From a Small and Simple Thought

{I never got to write anything about my mom for Mother's Day about why she is so wonderful, but I'll recount what happened last night and let that speak for itself.}

Last evening we attended Kendle's softball game in Richland. It was a hot but beautiful day. Cooper had been dealing with a little bit of a temperature all day due to teething issues and I wasn't too keen on the idea of taking him out in that weather, but was determined to not miss another game and have our whole family there to support Kendle. We loaded up all the kids, the huge double stroller, and all of our gear and supplies we needed to take with us. We had to take two separate cars so Riley could leave straight from the game to soccer practice. When we got to the field I found a nice shady spot for the twins to hang out in their cool stroller and they seemed pretty content. As luck would have it they needed an ump, so Riley ended up having to fill that job and I was left with the three little ones. My mother-in-law and my mom showed up a bit later to help a bit and watch the game. In between chasing Morgan, getting him out of the mud, shooing him away from the water fountain and the puddles, and taking him to the bathroom I was only able to watch a little of the game. The babies soon got fussy and tired of their stroller and we ended up having to hold them most of the time as well. The little patience I had had upon arriving at the game was completely zapped.

As mentioned, right after the game Riley had to jet off to practice so my mom helped me round up kids, pack up our stuff and head back to the car where it took a good ten minutes to get everyone back in the car and figure out how to squash the huge stroller back in it's original space in the car so I could get the door shut. Kendle wanted a treat, Morgan wanted to play on the toys, the babies were crying and I wanted to go drive myself off a cliff. So much noise, so much chaos, everyone was unhappy. I quickly said my thanks and goodbyes to my mom and mother-in-law, hopped in the car and raced back to Pasco telling kids to be quiet and calm down the whole way. I didn't have time to make anything for dinner, nor was I in the mood to make something, so I tried to be the fun cool mom for a moment and drove the kids through Sonic to get some food and a little ice cream. After getting the food and pulling into our driveway, once again chaos errupted. "Help take things inside" I say to the kids as I grab big armfuls of stuff to pack back inside which pretty much fell on deaf ears. I unlock the front door and the kids immediately rush to the counter to start eating (and fighting) while I go back to get the rest of the stuff and the babies out of the car. I plop everything in a big pile by the door, and set about getting the babies out of their car seats..

As I start to get Cooper out of his car seat I realize he is more than just fussy he is super hot and really sad. I take his temperature and sure enough he has a fever. I start applying cool washcloths and trying to soothe him. I had one of those out of body moments were you look around and you feel like you're in the eye of a storm. Kids fighting, babies crying, you can't think a coherent thought without being interrupted by noise. I was so exhausted and frustrated and I only have two arms -not enough in times like these. I still had kids to bathe and put to bed, Kale needed to be fed and changed, the house needed tidying up and I was worried about poor little Cooper and what to do. It was about 7:30 or so at this point. At the exact moment I thought I had completely and officially gone insane and felt totally discouraged, I heard someone trying to open the front door and then knocking on it. I had no idea who it could be. I opened the door and there was my mom.

She told me she got as far as the freeway heading back to Oregon and had a thought that she should turn around and come back and help me.

I couldn't have been more thankful she was there. I instantly felt a huge wave of relief wash over me the minute she walked through the door and I knew everything would be ok. Even though she had to get up early for work the next day and still had a 45 minute drive ahead of her, she stayed until Riley got home at 9:30. She helped get the older kids to bed, rocked and soothed babies, and gave a listening ear to my frustrations. It's acts of kindness like this that personify my mother. She always puts others before herself and constantly serves her family. She never seeks accolades, glory, or public acknowledgment for her good works. She is a quiet miracle worker with a humble and loving attitude. There is no better example I could have for what kind of mother I want to be like and what kind of grandmother I hope to be someday.