# 0024: Little Teachers

One day, the big kids and I were outside and I sent them to get the mail. Our mailbox is across the street from our house. By street, I mean gravel road that is maybe 10 feet wide. It's a ways from our house for a little kid, but I can still it from our front porch, so I know they feel big heading out there by themselves. It gives them a little more confidence doing something all by themselves and some practice looking both ways (even though there is NEVER anything coming either direction).

Okay so, one day, the big kids and I were outside and I sent them to get the mail. On the way, the girl stopped and looked down. Then, she had her brother stop and look down. She pointed to an ant hill. She bent down to tell him all about it. He squatted down for a closer look. There were lots of "OOOOOHS!!!!" from my little boy and my little teacher continued with lots of pointing here and there.

I don't remember when exactly, but I do know that she and I had had a discussion about ant hills once (basically just that those are ant hills, ants build them, they live there). I love that she saw an opportunity to teach, stopped what they were doing and felt confident enough to share this information all by herself with her brother. I also love that her brother was interested in what she had to say and payed attention to his sister. I know it's just a little thing, but it's proof that they pay attention to what we take time to teach them (most of the time). It proves that those little, sometimes forgettable moments matter. I really don't think that info about the ant hill is changing any one's life, but it's the time that was spent on that info that will add up.

And now for the ant to parenthood comparison: Ants carry what seems like a little to us but, actually weighs more than them. Parents do what might look like a little and simple job to some, but actually adds up to be so much more. BOOM!

I love being able to take to take about little things like ant hills and I love seeing that time spent come back around proving that it matters.

"You just don't luck into things as much as you'd like to think you do. You build step by step, whether it's friendships or opportunities." ~Barbara Bush

# 0023: The "Less Good" Times

Wow- Sorry I haven't blogged in over a month! We've been really side-tracked (to say the least) with Christmas, sickness, birthdays, and hospital stays. Yes, hospital stays! No fun! But Christmas and birthdays- those were fun! Then we got sick. And for people who never get sick we saw a lot of doctors and bought a lot of medicine!
It is hard to find much to be happy about when you're not feeling well... (at any age) and really what is there to love about your family taking turns being sick, staying in a hospital, being separated from each other and, my daughter's biggest concern, "missing out on all the fun"?

Being Thankful
There's alot to be thankful for in the "less good" times. For example, the reason I'm calling them "less good" times; which is because it could always be worse. Our problems this past month were not life threatening or too terribly scary (I believe prayer helped with any fear we had) or really just not as bad as what some people are going through (here are some I've been following on facepage: Tripp Halstead Updates and Bringing Home the Browns. Their stories would seriously break your heart). I know it sounds cliche, but realizing that it could be worse is enough to give me some perspective and that's why I have to call times like these "less good" because as long as you can find some good in them, then they're not truly "bad". ~End of Pollyanna rant.~

Finding Fun in like Everything
So, once I put things into perspective that life really isn't that bad then I can start looking for the good; i.e. what I love about this situation; i.e. what I'm going to blag about- ha ha.
On the way to urgent care, my daughter, through great big crocodile tears expressed sorrow over "missing all the fun". She really cared more about going to church , her cousin's birthday party and shopping then taking care of herself. I guess we could have let her go to all these things in the shape she was in, but it really would not have been a good idea. Short lesson for me: kids are all about fun!... in all kinds of weather... at any time... whatever they look like, feel like... at the expense of pretty much anything; sleep, eats, whatever. Now, there is some different perspective!
Life is not hard. Life is not worrisome. Life is fun! After she got out of the hospital everyone asked her if she was bored in there and commented about it being no fun. She told them "it was fun" and that she "got a lot of artwork done". Of course, it didn't hurt that she was getting balloons, treats, presents and surprises like crazy. I love how kids can be so care-free and light-hearted that they find fun in pretty much everything! I love that! I love that! I love that!
I could probably start another blog with every entry consisting of ways kids make dull things fun everyday.

Being There
Yes, you could have guessed it: BEING THERE! Being there is 5,001 Reasons I Love Being A Mom's go-to reason for anything and everything. I am glad I got to be there when I was there, because guess what! I didn't always get to be there. When they put my little 5 year old baby under and wheeled her back for surgery- I wasn't there. Because I'm nursing our 3 month old baby boy I couldn't spend the night with her in the hospital room. Because our 2 year old throw up all over the kitchen floor one morning I wasn't there the day they released her. I was there through the days and she was in good hands with her dad at night and all day till he brought her home to us. So, I know even more the importance of being there. How do you show love and support without being there? Phone calls, flowers, Facetime, presents? Those things are not enough when it's your own child. I love being right there.

Being Missed
I might end up writing a another post about this someday, but for now we'll throw it in on this one. Our little boy missed us! And we missed him! He stayed with his grandparents (the lifesavers) while the rest of us were in the hospital. Our family was almost all together, but not quite. Sitting in the hospital bed our daughter wanted to call her brother. They "talked" for a minute and she invited him up to watch a "show" with her. Apparently, he had been acting kind of down before the phone call and afterwards had really perked up. I'm sure his face lit up at the mention of a "show". I know he had fun with is grandma and grandpa, but I'm glad he cared enough to miss his brother and his sister and his mom and dad. I love that my kids can have fun anywhere they go. I love that we have fantastic family and friends that love our kids, but I also love being missed.

I can't say 2013 has started out with a bang exactly, maybe a sneeze, but I do hope to continue the trend of finding fun in everything, being there, and building bonds in our family through good times and less good times.