At least that was what a total stranger told me in the check out line at the grocery store yesterday.

I ran to the grocery store while Zoe was in speech yesterday. A really quick trip since speech lasts 30 minutes. As I’m paying for what I needed, a man behind me noticed Ace and Liam (both acting wonderful…no fits at the time…which is how they usually act when we’re out). He said, “You’ve got your hands full.”

I was shocked by the statement, because two doesn’t seem like a lot when you have three. I turned around, then his eyes got big when he saw my belly. “…and another one on the way! Wow! You need a psychiatrist.”

What!?! I was so shocked then by such a rude comment. I didn’t quite know how to respond. I just smiled and told him that I actually had a 4 year old too. He stated, “They must drive you nuts.”

Now, I’m mad because I hate comments like that around my children. Especially a 2 year old who will repeat all that is said.

I really could barely get a word in edgewise he was so taken aback and continued to expound on how I didn’t get any “me” time (Babylonian mentality…”I am and there is none besides me.”). I tossled Liam’s hair and said they were blessings as I usually say when people start making comments about my children.

I thought the “me” time was funny. I wondered how much “me” time he actually got. As I was leaving, I started calculating in my head how much “me” time I got. I made sure to tell him I got naps and after they went to bed (which totals about 4 hours a day). He laughed made it out like that wasn’t a lot. Plus, ladies Bible study on Tuesday nights…that’s another 2 hours a week. Mark gives the kids baths (something we’ve done from the very beginning), that’s anywhere from 30 minutes to another hour. And this weekend, I’m going on a Birthday scrapbooking trip with 3 friends…that’s well over 48 hours. And then count in anytime I look at Mark after having one of “those” days and I get to leave the house or take a bath or hide in our bedroom for as long as I need. I’m wondering if maybe I get more “me” time than he realizes. And anyway, it’s not about “me” at all. God has blessed us with this ministry of raising children to learn to love Him. My job is to teach them about Him and to lead them to know Him. What did he do all day???

At church and in MOPS ministry, I’m surrounded by various families. They range from one child a family to 11! This was my first rude comment (aside from the jeers of, “Don’t you know what causes that?!” Wow! Now that’s original!)…about, what I consider to be, a medium sized family. I am going to start praying now that God will equip me to have “godly” comebacks to the comments about our sweet family He’s blessed us with. I know I had an opportunity to share with this man how God had blessed our family…how this was part of our calling…how my God time and ministry time to my children was more important than my “me” time. But, I was just not prepared for the comments that were made. Usually, the most I’ve gotten is “Your hands are full.”

Oh well! Praying for more preparedness for next time…and I’m sure there will be a next time. I know the kids are watching my reaction to those comments to shape and frame how they feel about our family.

Oh, and as I was leaving he said, “God bless you.” Well, He already has!!!

Okay, I wasn’t going to post this, but then I realized it was out of sheer embarrassment on my part…however, if I get to embarras my kids with the things they say, might as well get me in on the deal too.

I went to Goodwill today in search of a nice outfit for Easter (for me). It was me and all three kids. So, we searched the racks and then headed into the dressing room (me and the three kids). As I was changing from one outfit to another, Ace starts making comments.

“Whoa, Mommy you have a weally big belly!”
“It’s because Josiah’s in there, remember?!”
“Mommy, you’re naked shiney hiney.”
“Yes, Ace, because mommy’s trying on clothes. Please use your quiet voice.”

I can only imagine what the other patrons were thinking, hearing my son yell. I thought it was quite funny, though!

Just a quick Liam update. He doesn’t have an ear infection in the right ear (the one that has been giving him trouble). He does, however, have an infection in the left ear 🙁

She also noticed that some of the congestion had moved down into his chest. And she feels that all of this may be allergy related.

So, now he is on claritin once a day, zithromax for five days and albuterol (when needed). I gave him some albuterol at lunch today and he is hyper!!! I guess we won’t do that tonight. Hopefully, that will help with the wheezing if he starts coughing.

If the claritin doesn’t work, he’ll be put on singulair like big brother. At least, this time, we can be more aggressive with the allergy treatments. I’m praying that Liam’s is seasonal allergies and not year round like Ace’s has been. I’m also prayign that the claritin works…if it doesn’t we will have to rebudget until Liam’s deductible would be met…the singulair is very expensive! We go back in 2 weeks for a ear recheck.

Liam, yet again, is running a fever! He also has a nasty runny nose with a cough. He’s also teething and drooling which adds to the junk going down his throat. Just to update: He finished up his second antibiotic for the first ear infection this past Monday. We saw the doctor on Thursday morning…when he happened to wake up with a runny nose. All was fine. He was all clear, no ear infection and the runny nose could have been more or less pollen. Liam got his shots, and then we headed out. Friday, he got to enjoy The Roar of Love ballet and was great but we noticed towards the end he was warm and fell asleep. We confirmed the fever the next day as he woke up around 6, and continued with a fever in the afternoon. Today, during church (I stayed with him during Sunday School and then met up with everyone for worship)…he started getting warm, just a few hours after his dose of acetometaphin (sorry for the misspelling Annette). By the time we got home his temp was 103.1! More acet. and then motrin about 4 hours later and he was finally feeling good…oh, add on screaming and crying from discomfort, etc. for about an hour. He took a good two hour nap this afternoon…we didn’t chance it tonight and gave him acet. when we got ready for bed. Mark spoke with our pediatrician at church and I’m bringing Liam in at 9 tomorrow! She was not happy with the symptoms Mark told her and said, “I hope it’s not his ears.” We are praying so too…he has been on an antibiotic of some sort for over a month now and when he goes off it he’s getting sick.

Here are his stats from his 15 mth checkup:
weight: 21 lb 7 oz (our small little man)
height: 30 1/2 inches (proportional to his weight)
head: 18 1/2 inches

Ace came into our room several times last night. All times waking up Liam. This morning, he got up and started talking about someone sleeping in our (Mark & I) room. I finally made out that the name was Eddie. He has three feet and he stomped down the hallway. He also has a silly nose, but not a silly hat. This is all of Ace’s description. Ace said he wasn’t here this morning that he left with his daddy. He also said that he didn’t come in his room. He also made the comment, while I was trying to figure this all out with Mark via the phone, that there were a lot of people in the house during the night. He didn’t say much else about the people…just that they were here and were loud. Eddie was the same each time he’s told it…stomped down the hallway, fell asleep in mommy & daddy’s room. Pretty weird and funny. Mark said he has a very big imagination…I agree…we’ve never read a story about Eddie. We haven’t talked about monsters in a long time (minus that Zoe and Ace both say there are monsters in a dark room and ask us to turn the light on…doesn’t really count). We all decided it was a silly lazy monster…Ace seemed fine about it but Mark and I surmised that was the reason we recieved all those night visits!

Ace has had two completely dry days and nights!!! We were so excited and I think he is encouraged by the idea of wearing Superman or Thomas underwear. He’s worn them the past couple of days with some precautions (a pull-up at church yesterday morning) but he did go to church last night with undies on and this morning to MOPS with undies on. He’s still not completely telling us he has to go potty but he’s more aware of it.

Unfortunately, in the rush to get everything in the house this afternoon, I forgot to reinforce that he needed to try and go potty…and an accident occured. However, he was very aware of it and finished going in the potty. I told him if he had an accident, we’d go back in our training pants and pull-ups and try again the next day. He was okay with that.

I’m so proud of our big boy and of us not getting stressed about it like we did with Zoe. We are all much happpier! Now if he could just tell us when he has to go.