This and That!

A couple of Joeyisms....

• When he got up this morning and I told him he was going to Grandma Bobbi's today, he said, "Mom, I'm going to go downstairs and get a piece of paper and write "I love you, mom" on it because I love you. I'm going to miss you today."
• Then, for the first time ever that I can remember, he bit his brother. Like with his teeth. Like a dog. Or a tiger. I didn't even believe it to be honest, until I asked him. When I asked him why he did that, he said, "Because Maddox was trying to go outside without you and if he goes out there, he will get taken by bad people." Obviously, my fear of my children being kidnapped has spread to my children. I don't let them go outside without me...and I may have told them once that bad people could take them. Maybe I went too far.
• And, I apologize for the lag in poop stories. I'm going to make up for it now. So, we were at a school park (the one Uncle Kyle teaches at) with Davis and Maddox. Joey comes to me in a panic. He says he has got to poop and is holding his butt. I was like, "Well, you can't. Sorry, but you're going to have to hold it." And, he confirmed with me that there was no holding it. My husband was on the phone with my dad and could apparently not be consulted. So, I made the decision. We would go behind the school and poop in the weeds. Joey was like, "Mom, I've never pooped in the weeds!!" And, Davis was like, "I wanna come! I wanna see! Can I see him poop, Aunt Holly?" Yes, let's make this a family event. So, he pooped right outside a window, which I secretly hoped was the principal's office because no one likes the principal, not even 31-year-old moms. Afterwards, Joey said to me, "Mom, Uncle Kyle is going to come to this park and say, 'Wait a minute! There are no dogs at this school! Where did this poop come from?'" And, then he just cracked up laughing.

Joey has Vacation Bible School this week! I'm a volunteer in the Craft Room so I get to see all classes of 3 yr olds, 4 yr olds and kindergartners! I've met some great people, volunteers and kids so I'm really glad I volunteered. But, last night was a night that weighed heavy on my heart.

I have this little boy in my kindergarten class who I have adored from day one. He's cute as cute can be, and unfortunately, he's really overweight. But, he loves to sit on my lap when I read the bible story and prayer. And, I let him because I love him. He asks lots of questions and listens intensely. He's great and I have such a soft spot for him. Last night, he sat right at my feet as I read the book, he asked questions, and was his usual self. Well, right at the end of the book, he had a Tourette's Syndrome fit....screaming, shaking, uncontrollable movements, and facial tics. It broke my heart. There has been a "One Body" volunteer in this room every day, and I never knew why she was there- One Body volunteers follow children with special needs. But, I never knew why she was in that particular class, and so last night, I found out. It broke my heart. The other kids didn't know what was going on and they were confused, and I didn't know what to do except to just keep reading.

And, when that class left, a lady volunteer came up to me and said, "I love that little boy. I let him sit on my lap because I feel bad for him. My grandson is in first grade, and he's really overweight. I worry about his health every single day. I worry about how the other kids will treat him, whether he gets teased, how adults treat him...." and then she left the conversation with tears in her eyes. Just a grandma worried about her grandson's health....

After the last class, one of the volunteers, Mark, who works with me- he's about 55ish, I'd say. He came up and gave me this huge hug and thanked me for volunteering and told me he wouldn't see me tomorrow because he was going to his "Celebrate Recovery" group, where people gather to help them deal with addictions. Just a normal guy, wonderful man....with a big addiction he fights every day.

And, my other volunteer, Sophie, who is 16 responded to Mark and said, "I'm trying to get my dad to go to that group." Just a 16-year-old girl who probably goes to bed every night praying for her dad to deal with his addiction.

And, one little girl, when asked who she prays for at night, she responded, "I pray for my Grandpa Ted. He died this year. So, I pray for him." And, of course, that hit home with me, too. Just a little girl who misses her grandpa.

And, so last night, as I laid down, I prayed for Mark's addiction, Sophie's dad, Nate and his disease, Grandpa Ted and Patty's grandson. Sometimes the world just seems very cruel, and sometimes we forget that the normal, everyday people we run into - each one of them has their own problems. Each one of them goes to bed with different concerns, different griefs to share. And, maybe when someone snaps at us over the phone, maybe when they are short with us in the Target line, or maybe when they don't answer the phone happily, well maybe this is why. Vacation Bible School has already given me more than my $10 worth and for that, I am so, so thankful.