Little Moments that Steal the Heart

I've recently had a string of days that were high stress. There were moments I thought my brain would crack if I heard one more screaming toddler. They seemed to come in one constant wave with no reprieve in sight. Calgon was desperately needed in my house. During times like these it's inevitable that one of the kids will do something that makes me pause long enough to see past the noise and insanity to the blessing. Several nights ago, one such pause caught me by surprise and melted my stress away.

My 20 month-old daughter was running around the living room screaming, while her twin brother did the same. They were wound tight and it was close to bed time. To say I was ready for five minutes to myself was a gross understatement. In what for that day seemed a rare moment of silence, they both stopped screaming long enough for me to hear one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard - the sound of my daughter's diaper swishing as she ran through the living room. The innocence of that sound penetrated me; it created an instant calm in my heart.  In spite of all the continued noise, I sat in peace and took in the scene unfolding in front of me. 

Moments later, my son came barreling into the living room and launched himself into my arms.  Leaning into me to lay his head on my lap, he wrapped his little arms as far as he could around my hips.  I bent over to lay my head on top of his and soak up all his love I could.  With my ear so close, I was able to hear the squeaking sound of his pacifier as he set about soothing himself in his nightly ritual.

Shortly afterward, the kids were in bed, leaving me with quiet time to reflect.  I know it won’t be long before these days are gone.  Years are going to pass in a flash and I’ll long for this day again.  Days of diapers and pacifiers are so brief, and in lieu of focusing on the stress, I choose instead to keep my eyes and ears trained for moments like these that I can store away in my heart and in my writings, that I might bring them back out one day when the kids are grown.  First, as a reminder of the many times they stole my heart; second, to be grateful to God for giving me the grace while they were little to recognize these moments in the first place.

The Doppler Effect of “No”

A few mornings ago I was sitting on the kitchen floor with my kids having breakfast.  (Suddenly that seems like something I never would have done as a kid myself.)  Yes, we were throwing etiquette out the window to enjoy our oatmeal and blueberries. 

We were all clearly loving every minute of it, as my son rested peacefully in my lap while my daughter danced playfully beside us.  She was somehow excitedly running in place and dancing simultaneously.  Perhaps she’ll be a famous choreographer one day.  Feeding her was quite a challenge since her mouth was a moving target.  With each bite, she would slow down just long enough for me to get the spoon in her mouth, then she’d be off again doing her unique jig.

Our collective euphoria was making for a beautiful morning, when our bliss was suddenly interrupted by the approaching whine of what sounded like a prop plane.  “Nrrrrrrrr…”  We could hear the Doppler effect as the plane flew away from the house.  Following a stunned moment of silence, my 20 month-old daughter ran to the door and peered up at the sky.  With eyes wide and raised eyebrows she looked several times at me and pointed toward the sky.  After a few moments, she returned to my side and as if to explain the whole situation to me, raised her hand into the air.  With a sweeping motion of her hand above her head, she let out, complete with her own fading Doppler effect, a loud, “Noooooooooooooo…”.  I live for memories like those…  

Echolocation

I’ve always said that one of the reasons I married my husband is because he makes me laugh.  Most people don’t readily believe me when I say how funny he is because they haven’t seen the witty side of him.  Thankfully he reserves that part of himself for those he knows and loves best.  It makes me feel very special that he shares it with me.  On occasion, his wit is so sharp that it would be unfair of me not to share it with the world.  Last night was one such occasion…

We had been in the bathroom preparing for bed and chatting.  All the kids were asleep and the lights had been turned off throughout the house.  He stepped out of the bathroom ahead of me and into our bedroom.  He was halfway across our room when I stepped out, shutting off the bathroom light.  As the room went pitch black he said, “I can’t see anything,” to which I chided, “It’s not my fault you’re blind.”  Suddenly a loud fart cut through the darkness, followed by the sound of my husband’s voice, saying, “Oh, I’ll use echolocation!”  We laughed so hard together that I was surprised the kids slept through it!