Quotes, Adventures, and Answered Prayers

Lately I have been posting on Facebook what I am calling "Life in Three Year Old Boy Land!"  It is often quotes or something that Connor (aka Bubba or Mac) comes up with.  I thought that maybe I would share some of those things on here:

08/23/10: Today's quote from "Three Year Old Boy Land" came at dinner tonight. "Mom, my ice cubes are little-ing. I need new ones." Today's quote was brought to you by the ice cube maker and sun tea :)


08/22/10: Today's quote from "Three Year Old Boy Land," is "Mom, can I tickle your teeth?" Today's quote is brought to you by your dentist and Crest Pro Health.
 
08/19/10: Today's quote from "Three Year Old Boy Land" is "I am not Connor! I am Big Boy that is Three!" Personally, I will just keep calling him Connor, the other name is to hard to yell. Today's name change has been brough to you by A Big Boy That is Three!
 
08/16/10: The word of the day from "Three Year Old Boy Land" is "hooker." As in "Daddy has a hooker on his four leeler(yes leeler). It pulls the camp trailer." Todays word was brought to you by Tow Balls, Camp Trailers, and a giggling mommy drinking her coffee.
 
08/14/10: Todays life lesson in "Three Year Old Boy Land": Remote Control trucks inside make Mom wonder WTF Dad was thinking by letting him play with it inside. Today's lesson brought to you by Advil and Dove Dark Chocolate :)
 
08/13/10: When things are advertised as "indestructable," you know it is a lie. If they want things to be truly indestructable it need to be advertised as "3-year old boy proof, proven to survive a little boy's TLC."
 
I don't know how many people read this blog, so some of my readers may not know that I have only one sister and was not raised around little boys.  Connor is an adventure for me.  I never know what to expect from him.  Aidan is also an adventure for me.  This past week I realized that this is the best adventure I have EVER been on.  I am blessed to see my children growing up.  I have also come to realize, that throught them God answers most of my prayers.  If I pray for patience, God gives me ample opportunity to practice patience.  If I pray for wisdom, Aidan will want to stay up late talking tp me about things I would never have thought to cross her mind.  These discussions make me stop and think.  They also give me insight into the depth of my daughter.  I am not ashamed to say how proud I am to be her mother.  When I pray for guidance, I had to guide Aidan through an emotionally painful moment.  I cried with her during that time.  I cried because it was something that I remember going through and if I could, I would shelter her from it.  I cried because of her strength.  When I pray for God to give me time to stop and smell the roses, Connor is not easily motivated and I have to slow down and stop and watch the ant crawl across the patio with him. 
 
So, my adventures with my children have included rediscovering the wonder of everything, mooing at cows, running through the sprinkler, and sometimes just sitting and hugging and giggling.  My adventures are not grand adventures.  However, they are the best ones I have experienced.  Tonight Aidan and I made muffins and sat on the floor and watched them bake.   I prayed for God to give me a slow down so I could catch my breath.  Tonight he gave me muffin time.  Today I prayed for a giggle.  Tonight he game me little-ing ice cubes.  Today I prayed for my son to continue to be like his father.  Tonight Connor told me he loved meatloaf.  Today I prayed for strength for Aidan as we start school and dance.  Tonight we got her ears pierced and she did not even flinch.  My simple prayer for a slow down today gave me a chance to see that God is answering my smallest of prayers.  Even if he is aying "No," or "Not at this time."  So, tonight I go to bed with a thankful heart.
 
A happy heart makes the face cheerful,

but heartache crushes the spirit.
The discerning heart seeks knowledge,

but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

All the days of the oppressed are wretched,

but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.


Proverbs 15: 13-15 (NIV)

Comfortably Numb

Hello?



Is there anybody in there?


Just nod if you can hear me


Is there anyone at home?

When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse



Out of the corner of my eye


I turned to look but it was gone


I cannot put my finger on it now


The child is grown the dream is gone

I have become comfortably numb


There was a point in time that I prayed to be numb.  Numb to my inner struggles.  Numb to the world.  Numb to my husband.  Numb to turmoil.  Numb to pain.  Numb to my "negative" feelings.  You know what they say, be careful what you pray for.  I did become numb.  Numb to happiness.  Numb to my inner struggle.  Numb to love.  Numb to God.  Just plain numb.  During that time, I often drank myself numb. Emotionally I shutdown.  I was a shell.  Just going through the motions.  I still can't pinpoint the moment that I realized that I didn't want to be numb anymore. 
 
I am no longer numb.  Tonight I realized that I never want to be numb again.  If it hurts, then I need to feel all the raw pain (emotional or physical).  I need those up and downs to define me.  When you are numb, there is no color to be seen and no laughter to be heard.  There is no spice in life.  There is no joy and love in that gray fog. 
 
I do know my children and husband drive away any lingering desire to be numb.  As I weather the storm that is life, I want to feel the cold hard rain and the blistering sun.  I know that in all of that I will find my true purpose.  I can continue to dream a new dream.  So, I am no longer comfortably numb and I am thankful for that.