It is that time of year again when my church gathers together all the congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the area for what we call Stake Conference. The conference is always very uplifting and well attended. It is divided into two sessions, one in the morning and one if the afternoon and we are assigned which conference we will attend. We were assigned the afternoon conference.
Two weeks before the conference, I got a call from the stake president asking if Taneal would speak for 5 minutes at the conference. And they didn't want her reading it, it needed to be memorized. How did he even know who Taneal was? I figured if he was sure, of course Taneal would do it. And Taneal was willing. I don't think she realized there would be approx 1500 people in attendance at our session.
Her assigned topic was "Why I believe in Christ." So we sat down and wrote her talk. Over the next two weeks she read and memorized. We went up to our chapel so she could practice using a microphone. The Sunday before, all on her own, she decided to fast. She wanted to do well and knew it was a big deal to speak in front of a huge congregation. She knew she would need Divine help to get over her nerves and say the things that Heavenly Father wanted everyone to hear. Can I say Taneal is amazing? Nobody had even suggested having her fast.
And the morning of Stake Conference arrived. Taneal had her talk memorized. She was very prepared. But nerves are another thing. I had butterflies in my stomach for her. So did Evan. Evan went early to save seats so we weren't in the back of the gym. As Taneal and I arrived with the rest of the crew and took a seat next to Evan before it was time for Taneal to sit on the stand, Taneal started crying. She shook her head and told me there was no way she could do it. I told her to picture everyone in their underwear, and that didn't even phase her. I hugged her and told her I was sure she could do this, we had been praying, fasting, and besides, it was too late to cancel now. It then was time to take her seat on the stand. I walked her up there, the stake president seated her next to the most awesome lady ever, the wife if the mission president. She started talking to Taneal and totally distracted her. The beautiful choir sang, the Stake President spoke, and then it was Taneal's turn. Remember, Taneal is 10. She is in the Primary. She is little. And she nailed her talk. She got right up there, recited verbatim the talk she had practiced with voice inflections and all. She looked at people in the crowd as she spoke, looked all over the place. She was confident and you could hardly tell she was terrified. And she said her words so clearly that all could understand her. I was so proud. I wanted to stand up after her talk and shout, "That's my daughter!"
Afterwards Taneal was beaming. She couldn't stop talking about what a great experience it was. She told me that as she was looking around she noticed a lot of people wiping their eyes. The spirit was so strong as she spoke. I attribute that to her fast and the prayers of the stake presidency as they selected the speakers that day. Taneal had the adrenaline that kept her on a high the rest of the day. It was a marvelous site to behold.
As we were sitting around the dinner table, Taneal asked Camie what she thought of the talk. And Camie, in her get-real voice said, "I could give your talk with as many times as I heard you say it. It was giving me a headache! I have the whole thing memorized, too!" Don't you love those siblings?
Way to go, Taneal!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The Rest of the Story
There is more to the story of Taneal's broken arm. And I think it is worth sharing. It goes to show how different men and women are, or maybe how different Evan and I are.
Last Tuesday when Taneal broke her arm, I was glad that Evan was home and could take Taneal to the hospital. I have always been a little hesitant when needing to go to the doctor to have Evan take the kids because he isn't much of a communicator and I always worried I would not get the instructions on how to care for the child in need. But really this time, I would have had a very hard time taking Taneal to a germ infested waiting room with a newborn. It wasn't reasonable and so I was grateful Evan was home.
After returning from the ER around 10:30pm, Taneal came upstairs in this huge arm wrap and told me she had broken her arm. The poor girl. Evan came on up a little later and I asked him what the doctor said. Evan said Taneal had not broken her arm, she "jammed" it like you would a finger. She could take the cast off the the hospital had put on her in the morning. He wasn't even sure why they had put the wrap on her because her bone was not broken. And I definitely did not need to fill the pain killer prescription. The doctor had told Evan we needed to follow-up with the Orthopedic Surgeon in a few days, but we really didn't need to, they were just out to make some money off of us. Okay.
In the morning I got up and was looking through all the paper work from the hospital. Every page said "right forearm fracture". Doesn't a fracture mean a broken bone? I called Evan to question this and he said she really hadn't broken her arm, the nurse must have just entered the wrong code in, or maybe they were just being precautious to cover themselves. I asked him if we should follow-up with the Orthopedic Surgeon, and Evan said something to the effect of, " no we don't need to, but do whatever you want! Sure, if the paperwork says to, go ahead."
What do I do? Evan was there and I was not. He knows what went on. So, I decided to call my brother who is a PA in an Orthopedic Surgeon's office. Unfortunately he lives about 5 hours away. I asked Rob to explain the hospital paperwork and why Taneal was in a hard wrap/cast if Evan says it wasn't broken. Rob said it sounds like it is broken, but we couldn't be sure without the x-ray report. He said to go ahead and schedule with an Orthopedic and I could always cancel. He told me to go up to the hospital and get the x-ray report and read it to him so we would really know what was going on.
So, I did that. And here is what it said: "Findings: There is a minimally displaced fracture of the distal radial metaphysis. There is also a fracture of the ulnar styloid process. Alignment is anatomic. Impression: Distal and ulnar fractures."
Yes, she has not only one broken bone, but two.
At the hospital, the nurse recognized Taneal from the night before. I asked her if Taneal had broken her arm because Evan was telling me she hadn't. The nurse said Taneal had broken her arm. I asked the nurse why she thought Evan was telling me it wasn't broken. The nurse looked at me and you could tell she was trying to figure out how to say it the right way, "Your husband was kind of . . . sleepy last night." For those of you who know Evan, you can imagine what had happened, why the confusion. I confirmed it with Taneal.
I called Evan to let him know what the hospital was saying, and his comment was, "Well, I guess the doctor did a poor job of explaining it to me."
So we did follow-up with the Orthopedic Surgeon. Taneal is now in a cast for the next three weeks. It isn't a bad break, but she does need to be in a cast. And it is a good thing I didn't have her remove the hospital bandaging.
And my sleepy husband. I love him to death. He is wonderful. He has such good intentions. But boy were we on a different page with this one!
Last Tuesday when Taneal broke her arm, I was glad that Evan was home and could take Taneal to the hospital. I have always been a little hesitant when needing to go to the doctor to have Evan take the kids because he isn't much of a communicator and I always worried I would not get the instructions on how to care for the child in need. But really this time, I would have had a very hard time taking Taneal to a germ infested waiting room with a newborn. It wasn't reasonable and so I was grateful Evan was home.
After returning from the ER around 10:30pm, Taneal came upstairs in this huge arm wrap and told me she had broken her arm. The poor girl. Evan came on up a little later and I asked him what the doctor said. Evan said Taneal had not broken her arm, she "jammed" it like you would a finger. She could take the cast off the the hospital had put on her in the morning. He wasn't even sure why they had put the wrap on her because her bone was not broken. And I definitely did not need to fill the pain killer prescription. The doctor had told Evan we needed to follow-up with the Orthopedic Surgeon in a few days, but we really didn't need to, they were just out to make some money off of us. Okay.
In the morning I got up and was looking through all the paper work from the hospital. Every page said "right forearm fracture". Doesn't a fracture mean a broken bone? I called Evan to question this and he said she really hadn't broken her arm, the nurse must have just entered the wrong code in, or maybe they were just being precautious to cover themselves. I asked him if we should follow-up with the Orthopedic Surgeon, and Evan said something to the effect of, " no we don't need to, but do whatever you want! Sure, if the paperwork says to, go ahead."
What do I do? Evan was there and I was not. He knows what went on. So, I decided to call my brother who is a PA in an Orthopedic Surgeon's office. Unfortunately he lives about 5 hours away. I asked Rob to explain the hospital paperwork and why Taneal was in a hard wrap/cast if Evan says it wasn't broken. Rob said it sounds like it is broken, but we couldn't be sure without the x-ray report. He said to go ahead and schedule with an Orthopedic and I could always cancel. He told me to go up to the hospital and get the x-ray report and read it to him so we would really know what was going on.
So, I did that. And here is what it said: "Findings: There is a minimally displaced fracture of the distal radial metaphysis. There is also a fracture of the ulnar styloid process. Alignment is anatomic. Impression: Distal and ulnar fractures."
Yes, she has not only one broken bone, but two.
At the hospital, the nurse recognized Taneal from the night before. I asked her if Taneal had broken her arm because Evan was telling me she hadn't. The nurse said Taneal had broken her arm. I asked the nurse why she thought Evan was telling me it wasn't broken. The nurse looked at me and you could tell she was trying to figure out how to say it the right way, "Your husband was kind of . . . sleepy last night." For those of you who know Evan, you can imagine what had happened, why the confusion. I confirmed it with Taneal.
So we did follow-up with the Orthopedic Surgeon. Taneal is now in a cast for the next three weeks. It isn't a bad break, but she does need to be in a cast. And it is a good thing I didn't have her remove the hospital bandaging.
And my sleepy husband. I love him to death. He is wonderful. He has such good intentions. But boy were we on a different page with this one!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Our First Broken Bone
Last Tuesday my sweet Taneal was outside roller skating on the back patio. The kids had been out there since the walked in the door and deposited their book bags onto the kitchen floor and headed out back. I even delayed supper because they were out having so much fun. As soon as Evan walked in the door, I called them in. Taneal helped the neighbor girl home and was just coming in when she caught her skate on the back door mat and slipped. She fell hard, caught herself with her wrist, and broke the two bones in her right arm.
The cast they put on her is really cool. It looks like a brace but is hard like a cast. It is waterproof so she can shower. She was disappointed that it was black and her friends couldn't sign it. But it is not bulky at all and she can still write. I love modern technology!
Evan was home so he gave Taneal a few minutes to see if the pain would ease or if it was indeed a break. After about 15 minutes it was still pretty bad, so they left for the Emergency Room. Three long hours later they returned.
This is our first broken bone and I do count myself blessed. With six children, it is bound to happen, I am just fortunate they waited 10 years. And Taneal could not have had better timing. Last week would have been horrible with me having my surgery. The three weeks prior to that would have been tough with a new baby and a difficult recovery. She really had perfect timing. She isn't hurting too much, has really enjoyed the attention at school and home, and I think she really has enjoyed getting out of her jobs at home.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Wintergirls
I recently read a book that really got me thinking. It is titled Wintergirls. It is about two girls, one anorexia and the other bulemic. It is written from the perspective of the anorexic girl. It isn't a book that I would give a 5 star to, I would probably rate it at about a 2, the first 100 pages were rather depressing. But it hooked me. Why would anyone starve themselves? What would cause an 18 year-old girl to do that? I really wanted to know. Why would you think you are fat when you are 100 pounds?
And then towards the end of the book it said something that really got me thinking. She said her goal weight was 95 pounds. After that her ultimate goal weight was 90 pounds. And then a few chapters later as she started to realize her illness, she realized that she would never be happy until her weight was 0 pounds. Even when her knees were bigger then her thighs, she still viewed herself as fat. Obviously her reality was warped.
So why did this book really get me thinking? Not really sure. I do remember being really thin as a teenager. I wasn't anorexic although a lot of people called me "Anorexic Anna". I was 5 ft 7" and 100 pounds. Then I got married. I remember being 110 pounds and thinking a had quite a gut. I dream of being that small again, how could I have ever thought I was fat? And then after I delivered baby #2, I went to my 6 weeks follow-up appointment and asked the doctor why my weight was above 120 pounds. He said most people dream of being as small as I was, yet I felt huge.
And here I am after baby #6 and I have the same feelings. My weight is obviously more. But when will I ever be at peace with where I am at? Will I be like the girl in the book that is never satisfied with her weight, even when her knees are bigger then her thighs? Thank goodness I am not willing to go to extremes to loose weight. Actually, I am eating as I please because I have a nursing baby and want to keep it that way. It has just been a thought. It has eased my mind knowing that I may never be content, so get over it and worry about the things that really matter.
Things that really matter. The paretns in the book never had time for the girl. It hurt her. They were too busy with their work. She looked at her ability to starve herself as a strength, as control. So what can I do? I have amazing children who I always want the very best for. I can not buy them much. My time is spread pretty thin trying to care for a baby and still cook, clean, laundry, church calling, etc. But I can make a concious effort to make time for each of my children, to let them know they are very important to me. And I can do this often.
I like books like these that teach me, give me a new perspective. It isn't a book I would give more then 3 stars to, but I am glad I read it. It helped bring me peace and to be okay with who I am, where I am at today. And to make sure I give my children my attention instead of some other thing.
And then towards the end of the book it said something that really got me thinking. She said her goal weight was 95 pounds. After that her ultimate goal weight was 90 pounds. And then a few chapters later as she started to realize her illness, she realized that she would never be happy until her weight was 0 pounds. Even when her knees were bigger then her thighs, she still viewed herself as fat. Obviously her reality was warped.
So why did this book really get me thinking? Not really sure. I do remember being really thin as a teenager. I wasn't anorexic although a lot of people called me "Anorexic Anna". I was 5 ft 7" and 100 pounds. Then I got married. I remember being 110 pounds and thinking a had quite a gut. I dream of being that small again, how could I have ever thought I was fat? And then after I delivered baby #2, I went to my 6 weeks follow-up appointment and asked the doctor why my weight was above 120 pounds. He said most people dream of being as small as I was, yet I felt huge.
And here I am after baby #6 and I have the same feelings. My weight is obviously more. But when will I ever be at peace with where I am at? Will I be like the girl in the book that is never satisfied with her weight, even when her knees are bigger then her thighs? Thank goodness I am not willing to go to extremes to loose weight. Actually, I am eating as I please because I have a nursing baby and want to keep it that way. It has just been a thought. It has eased my mind knowing that I may never be content, so get over it and worry about the things that really matter.
Things that really matter. The paretns in the book never had time for the girl. It hurt her. They were too busy with their work. She looked at her ability to starve herself as a strength, as control. So what can I do? I have amazing children who I always want the very best for. I can not buy them much. My time is spread pretty thin trying to care for a baby and still cook, clean, laundry, church calling, etc. But I can make a concious effort to make time for each of my children, to let them know they are very important to me. And I can do this often.
I like books like these that teach me, give me a new perspective. It isn't a book I would give more then 3 stars to, but I am glad I read it. It helped bring me peace and to be okay with who I am, where I am at today. And to make sure I give my children my attention instead of some other thing.
Friday, October 15, 2010
I'm Back, almost
It has been one heck of a recovery. And the culprit? placenta. It didn't all come out after delivery, just a small amount remained. But enough to make me VERY sick. The Methergine didn't help the left-over placenta work it's way out. And as each day came and went, I got sicker and sicker and sicker. Monday I had a date with the OB/GYN again, an ultrasound proved the placenta was still there. The doctor said I needed a d&c to get the stuff out, scheduled it for that afternoon. Okay. I need to get better. I can't feel like I am dying any more. Enough is enough and I had certainly had enough, so ready to get better.
I have a nursing baby that is 3 weeks old. What do I do with a nursing baby that I have never given a bottle to? I can't nurse for 24 hours after the procedure. My baby will cry. I will be recovering from anesthesia. What do I do? I have 6 children and never has any of them ever had a bottle. EVER.
My dear friend from church and also the wonderful lady who was my labor and delivery nurse, came to the appointment with me. Did I mention how wonderful she is? She sat through the ultrasound with me. She listened as the doctors told me what needed done. And she comforted me, told me what I needed to do to make it through this, and she took my baby home with her, kept him over night, fed him a bottle, rocked him, loved him, and helped ease my soul. She drove me to the hospital and waited with me until Evan could get there. She helped me get a breast pump. She helped me think through all the details of what to do with my children. She made having the surgery to recovery doable. She was a blessing.
The surgery went well other then they had to stick me several times because I was dehydrated (at least I am guessing why they couldn't get my veins on the first try). It was quick in and out and I came home that evening.
Another life saver. Becky. Becky is my sister-in-law and lives a few miles from me. I called her from the doctor's office and told her I needed her help, I was going in for surgery in a few hours, could she take all the kids. They were playing at my friend, Jana's house. Becky went and got the kids, left Camie and Danielle to stay with Jana (Jana has girls Camie and Danielle's age), and took Taneal and the boys home to sleep over at her house. We do NOT do sleep overs, never plan to do sleep overs. But this was an exception and the kids were all delighted. I could not care for my children and was so grateful that Becky was here and able to really help me. This was Monday. She kept my boys until Friday. Wow! I missed them so much, but I was able to sleep all day and recover with my baby. They would have watched tv if I had had them. They would have eaten bread for their meals with me. Becky was able to play with them, take them to the park, the library, to the airport to watch the planes take-off and land, etc. They had so much fun with Becky that I was afraid they would never want to come home. But at least I knew they were well taken care of and loved.
I had so many other people step in and help me this week. Angels. Heavenly Father sent them to help me and I am so blessed and loved. I feel amazingly better now. I feel whole again. I am healthy. I now just have to get my strength back after being down for so many weeks. But at least my body is healed. Now I can start to cook for my family. Clean my own home. Play with my children. Enjoy my family.
I'm so glad to be back and feeling better.
I have a nursing baby that is 3 weeks old. What do I do with a nursing baby that I have never given a bottle to? I can't nurse for 24 hours after the procedure. My baby will cry. I will be recovering from anesthesia. What do I do? I have 6 children and never has any of them ever had a bottle. EVER.
My dear friend from church and also the wonderful lady who was my labor and delivery nurse, came to the appointment with me. Did I mention how wonderful she is? She sat through the ultrasound with me. She listened as the doctors told me what needed done. And she comforted me, told me what I needed to do to make it through this, and she took my baby home with her, kept him over night, fed him a bottle, rocked him, loved him, and helped ease my soul. She drove me to the hospital and waited with me until Evan could get there. She helped me get a breast pump. She helped me think through all the details of what to do with my children. She made having the surgery to recovery doable. She was a blessing.
The surgery went well other then they had to stick me several times because I was dehydrated (at least I am guessing why they couldn't get my veins on the first try). It was quick in and out and I came home that evening.
Another life saver. Becky. Becky is my sister-in-law and lives a few miles from me. I called her from the doctor's office and told her I needed her help, I was going in for surgery in a few hours, could she take all the kids. They were playing at my friend, Jana's house. Becky went and got the kids, left Camie and Danielle to stay with Jana (Jana has girls Camie and Danielle's age), and took Taneal and the boys home to sleep over at her house. We do NOT do sleep overs, never plan to do sleep overs. But this was an exception and the kids were all delighted. I could not care for my children and was so grateful that Becky was here and able to really help me. This was Monday. She kept my boys until Friday. Wow! I missed them so much, but I was able to sleep all day and recover with my baby. They would have watched tv if I had had them. They would have eaten bread for their meals with me. Becky was able to play with them, take them to the park, the library, to the airport to watch the planes take-off and land, etc. They had so much fun with Becky that I was afraid they would never want to come home. But at least I knew they were well taken care of and loved.
I had so many other people step in and help me this week. Angels. Heavenly Father sent them to help me and I am so blessed and loved. I feel amazingly better now. I feel whole again. I am healthy. I now just have to get my strength back after being down for so many weeks. But at least my body is healed. Now I can start to cook for my family. Clean my own home. Play with my children. Enjoy my family.
I'm so glad to be back and feeling better.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Methergine
Methergine® (methylergonovine maleate) is a semi-synthetic ergot alkaloid used for the prevention and control of postpartum hemorrhage.
It is in the same family as pitocin.
My recovery isn't going as smooth as I hoped. The doctor prescribed Methergine and it did not work. It caused a lot of leg cramping and flu-like symptoms. Didn't fix the problem. Glad I don't have any more pills to take. It was a horrible last 2 days. Hopefully we can figure out another way to a speedy recovery.
I want to play with my children. I want to enjoy them. I want to clean my own house. I'm tired of taking it easy.
It is in the same family as pitocin.
My recovery isn't going as smooth as I hoped. The doctor prescribed Methergine and it did not work. It caused a lot of leg cramping and flu-like symptoms. Didn't fix the problem. Glad I don't have any more pills to take. It was a horrible last 2 days. Hopefully we can figure out another way to a speedy recovery.
I want to play with my children. I want to enjoy them. I want to clean my own house. I'm tired of taking it easy.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Extracurricular Activities
This is the first season in over four years that we are not participating in some kind of extracurricular activity. We started with two seasons of baseball. So much fun. The last six seasons have been full of soccer with swim team in the summer. We've thrown in a little choir. A little karate. About a year ago I was talking to a lady who I go to church with and have so much respect for and admire very much. She has five children of her own who are all grown. I mentioned to her my busy schedule with four soccer practices that week, three games on Saturday, a speaking assignment to a congregation of about 100+ people on Saturday, a huge carnival at school in which I was PTO treasurer and needed to go help with $$, Sharing time on Sunday, etc. It was busy. She smiled at me and I can't remember quite how she said it, but in such a loving, tender way that it really touched my heart. She told me when her children were young they were involved in all those kinds of activities, too. One evening she pulled into her garage and realized that all her time was being devoted to all these extracurricular activities and she was loosing focus on what was most important, her children. I thought and thought about that and looked at my family. Were we doing what was most important? Were we eating supper together as a family? Were we having family prayer together daily? Were we reading scriptures together as a family or even individually? What about Family Home Evening? Date night? Was my patience short because of the tighter schedules? Was I able to develop relationships with each of my children so that when times were rough, we would be able to talk and feel comfortable? I then realized my priorities weren't in the right place. And so we decided to take a season off. Yes, it was also inspired by the soon-to-be addition to our family, but I think I would have taken the break anyways.
Last night Taneal asked me why all her friends could do soccer and she couldn't. She was sincere and not at all critical. She said it was tough having a new baby because it limited us in so many ways. She opened the door for me to really explain that it wasn't the baby at all. I asked her many of the above questions and then asked her what was more important: Our family or a season or two of soccer? I then told her we hopefully wouldn't take too much time off, but we needed to focus on what was most important and once we got that down we could start adding things to our schedule and see how it went. But until we figured out the basics, we were going call it quits to all the extracurricular activities. Taneal really understood and even agreed with me.
And this dear lady who helped me refocus said that once her children were grown, she asked them if they felt cheated or if they felt like they had missed out because they quit doing all the extras, and not one of them even remembered not doing all the extras. They were able to develop and focus on their family and create the strong family relationships that they still carry today.
We are all different in what we can do and what is most important. If I didn't have so many children maybe we could still do all the sports and activities. If I had a different personality, maybe that would enable us to do more. But for now this is where I am in my life and what my family needs. Maybe next year we will have a handle on the basics to where we can step up the game. But until then, this is my life, this is my family, and they are what is most important.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
This MUST Be a Boy Thing!
"Mom, you know that stuff that comes into my mouth when I cough? Well, it tastes really good."
Oh my goodness.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Going Postal
For many families, it can be quite an adjustment to siblings when mom brings home a new baby. My children have always done really well, I can't think of a time where we had a jealousy issue or where there were any problems. I have counted myself fortunate because I have heard so many stories and the problem seems quite common.
Well, exceptions exist everywhere. Nathan had a hard time. I have to have my first with everything. My dad came into town the night before I had Gavin to help with the kiddos. My dad is so good with my children and they were very excited to have him come. Spencer even told me that Grandpa is much more fun them I am. I glad he likes his grandpa. Well, I think the kids were all in bed when my dad got here and I left for the hospital before the kiddos left for school. They were all happy when I left and I know the little boys who stayed home all day with my dad had a really great time.
Around 5pm they all came up to the hospital to see me. Nathan had fallen asleep on the way over. When he awoke, he didn't want to have anything to do with me. I don't think he had even met Gavin yet. I don't think I will ever forget the scene, Nathan was up on Evan's shoulders. Nathan glared at me and then pointed his finger at me and proceeded to "shoot" me, sound effects and all, with his finger turned gun. He really caught me by surprise. It took me a second to think through how to handle the situation, and then I pulled out my finger gun and shot him back. We got into a gun fight right there in my hospital room. By the end Nathan was smiling and took to me again. I still couldn't believe he shot me! I don't like guns, I discourage gun use by my boys. And here were are, me going against all I have taught my boys, and shot Nathan back.
Another thing Nathan started doing about a week before Gavin was born was spitting. He would stick out his tongue and let the spit fly, zoober like. He only did it when he was really mad, but he was easy to set off. First he would try to hit, so I would grab his hands and then he would spit. It is one thing to have your own little boy spit at you. It is another thing when his spits at his Aunt who was only trying to play with him and be nice. And then it is even worse when he spits at Grandpa. I warned my dad before he got here. And gratefully my dad thought it was funny. I would have been so embarrassed if my dad had taken it any other way.
Now that I have been home for a while (it isn't like I was gone very long, either), Nathan has put his finger pistol away and nobody has been shot for almost a week now. He hasn't spit at anyone for just as long. It is just interesting how Nathan knew something was up and using his finger pistol and spitting was how he chose to cope with the situation. The mind of a 2-year-old is very interesting.
Well, exceptions exist everywhere. Nathan had a hard time. I have to have my first with everything. My dad came into town the night before I had Gavin to help with the kiddos. My dad is so good with my children and they were very excited to have him come. Spencer even told me that Grandpa is much more fun them I am. I glad he likes his grandpa. Well, I think the kids were all in bed when my dad got here and I left for the hospital before the kiddos left for school. They were all happy when I left and I know the little boys who stayed home all day with my dad had a really great time.
Around 5pm they all came up to the hospital to see me. Nathan had fallen asleep on the way over. When he awoke, he didn't want to have anything to do with me. I don't think he had even met Gavin yet. I don't think I will ever forget the scene, Nathan was up on Evan's shoulders. Nathan glared at me and then pointed his finger at me and proceeded to "shoot" me, sound effects and all, with his finger turned gun. He really caught me by surprise. It took me a second to think through how to handle the situation, and then I pulled out my finger gun and shot him back. We got into a gun fight right there in my hospital room. By the end Nathan was smiling and took to me again. I still couldn't believe he shot me! I don't like guns, I discourage gun use by my boys. And here were are, me going against all I have taught my boys, and shot Nathan back.
The gun shooting didn't stop there. The next day at church he was shooting people during Sacrament Meeting. He had a mean look on his face. Nathan was mad. I don't know if it was because I had left him for a few days. He was sweet as pie with Gavin. It was mostly directed at me. Evan took Nathan with him through the rest of church to avoid catching something in his nursery class. One really sweet lady was sitting behind them, playing with the cars with Nathan. All of a sudden, for no apparent reason, Nathan got that mean look on his face and started shooting her. Evan ended up taking Nathan out where they ran into Uncle Troy (Evan's brother) in the hall. Nathan glared at Troy and shot him too.
Now that I have been home for a while (it isn't like I was gone very long, either), Nathan has put his finger pistol away and nobody has been shot for almost a week now. He hasn't spit at anyone for just as long. It is just interesting how Nathan knew something was up and using his finger pistol and spitting was how he chose to cope with the situation. The mind of a 2-year-old is very interesting.
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