They're Just Baby Teeth

Let me bring you up to speed on our life for a moment.  Things overall feel like they've been okay since both sets of our parents were so gracious and each took two boys so Evan and I could get away for 5 days together.  FIVE DAYS!!  It was absolutely amazing to be together, with no responsibilities, no food to cut up, and no waking up in the middle of the night.  Bliss.  We did nothing but be together, and it was pure bliss.  We are so blessed!

The timing of our little getaway was perfect and awful all at the same time.  I was tired.  Sick of refereeing the never ending wrestling and fighting at our house, and just tired.  The morning before Evan and I were going to leave, I was looking forward to having two hours of time while the boys were in preschool to pack and get things together.  I set Derek out of the van to walk in to school, and turned to get the next boy out.  Derek walked about two steps, and then I don't know what happened, but he came back with blood gushing out of his mouth....all over his coat, the sidewalk, everywhere.  He was screaming.  By this time, all 3 of the other boys were walking down the sidewalk away from me, so I was picking up Derek, yelling for the others to not go across the road.  Derek must have fallen somehow, and his mouth was gushing blood.  I got everyone in school and threw them at their teachers, and rushed Derek to the bathroom.  His gums were all bruised, and his top lip was badly cut.  Everything was so swollen.  So I took him to the pediatrician.  Then later that afternoon I took him to the dentist.  The good news is that there's no tooth fracture or damage they can see.  There's no stitches that need to be done.  The bad news is that now, a couple weeks out, his front two teeth are turning grey from him jamming them so hard.  I'm guessing that they may fall out.  I'm just glad they are only baby teeth.  It's not a head injury, it's not anything serious.  If I have a toothless boy for a few years, it's not the end of the world.  Good thing he's so cute in many other ways.   Good thing Evan and I were also able to fly out the next day without worrying about any serious injuries.

And things were going okay since we got back.  Until today.  Today was just a day.  It started out with an all out battle with Derek this morning, I couldn't get him into the van, then couldn't get him buckled in to his seat.  He was being so naughty and wild I told him to get back in the house into a time out, but I couldn't get the van doors back open.  I always crawl in the van with the boys and was way in the back getting them buckled in, and someone had flipped the switch to shut off our automatic doors, so we couldn't get out.  AHH!  Derek was screaming b/c he was mad about me telling him he had to go into a time out.  Micah was screaming b/c he didn't want Derek to be mad.  Tyler was plugging his ears screaming, "too loud, too loud!!!"   Sometimes I seriously have to just walk back in to the house while they are buckled in their seats with the heater running and a DVD on, and just regroup for a minute, and take a shot of vodka.  (Kidding!!)  Anyway, I just have moments like this from time to time.

To be honest, I think I needed a little humbling, so God gave me today.  :)  I took all four boys to the grocery store on Saturday morning (I know!  Am I CRAZY?!), and they were SO well behaved.  We always have a very serious talk in the van before we go in anywhere about what is okay to do and what is not okay to do.  We listen to mommy.  We stay close to mommy.  We don't touch things on the shelves.  We hold hands in the parking lot.  They did all of these things.  It didn't hurt that they got samples of muffins in the bakery and cheese at the deli, and the promise of a sucker if they were good boys.  I even got a compliment that my boys were so well behaved.  I kind of got all excited, like, "Yeah, I'm doing this.  I'm totally in control of four toddler boys."  And then God gave me today to remind me that I'm not in control, and that I need him to give me wisdom, patience, self control, joy....and humility.  So I thank Him for a day that knocked me down a little again.