Ethan felt up to making Valentine Cookies with Grandma (now a cabin tradition):
Kate and Mom enjoyed playing in the loft:
The trip home was wonderful. By the time we stopped for lunch, Ethan was a new man. He joked with us and talked nicely to Kate, and I thought to myself, "Praise the Lord that he is feeling better!" and I marveled at who this child was, because I had truly forgotten what he was like, during his sickness over the weekend.
Much of the time he had simply sat on my lap and stared into nothingness. The other part of the time he turned a simple complaint about his nose (which was continuously running, which is indeed quite annoying) into a 42-syllable whine ("Meeeeeeyyyyyyyyyeeeeeee nnnnnnneeeeeeeoooooooooze!"). By Sunday night I wasn't sure if patience and compassion were exactly what the kid needed anymore, or if the complaining and whining had turned into a habit that needed to be broken.
It was a tough call, and again upon our return home the kids were good until exhaustion (on their part, on my part) hit again and we put them to bed well before 7 o'clock. In fact, as I reflected on the weekend I wanted to cry in frustration and disappointment because I wasn't sure if I had been patient at the right times or firm at the right times, and I was sorry that the weekend hadn't turned out to be what I had so anticipated for many months. Finally, I had to remind myself of all the good things that had happened over the weekend (see previous posts). Nothing is perfect. Kids get sick. Traveling can be hard. Parents make mistakes. Christ loves us and carries us through each stage and season. And here we are.
Immediately upon our return, the kids helped shovel our driveway, and Ethan rejoiced at being able to ride his motorcycle again, and Kate marveled that she can walk all over the driveway all by herself (she still amazes herself at her own walking ability).
So glad for my little family, my cool husband (Who knew he loves ice fishing? That's another story!), my caring in-laws, and our fun friends, Darin, Tera, and Paul.
1 comment:
It sounds like even with Ethan being sick, the weekend was a success. It's so hard when kids are sick. Lately, with Monet not sleeping, I too doubt myself as a parent. We have to remember that ever parent, in the history of parents, has been there.
Thanks for all the posts. I enjoyed reading them!
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