Highs and Lows

High: My Maxi-Boy is the sweetest thing a mother could ask for - he loves me….literally LOVES, and LOVES, and LOVES me (and my hair). Lately he's discovered the selfie camera on my phone and will take a zillion pictures of his sweet face in about two minutes, and then say "Dats Funny!" He makes my day most of the time, and provides such a cute personality that I don't ever think I could get enough until……

 Low: Bedtime rolls around!  After discovering that he could climb out of his crib his bedtime is getting later and later (10:00-11:00) until about three days he'll crash - passed out cold at like 5:00 and sleep for the rest of the night!  AHHH!  I can't handle this crazy nighttime routine or the way it hits him like this. He still wonders into our room most nights around 4:45 in the morning and has to tangle his fingers in my hair to go back to sleep!  Not my favorite part of the morning;(

 High:  100 miles baby!!!  Sam ran his 100 mile lap last Thursday, earning his hooded sweatshirt for mileage club.  I have loved watching him push so hard each time he runs.  He usually runs about 3 miles per session, and racked up his miles quickly.  It was one of those moments as a parent when you get to see your child push so hard to achieve something, and your emotions bubble to the surface and you feel such a burst of love and pride!

Sam was not alone in his running - it always helps to have a buddy to push you along - and his friend Cooper also ran his 100 mile lap that day too!  What fun friends.

 High: Bowling as a family - fun, easy, indoors, everyone can participate… Low: trying to ignore the nasty bathroom I had to take the kids in to use and trying to lure the kids away from the vending machines and soda!

 High: Jack lost his first TOP tooth - and it's like Halloween in February!  He is such a cute kid, and he was determined to get that puppy out last night….and with a little (ok probably a lot) of help from older brother Sam, it magically came out!  He was pretty darn excited!

As is life, amongst so many highs, there is a low - and it happened yesterday.  I was picking up Olyvia and Max from a friends house, and Lyv didn't want to go and began to run down the sidewalk away from me.  I had Max, so I thought I better buckle him in his seat and then chase her down so he doesn't follow me.  I could still see Lyv as I started my chase, and as I got closer she decided to run across the road right in front of a parked car.  What she didn't see was a car coming toward her.  You can see where the horror of this story is going…. I began shouting as loud as I could for her to stop - literally begging her to stay on the sidewalk, telling her that a car was coming, and she refused to listen.  Gratefully, the car was a police officer who happened to have her window rolled down and was driving fairly slow through the neighborhood.  She heard my cry to stop and stopped just as Lyv ran out in front of her.  It was the most gut wrenching moment of my mothering - I felt completely helpless as I watched what I thought would be a horrible accident unfold.  The officer didn't say anything, she really didn't have to.  She looked at me with a look of remorse and disbelief that Lyv was okay.  She did tell Olyvia to always listen and stop, when her mom tells her to stop!

As I layed in bed replaying the event in my mind, I knew that we had been blessed.  If it had been any other vehicle, without their window rolled down, even driving 20-25 miles and hour, Lyv would have been dead or seriously injured.  I knew that she was protected, and I am forever grateful to my loving, kind Heavenly Father for keeping her safe!  I just hope that she understood the gravity of the situation and how serious it could have been.  And I hope she learns the value in listening - now and as she gets older, especially from those who love her most and want to keep her safe!