Tuesday, March 24, 2009

What I've Learned

I've decided that since so many other bloggers post a weekly blog about what they've learned that week (to read them, visit Musings of A Housewife), I will start doing the same thing. Tuesday is a quiet day for me, so without further ado, here are the things I have learned this week.

1. Grad school is a fantastic way to snap the mind out of the daily grind. However, I do not recommend taking a grad school course on a one-week fast track plan, particularly when that course involves the reading and study of, and testing on, the whole Old Testament. I learned a TON in that class, and loved every bit of it. But I about killed myself and alienated my husband and kids in the process.

2. I learned that tulips are my new favorite flower. After the monotony of winter in the mid-south, those brilliant blooms are food for the soul. There's nothing like rich color to lift the spirit! Here's one of the pics I took on Saturday that didn't make it into my Toolips blog.


3. Every mom can read the seriousness of a situation by the sound of her child's cry. There's the hungry cry. There's the tired cry. There's the whiny cry. There's the scared cry. There's the angry cry. There's the hurt cry. Then there's the REALLY HURT cry. I'd never heard that one before today. Today I learned that my daughter can issue a cry that makes every hair on my body stand up, and propels my feet into jet action. Geesh, I didn't know I could still run that fast! Snapper took a fall at the park today. The fall itself wasn't bad, but how she landed was. By the time I got to her, picked her up and carried her to the picnic table to look at her ankle, it had already swelled up. We were at the doctor's office 15 minutes later and the poor little ankle was bulging out of the shoe. It looked like it had grape jelly under the skin. A quick xray and exam determined that it is not broken (praise the Lord!), but it is badly sprained. The tricky part will be keeping my very active 6-year-old off her feet for the next week.

4. I was reminded (not really new learning...) that age 2 1/2, while challenging, is also delightful. I love Pepper's emerging ability to communicate and express himself...in words! My little Pepper was so concerned for Snapper when she fell. While I was examining her ankle, he kept trying to kiss it. At the doctor's office, he hollered down the hallway, "Huwwy up, doctuh, my sit-ter (sister) gots a twisted!" When the doctor was examining the ankle, Snapper was softly crying. Pepper slapped the doctor's hand and said, "No, doctuh! Don't hurt my sit-ter!" The doctor explained that he wasn't trying to hurt Snapper, just trying to figure out what was wrong. Then Pepper said, "You go get my sit-ter a bandaid wight now!" The doctor obviously enjoyed Pepper's concern, and complimented him on how much he loves and cares for his "sit-ter." So stinkin' cute!

What did you learn this week? Leave me a comment and share one thing.

8 comments:

Tassi said...

So great to see kids caring for each other. It is hard to see our kids hurting. I am glad to hear it wasn't too serious.

Love your tulips picture. Have a great day.

Unknown said...

Great lessons - sorry to hear of your daughter's accident, but so sweet about her caring wee brother.

Melis said...

I hope you daughter is feeling better. It is so amazing how us mom's can decifer the cries of our children!

Musings of a Housewife said...

Tulips are my favorite too!!! And the Old Testament course -- oh my! I took one in undergrad and it about killed me, lol. :-)

Unknown said...

Awesome lessons! I hope your daughter is feeling better...so sorry about her accident! I could totally relate to the lesson about moms knowing their children's cries.

www.ChaseNKids.com

Alison said...

Oh how sweet that he was so concerned about his sister. Good luck keeping her entertained--I have a very active 6 yo girl too and I can just imagine!

Tammy said...

I love your lessons - I too, made tulips my new favorite flower this week. They are beautiful and represent all things spring! :)

Wendy said...

Tulips are lovely! Have you ever been to Butchart Gardens in Victoria B.C.? Hubby and I went there for our honeymoon (early May)and it was all tulips! It really looked like a fairy tale.

Sorry to hear about your little one getting hurt! That's just not fun. Good thing she had her brother there to take care of her... :o)