Teacher, Student, Student, Teacher

Before I had kids, I thought the role of the parent was to teach. I couldn't have been more wrong.
My job is to learn.

Carson has been extrememly clingy lately. Not sure why the insecurity but he literally comes completely unglued if I'm not in his direct line of sight every minute of the day. While finishing up a recent Wal-Mart trip, I made the mistake of putting all the kids, including Carson in their seatbelts and then taking the cart to the corral. I should have realized that I wouldn't be visible for a short time to my over-anxious boy. In the two seconds it took me to to accomplish my task, Carson got out of his seatbelt, jumped out of the 'burb and ran crying across the very busy parking lot to find me. When I realized what had happened, I was absolutely horrified of what could have gone wrong. A little 3 foot boy running through a busy parking lot could have a horrible outcome. I scooped him up, hugged him tight, and uttered something so profound that took me completely by surprise.

"Sweetheart, just because you can't see me, it doesn't mean I'm not here."

Oh wow. Did that come out of my mouth? How many times have I put my own safety in jeopardy because I didn't trust that He (who is everywhere) was there simply because I couldn't see Him? How many times have I floundered because I'd forgotten that God always has an eye on me, much like I had my eye on Carson that day. His vision of all things makes it safe for me to just stay strapped in for lifes journey and allow Him to take care of the loose ends.

When I was struggling to get pregnant, my dad told me that he hoped I would be able to have a child so that I could begin to understand the love that God has for me.
I think I'm learning.

Something's Missing

This post is part of "Laughter Lives! Tuesday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check our their blog to read everyone else's "Laughter Lives!" posts.

This week, Carson was trying to find something. I could see him looking in each room and all around him. When I questioned him as to what he was looking for, he replied "I'm looking for my other testicle." (or as he puts it, his "aahver testiscole") All I could think was gee, I hope it is right where the good Lord left it, right next to the other one. I continued to question him but the response was still the same.


What a terrible thing to lose.


Later that day, we went down into our guest room, a room that we rarely go into. It is hidden at the end of the hall in the far reaches of our basement. There in the closet was exactly what Carson was looking for. No, not his "aahver testiscole" but his new TELESCOPE!! What a big misinterpretation on my part. I guess I don't speak fluent 6 year old quadruplet.
In any event, I'm just glad that everything is found, be it a testicle or a telescope and I'm really glad it was one and not the other.


Not to be outdone in the funny department, Mason was looking at the NASCAR lineup of drivers and informed me that "Toad and Goofy Bodine are brudders." Hmmmmm, Toad and Goofy? What kind of parent names their kids after an amphibian and a Disney charachter? I decided to investigate and look at the lineup myself. There they were, in black and white, Todd and Geoffery Bodine. Yes, they are brudders...No, I won't be correcting Mason anytime soon. I like his names better.

Gosh, I love those two boys.

Friday Flashback

One thing I've always liked about my home is the landscaping. I take no credit for it as the woman who sold us this house was the one who installed all of it. The yard is beautiful with native plants growing around boulders, rocks and gravel. Perhaps it was first time parent's naivete but, when we purchased the house, it never occurred to us that any of this may cause a problem.
One day, the kids were out playing in the yard. Amanda came in to tell me that "it" broke. I quizzed her a little more not knowing what "it" was. At 3.5 years old, she was unable to convey any more info except for the phrase "Jaxie did it".
I walked out my front door and saw what appeared to be crushed black rocks (perhaps coal I thought) with one larger rock in the middle.

My eyes were diverted upwards where the true origin of the black "rocks" was discovered. Jaxon had managed to throw a rock hard enough to break the tempered glass in one of the rear windows of what was then our family vehicle (yes, it's a mini-van).
I had a couple of educational experiences that day. I learned that I needed to attempt to be pro-active by trying to think like a toddler, and I learned that a 3 year old can be strong enough to break a car window.

Have you seen how thick car glass is? Maybe he has a future in baseball.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Yesterday, a friend of mine helped me take the kids on a tour of the new Draper LDS Temple. We loaded the kids in the car and drove to a church where a bus picked us up and shuttled us to the temple. I had discussed to great lengths what appropriate temple behavior was with my little ones prior to our departing the church.

Keeping four 6 year old's in check is like herding cats.

My apologies to anyone who was touring with us.

The children were good until they saw stairs. The three boys just could not help themselves from running like charging buffalo up the incline. Running after them in heels wasn't easy, but necessary. Upon capturing my little run away's, they began to pester each other. "Mom, he's touching me" and "Mom he's looking at me", followed by attempt to smack each other, made me wish I could put them in individual bubbles and outfit them with blinders. Towards the end of the tour there is a room called the Celestial Room. I believe this is one of the most sacred and reverent rooms in the entire building. Not an appropriate place for tag team wrestling but my boys tackled each other on the white carpet. The Lord must have truly been looking out for us because there was no blood. I turned to the woman behind me and said "Thank heavens the Lord loves the children because sometimes they can push my limits!" She said "Amen sister" and told me she had a dozen kids of her own. At that moment I was truly thankful for the kind understanding of a stranger.

At the end of the tour, we stood in a line to catch our bus back to the church where the Suburban was parked. The fighting continued. I attempted to remove the instigator from the WWF event to no avail. It didn't matter which boy I tried to hold, the other two continued their testosterone laden activities.

Jaxon's frustration finally got the best of him. He blurted out (very clearly I might add) "I'm gonna kick your a$$ Mason."

Totally defeated, all I could do was laugh.