hard to live with. So yesterday morning when all of us seemed to be in good health and plucky spirits, we declared it a Grand Pirate Adventure day.

After breakfast, we fashioned our pirate alter egos: Rattlesnake Rudy, Jabbin' Julia, Despicable Daddy, and Mending Mommy (I was in charge of fixing whatever needed fixing on the pirate ship or whatever). We thoroughly enjoyed our morning working in the yard and periodically waging vicious pirate war on unsuspecting ships...although there was that time when, according to Rattlesnake Rudy, it took 'FOREVER' to 'swab the deck' (aka tidy the porch). Sigh. Even pirates have chores, you know. 

We planned to explore Pirate Island, a pirate themed equivalent to Chuck E Cheese in our area, for lunch. The food was mediocre, but the atmosphere rocked. Rudy had a blast exploring the different dining nooks, some of which were decorated to look like treasure filled caves. Even our visit to the bathroom was adventurous, leading us through a 'creepy tunnel' before releasing us to the loo. Rudy swaggered through the tunnel, brandishing his tinker toy sword with heroic courage, entering the loo with the cocky confidence of a full blown pirate captain. 

And then we were face to face with automatic flushing toilets. 

Suddenly, the cocky captain of a few minutes ago was gone, and a terrified 3 year old, pants around his ankles, was retreating out of the stall with amazing speed and agility, exclaiming, "Lets just get outta here!!!" Let me tell you, it was hard to respect his true terror and not bust out laughing at the hilarity of the moment. :)

After gathering his wits (and pants) about him, Rattlesnake Rudy was once again ready for action, and he spent the rest of the outing fighting off 'bad' pirates, rescuing maidens, and taking an occasional bite of bread stick to gratify his crew members.

Sigh. A day playing together as a family while still getting lots of 'chores' knocked out was just what we needed. What a blessing to get a chance to remember how fun having a family is. All the work and sacrifice is really worth it, isn't it?

Independence Day

Rudy taking a 'heroic' pose and showing his muscles in his skivvies.

On July 4th, Rudy declared independence from diapers. Boom, baby!!! Some of you may know how totally anxious I was about the whole potty training thing. We'd had several false starts over the last 18 months or so.  I was really hesitant about trying again, but also feeling really tied in knots about the fact that my 3 1/2 year old was still wearing diapers.
With some firmish 'nudging' from my lovely husband, I agreed to go cold turkey and simply tell Rudy that when his last diaper from the box was used up, we wouldn't be buying anymore, ever, and he would be wearing underwear from that time hence. I was surprised at how easily he took to the idea. Maybe the fact that we agreed to use the first $50 we saved in diaper money to purchase the ever longed for electric train set helped. :)
Within 3 days, Rudy was pretty much independent in his toileting skills. It was really no sweat, and kind of a non-issue for Rudy. None of this "look at me, I'm a big boy now" stuff. Just a switch of where his does his thing. Maybe some day I'll figure out that transitions are just a part of life and nothing to be fretted and stewed over for weeks/days before they occur. Maybe. ;)

Ode to Daddy

This post is a good month late. I've been putting it off trying to get a video we took on Father's Day to load, but I'm finally throwing in the towel and dropping the video idea. I don't want to miss lauding my excellent husband.  

See those two kiddos up there? They LOVE their Daddy, and he loves them. Jason  gets what being a Daddy is all about. He gets that dropping everything and chasing after a 'mean guy' with his 3 year old is sometimes the absolute most important thing he could do. He gets that rules and limits are important to hold...and sometimes important to bend. He gets how to help owies feel better, how to ease fears, how to coax belly laughs out of a grumpy baby. He gets that KNOWING his children takes time, attention, and earnest desire. And he gives all that to his fathering, to his children, to his wife. Sure, sometimes I have to remind myself that it's OK if Jason does things a bit differently while he's fathering than I do when I'm mothering, but in the grand picture, it's a joy to parent with him. 

Thank you, Jason, for putting everything you have into this little family. It shows. :)

Oh-Rudy made that Father's Day crown for Jason. Well, he designed it at least-chose the material and shape, directing me what to write where and what not. He was pretty proud of it. 

If only...

If only a full kitchen sink could always look this cute. 

"Can you just protect me?"

Jason and Rudy are forever playing rough and tumble games, usually involving a villain like an ogre or other such monster. When Jason's got Rudy hopelessly captured, he'll scream out "Save me!" and I'll use my "zap finger" to freeze or otherwise incapacitate his captor so Rudy can escape to fight another day. Often the story line will shift to the monster trying to get me or Julia and Rudy throwing himself between us and danger, valiantly declaring, "I'll protect you!" and then waving the magic wrench or whatever super powered weapon he's got that day at the foe to scare him away.

My little super hero has been pretty miserably sick lately. Wednesday night, he was up coughing and feverish most of the night. 

I'd exhausted all the remedies I know. We'd been to the doctor the day before, and I'd followed all his suggestions in helping my little guy weather through this illness. But it wasn't enough. He was still getting totally pounded by his cold. Around 6 am, completely exhausted, he lay his little feverish head on my lap and whispered, "Can you just protect me?"

I cradled him in my arms and did the last thing I could think of. I prayed. I told God about how I'd done everything I could think of to help my son, and how he still hurts and how badly he needed to be able to rest. I pleaded with God to comfort my son, to help him be able to sleep. Then I kissed Rudy and wished him sweet dreams as he snuggled into his pillow and closed his eyes. 

Rudy slept for 3 1/2 hours and woke with his fever under control. He was not miraculously healed, but he was comforted, and so was I. I know God lives. He knows and loves me and my little family. That's better than any magic weapon or zap finger. That's real power, and I'm so grateful to be blessed with God's love and light as I fumble my way through raising a family.