* not to press the snooze button.
* exercise at least three times.
* finish my bible study homework. before the day its due 😉
* watch the netflix movie that has been sitting there for over two weeks that i haven't had time to watch.
* make a trip to goodwill and make returns so that i can get all those bags out of my car. and wash my car, since it still has coffee on it from this moment of brilliance.
But I do just have to point out one thing that I realized during the debates last week:
Sarah Palin had a baby five months ago. Her fifth baby. And she is perfectly polished, running for vice president, and debating with the big boys on national television.
I had a baby six months ago. My third baby. And I can barely get time to shower, can't find my keys and am not 100% sure what day it is.
I really can't help but be a least a little impressed. Girlfriend has it together.
I wonder what she eats for breakfast.
We had gone to the pool that morning. We got home and took the girls inside to get them showered and packed up for our outing that afternoon. After the girls were all dressed and settled, I began to make lunch.
"Could you bring Colin up?" I asked Husband. "He'll need to eat soon."
"Where is he?" Husband asked.
"I don't know, where did you put him when you brought him in from the car?"
"I thought you brought him in," he replied.
We looked at each other for a second. Then tore out of the house.
Colin was still in his car seat.His face was bright red, there were tear stains on his little face and he was super warm. We scooped him up and brought him in the house and began cooling him down. He wasn't even crying anymore – he was so hot and exhausted.
We had left our baby, our two-month-old baby, in the car. For over 20 minutes. In 90 degree weather. With the windows up. Even now, 4 months later, I cry when I think about him: hot, strapped in his car seat and crying. Crying for us to come get him. And we weren't coming.
The responsibility of being a parent is overwhelming. We have been entrusted with these helpless little babies. And we forget how fragile they are. Things often go so smoothly that we forget how things can change in a heartbeat. I almost lost my baby because I was distracted and careless.
It is so easy to judge when you hear about some baby who died after being left in the car. Or the toddler who is run over in their own driveway. Or the preschooler who drowns in the family pool. We're saddened, of course. But part of us thinks "What kind of careless, neglectful parent lets that happen?"
We think we're better parents than that.
Something like that could never happen to us. Only to "someone else."
We are all human. We all make mistakes, are careless or get distracted. It is by the grace of God alone that Colin is okay and we didn't end up on the news as a tragic story related to the heat wave.
And I know how we roll our eyes as the pediatrician lectures us on not leaving the baby on the changing table or about bathtub safety. Of course we know all about that. We're good parents! But there are also good parents out there who just made a simple mistake that ended up having dire consequences. And not one of us is above making mistakes.
God was merciful in protecting my baby. I was lucky.
Its taken me several months to share this with you. Because I was embarrassed and ashamed. But I needed to share. If only to show you that "someone else" was almost me.
Does it seem a bit ridiculous that the Disney Store has the, well, nerve to charge $39.50 for a Tinkerbell costume? That does not even include the wings?? And then charge an additional $14.99 for the wings? That adds up to $54.49.
$54.49!!!
For a TINKERBELL costume!!
The dress that probably has the least amount of fabric, with the possible exception of Jasmine?
UPDATE:
Found this morning at Wal-Mart, Rosetta, the pink disney fairy:
"Ellie is ruining my life!!!"
Said by four-year-old Grace. About five-year-old Ellie. When fighting over a stuffed dog.
Oh, I can't wait until they are teenagers.
Where are those parenting books?
We just got Planet Earth from Netflix. We were so excited to watch it with the kids. Because they just love animals.
"Oh, Mom! Look at all the Caribou! Look at them running, they are so beautiful! Look! Wolves! Look, they are running too! Wait. Mom? MOM!!! WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO THE BABY CARIBOU!!???!! AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Can you just imagine the tears. And questions about why the wolves would be so darn mean to that caribou. And the explanations about the circle of life, how animals survive, how God created the world to work… And more tears about the poor baby caribous who don't have mamas anymore because mean wolves ate them and more explanations about how God will take care of those poor orphaned baby caribous.
And nevermind when we got the part with the baby seal and the great white shark. In slow motion.
Jeez. At least when we watch this with Colin he'll just say, "Awesome! Blood!!"
