5 Thankful Moments

Over the last several weeks I have had many "thankful moments" that all seem to fall under one theme: I am thankful there is someone or someplace I can go when I don't have all of the answers.

I am thankful that poison control is just a phone call away.

I am thankful for other Mom's doing the school pick up routine who aren't in too big of a hurry & who know how to take car of an overheated van.

I am thankful for the Internet full of "how to's" to give instructions in a pinch.

I am thankful for the County Extension Office and their vast knowledge they freely share.

I am thankful for a little girl who trusts in the power of prayer.

Oh, you would like more explanation on these stories, well twist my arm and perhaps I will share!

In one week, thanks to Sarah, I called poison control three times. Each time I didn't know how much she had eaten and just needed some reassurance and to know what to watch for. The first time I called was after I saw her with laundry soap in her mouth. She was helping me do the laundry and some detergent has spilled on the washing machine and she was eating it. The next time I was in the bathroom taking care of "business" and she had taken a brand new box of teething tablets off of the vanity. I found her sitting on the floor on the far side of my bed chowing down on teething tablets. (By the way a child who would need to eat 6 bottles before you have to worry about overdosing.) The last time was on Sunday morning while I was doing dishes. Elizabeth yells at me to tell me that there was throw up on the rug in the living room. When I went to look it was the strangest looking throw up I had ever seen. So I smelt it, yuk! It wasn't throw up at all, but infant Motrin. I chased down Sarah and found her in her room drinking the Motrin right out of the bottle. How did she get that child proof lid off? Apparently, the lady at poison control told me, that once a child is around 16 months old they can get the child proof lids off. Scary! Well, Sarah was fine each time, no harm done, just a few grey hairs for Mom.

The next thankful moment came when I was picking up the kids from school one day. I picked Elizabeth up and then drove less than a mile to get Rachel. As I drove into the school parking lot the little light came on to tell me my engine was hot. (Silly me didn't even know what that funny little light was for. I had to look it up in the owners manual.) If I had been paying more attention I would have noticed that the temperature gauge was in the red, right next to the "H". I called Paul at work but I just got his voice mail. So I humbled myself and asked a fellow parent pick-up Mom, whose Dad is a Mechanic, if she knew what to do. She very nicely checked my anti-freeze level, only to discover that I had none! She was going to give me some from a bottle she had in her van but it was not compatible. She even called her Dad to get additional advice on how far I might be able to travel. Paul had since called me back, and I decided to let him come and be my knight in shining armor and save the day.

Thankful moment number three was when one morning John, Sarah and I were playing out front and Sarah fell down the front step. After I calmed her down and cleaned up the road rash on her forehead, I noticed there were two little spots that probably could use a stitch to hold it together. I wanted a second opinion to see what someone else thought and every avenue I tried came to a dead end. I tried to put a butterfly bandage on but I can't get those things to work. So I sat there with my little girl in my lap trying to keep ice on her forehead and did what Mom's do in this situation - Pray! Well, shortly thereafter I had a thought - Superglue. I remembered someone I knew who was an EMT and ER nurse told me that they would super glue small cuts back together. So I immediately got on-line and looked it up. And sure enough you can and I did! It would have been nice to have a second pair of hands but considering I think it turned out well.

Thankful moment number four came last week while we were playing outside one morning. I noticed something odd in the middle of one of our trees. I thought it was a dead branch, but as I walked closer I realized it was too fat to be a branch and then as I got closer I realized it was alive. I had a swarm of bees in my tree. I knew nothing about a swarm of bees, how long they would be there, etc. So I figured if any one can help me the County Extension Office could or they could direct me to who could. Well, they found a bee keeper to come and remove my bees. I don't know who was doing who the bigger favor. The nicest older gentlemen came over and taught me all about bees while he so easily got them out of the tree and into a beehive. Very fascinating. I may have to do later post all about my bee adventure.

Adjusting to all day Kindergarten has been a bit tough for Rachel, especially after a little boy hurt her feelings one day and then a couple of days later her one friend in the class wasn't there. I talked with Rachel about letting her teacher know when someone is mean so that she can help, about being brave, and making new friends. But none of it seemed to help ease her anxiety as much as deciding we would say a prayer each morning before we got out of the car to go to school. Even at the age of 5 she knows where our greatest source of strength comes from.

There are "Thankful Moments" to be found everyday!