Just Things

I'm planning a catch up post soon - I know I've mentioned several topics recently (like the first ARD) and I plan to let you know how those events /people are doing soon!

In the meantime... a few thoughts

1. Recently, after dropping Will off at school, I grabbed a friend and her two kids and we headed to Canton - a massive (28 sq miles) flea market.  We spent about an hour and a half there before heading home for nap time.  It was so fun to be outside on a pretty day, hang out with a friend and talk, and just escape time for a little while (without escaping town to go to a doctor.) 

•  Ellie makes lots of different expressions on command:  mad face, silly face, crazy, happy face, etc.  This is her excited face and she does it at dinner a lot.  Cracks us up.

• Will is almost always in costume.  He loves to play dress up and I love his imagination.  He carries on conversations in character and insists on being called by his character name.  I love it.  Lately, I've begun an ambitious project of trying to take a photo of every costume/character her portrays within a week's time.  I've missed a couple here and there but have captured a lot of them.  I'll be posting soon.
• Will has been "ministering" to a little kid who is often mean to him.  He amazes us with his perseverance and his attempts to "chase the mean out of his heart."  Today, I observed him evangelizing to his baby sister.  He asked Ellie if she wanted him to tell her about Jesus after nap time.  She nodded yes.  So he said, "Well, Ellie.  Jesus died on the cross for us."  And then they shared some rainy day popcorn.
• Will:  "Mommy, Sarah, who is a 6 year old, told me that because my hands don't look like everyone else's, I won't be able to get a wife."

        Me:  (attempting to not rage in anger at this mysterious Sarah chick)  "She said what?"  "Well.  You should tell hear about Mr. ____ (our friend far away who takes time from his busy schedule to skype monthly with Will... and has Will's same medical condition and hands just like Will... and also has multiple degrees and four kids and a WIFE!)    How thankful I was to be able to pull out that concrete example for Will - someone Will admires and likes.

Will:  But are both of his hands like mine?"

Me:  "Yes, both of his hands are different.  And he has a wife. And kids.  You just tell little Sarah that you most definitely will have a wife and any girl would be LUCKY to have you.  LUCKY."

Will:  "Mommy, when I get married in Africa, will you come?  Hmmmm... I guess I'll drive my car over there and my wife can drive her car to our wedding.  We'll take both our cars."  (Glad he is figuring out those logistics now.  Perhaps we should work on geography.)

Will:  "Mommy, I want to marry you but what will we do about Daddy.  He might get mad and not want to play wrestle mania with me anymore if I marry you!"  

Me:  "Don't worry, love.  He will still play wrestlemania with you.  What kind of girl do you want to marry?  What do you think she will look like?"

Will:  "She will look like you, Mommy, and be you."

Be still my heart.

By the way, maybe "Sarah"  should know this.  My boy comes home almost weekly with some note from various girls at preschool - typically they have hearts on them, and sweet messages.  And being a typical boy, he is totally nonchalant about the whole thing. (Thank goodness.)    Last week, I found this envelope in his backpack with pictures inside it.  The stamp had a heart on it too.  

Sarah, my dear, he will have a wife.  And she will be lucky to have him.  And I hope in the meantime that you learn what really matters - it's not how many fingers you have.

Also, it's going to be a fun destination wedding in Africa, apparently.  I will make sure you are on the invitation list.  (But please don't drive.)

(ok.  off my soapbox.  High school is going to be tough  (for me.  I'm sure Will will do fine.)

(PS  Sarah is not her real name.)

• Ellie has the most amazing, cutest ever walker purse!  My friend Shae custom made it & I LOVE IT!  But  you can't see it yet.  I need one more picture to complete the post & then I plan on sharing all about it.  It deserves its own post.  Stay tuned.

• Off to Dallas... Ellie's new AFOs are failing us miserably.  The velcro has all ripped but I can't replace it - it has little patches sewn on in certain places to apply pressure.  Her right foot is showing signs of skin breakdown and bruises.  They don't stay on and she can even pull them off (& does constantly - especially in her crib.)  And my goodness, I can't get them clean!  Supposedly, these were going to last for several months.  It's been 3 weeks.  We're off to Dallas tomorrow to hopefully come up with a new solution.  I'm so afraid they are going to recommend I tape again.  I don't so much mind the taping except that I am loving the freedom of being able to give her a bath whenever I want without calculating taping time or supplies.  I love the idea that she can just splash in the pool - I don't have to deny her that because I don't have supplies on me.  I am so hopeful that when we go to the beach this summer that I don't have to tape her.  But.  I will if I need to because getting her walking and not losing any progress we have made over the last 19 months is more important to me.  So.  We'll see what this new orthotist comes up with tomorrow.  I'm trying not to feel discouraged.  Or overwhelmed.
• CMN is coming to film our family and tell our story through video on Friday morning.  I'm trying to pack up Easter decorations and clean my house so we can pretend like we are always pristine.  Actually, with a trip to Dallas tomorrow suddenly in the schedule and a must stop at the grocery store for items for a baby shower I'm hosting, it's just going to look like this is a very "lived in with small people" kind of house.  Oh well.  That makes people feel at home, right?  Right?
• Off to put up Easter.  And laundry.  And at least hide some of my paperwork that I just don't think I'll have time to clean up before Friday.