I have not posted in a good while. One, I have been in class all week – yes, you read that right. I will get to that shortly. Two, the day I wrote my last blog post the crazy and unexpected happened. Track with me on my journey over the last week and a half.
I wrote a blog post November 12 while the girls were napping. When I finished, they were still napping and while checking email, I noticed that the Black Friday ad for WalMart had been leaked. Oh yeah. One of the most exciting times of the year for me because of Black Friday. So what did I do? I wish I could say that I didn’t look at it because I knew that I was going to have to leave the house soon and needed to get everything in order and wake up kids to get out the door. But I did look. Emerson woke up and I kept looking. Then, 15 minutes before time to leave, I was still looking and decided that I really should get to the task of making snacks for the car, changing the diaper, putting on shoes, and the billion others things that have to happen to make it out to the car. I rush around to do things fully aware that I was indeed running late. I get the kids in the car and then realize I forgot something in the house (how many times has that happened to you?). So I run inside, grab that something, and start to rush out the door…..until….I trip over the long, huge box (see picture below) that is sitting outside our side door into our garage falling down 3 stairs (lets just say missing all 3 stairs because I didn’t touch any of them) and rolling my foot which led to spraining it in the process.
It of course hurt super, duper bad and I of course start crying (my low pain tolerance didn’t help the situation), which leads Kinsley to start crying, and then Emerson. I get up and hop over the car where Kinsley was and sit on the side to calm her while making sure I am not going to pass out. I was panicked because it was hurting so bad and I knew I had done something really wrong. Praise the Lord it was my left foot and I could still drive. I was on my way to a playdate and decided it would be best to just go anyways as she could help me with the kids until Ed could come home. My first thoughts were how was I going to watch the kids tomorrow while Ed was gone followed by how would i pack to leave town that weekend followed by would it be well for Black Friday shopping (ashamed to say that was at the top of the list). Long story short, made it to the friends house, she had a gate that kept the kids corralled in her living room so I could stay off my foot, and then we left for home.
I am going to share what happened next because I now think it was super funny (though it is still not good my child did it) but I am aware some may judge our parenting style. While its okay because we believe it is what the Lord has called us to, if you have questions, please come to us with them.
At our friends house, Kinsley had been super disobedient and had done many things that she knew wasn’t okay (jumping on their couch IS NOT something we condone…I mean seriously, do we need to go back to what you were taught when you were 2?). So, I had already told her she was going to get a reminder when we got home. The whole way home (20 very long minutes), she tried to tell me in this sweet, soft little voice why she shouldn’t get a reminder. When we got into town, the traffic started backing and being that we were past dinner time, Emerson was fussy and decided to throw her pacifier. My foot is killing me, Kinsley is still trying to tell me that she shouldn’t get a reminder in a super soft voice (mom, I just needed to rest when you said clean up the toys so I couldn’t clean them up….repeat…repeat….repeat), and Emerson is screaming. I finally said rather loudly “Kinsley, you ARE getting a reminder when we get home for being disobedient and for pushing and you are not talking me out of it….if you want to keep talking to me, you are going to have to do it louder because Emerson is screaming.” Very loudly, Kinsley starts praying “God, please help mom to be kind, help Emerson to stop screaming, and please don’t let me get a reminder. Please, don’t ever let me get a reminder again because I don’t want a reminder.” I don’t know if it was sincere or an attempt to manipulate, but I couldn’t believe my kid was seriously using prayer right then. It did make me lighten up and smile, because at least she was praying, but it didn’t change her punishment.
To followup and bring it to today, my foot is still swollen but I am now able to walk on it. We did travel to my parents that weekend to meet my new, sweet little niece Johana and for Ed to go hunting with my brother and dad. We also left the girls there on Sunday and traveled to Asheville, NC to take an apologetics course as part of the seminary classes Cru requires for our continuing education. We had to do LOTS of reading and work beforehand but it has been a great week of learning and I am so thankful for this opportunity. When I first started reading all the material, I was like “Why did I sign up for this?” and while it has been a big adjustment to be in school again (it has been 6 years since I have taken a seminary class!), it has been so good to learn so much and such a great time to be refreshed and be able to go back home and give the girls more of us. Big thanks to my mom and dad for keeping and handling the girls all week and making this possible! We are excited to take all we have learned back to campus!!
Now bring on Thanksgiving and Black Friday 🙂