If it Pours When it Rains, Should I be Feeling this Monsoon?

Ok, apparently I'm not working much this week. Kady got sick day before yesterday, which we were dealing with. Then, she wakes up yesterday wheezing and coughing. She could not breathe, and I was scared to death. Two hours, forty-five minutes later, we were out of the doctor's office. Kady received a breathing treatment (which helped immensely) and a prescription for a steroid. She was, however, still running a fever and didn't feel well. I dropped her off with my mom (THANKS AGAIN, MOM!!), and I picked up Kyler from school. He had an appointment to get his hearing tested--huge ordeal, but thankfully, normal. I guess I should get to the point: looks like the baba is in no danger of leaving anytime soon. . .

A (Soon-to-be) Goodbye to the Baba

Ah, Baba, you have served us well. We appreciate you years (!) of diligent service. We value your soothing presence, the way you have lulled Kady to sleep since early on. We appreciate your calm and quiet presence--hard to scream when you're in place! We appreciate your loyalty. We even appreciate the way you find the dark spot under the bed where no one can see you (especially at 3 am). . .Now, it is time to say goodbye. Kady will no longer be in need of your presence or your service. We shall forever be in your debt. Thank you, dear Baba, for all the ways you've helped our life.

The Kendrick's

blah, blah: AKA My Manifesto on Life

I don't have anything exciting to write about, but I'll waste your time anyway. Kevin came home this weekend. It's really nice that he is so close. The kids were wild and wonderful this weekend. It was really fun getting to see Teresa and her kids on Saturday (Happy Birthday, Teresa!).

We went to church Sunday and Sunday night [way too hard to get used to for this former Methodist : )]. After we left, Kyler and I went to the car wash. It's a new car wash and I will NEVER use it again. My car is still dirty. Again, I digress. . .Anyway, we stopped at a gas station even though I think I had enough gas to make it to work today. (I had to give the boss a ride last week after she ran out of gas, and I guess I'm still a little skittish about running out of gas.) Ssssssoooooo, we stopped to get some gas, and guess who I saw?! There, at a little gas station in Arkansas, was a guy I grew up with. He now lives in KENTUCKY. What are the chances? It was so good getting to see him and meet his very sweet wife and adorable little girl.

I guess I was feeling nostalgic on the way home. I know some of you hate class reunions, homecomings, etc. I don't. I think it is so neat to see what has happened to everyone. I am not a competitor in this area of my life. I don't judge (or at least try not to). I just like to listen and see the person I used to know has become. My manifesto of the typical life goes something like this:

First, we're children. We know so little but are constantly learning. We know right and wrong. We know what we should do, where we should be, and who we are. We also know exactly what we will be and what we will do when we become adults. Then, we're adults. We still know so little, but most are rooted in their current level of knowledge. We know right and wrong. We don't always do what's right and avoid what's wrong. We have no idea what we should do, where we should be, and who we are. We waste all of our time trying to figure out these things. Before we realize it, life has just kinda happened to us. We look around and realize we're just bumbling along, trying to figure it out as we go. And that's as much as I claim to have figured out. . .

Colorblind? Not Anymore!

Kyler and I went to the eye doctor yesterday. (I am now trying contacts. How do you people stand this thingy always on your eyeball? But I digress. . .) The eye tech tested Kyler for colorblindness. I am not sure she had ever had anyone who was actually colorblind. She kept pointing to the circle and saying, "What number is in this one?" He would say, "There's no number in that one." She would point to the circle and say, "No, what NUMBER is in this CIRCLE?" I finally had to signal over his head and tell her that he IS colorblind.

Next, they moved us back to a room to see the optometrist. Since I knew they'd tested (and he'd failed) and since Kyler is in denial, I told him to ask the eye doctor if he was colorblind. He did. She told him that they had tested, and he hadn't gotten all of them right. Yes, he did have some colorblindness. He said, "No. I used to be colorblind, but now I'm not." She kinda smiled and said, "Honey, it's not something you grow out of. It's genetic." He said, "I am not colorblind. I can tell my red crayon from my brown crayon." And that was that. He still refuses to believe he is. . .dare I say it?. . .colorblind. (I keep telling him that his daddy and his uncle are colorblind. It's really not a big deal. He insists it is, and he's not, and that's that.) Help, anyone?

My Guys are Dorks. . .Your laugh for the day

My husband just bought a new pickup-yea, us, a new payment. . .Anyway, he has officially joined the "I have a CD player in my car" Era (about time, huh?). (The Jeep has a tape player.) Ssssssooooo, Kevin did what every male does. . .he went to Best Buy. He bought CD's. Are you ready? He bought 1) Guns N Roses 2) Nirvana 3) Hank Williams, Jr. Don't you know the 12 year old who checked him out thought, "OLD GUY! OLD GUY!!"

Now comes the part where I tell you what my son said. Kyler said, "I bet they named them Guns N Roses because they're for guys. Guys like guns and guys like girls and girls like roses."

Total dorks, right? Now, I just wasted your time by posting this, so that makes us a family of dorks. Do you think there's hope for Kady?

A Mother's Prayer of Thanks

Dear God,
You are amazing! Only You could use a nap and a long car ride to bring a mother and son closer together. It had been years since Kyler and I had so much time to talk--really, truly talk. Kyler, little boy that he is, is usually about as deep as his father, which is to say as deep as a typical Ozark mud hole in August. This not being your typical August, yesterday was amazing.

We went to see Kevin this weekend and had a lot of fun. I wish we could have stayed longer, but we had to be back for the start of school. Kady immediately fell asleep when we started back. I put in the new Third Day CD--just got it Saturday! Kyler opened his mouth and out spurted the most amazing things. So often we dismiss what kids are thinking/feeling/doing, etc. Let me tell you, as adults, we are (or at least I am) giving these kids too little credit.

Kyler announced that he thinks God is urging him to be a paleontologist and minister when he grows up. Now, he's not yet eight, so there's not much telling what he'll end up doing, but I can feel God doing great things with him. (I can tell you that this would be employing the gifts God gave him. . .) God has done so much with and for our family so far.

It was truly amazing to hear the words of wisdom and insightful thinking flow from his mouth. I so wanted to keep the conversation going, but I could hardly say anything: I was thanking God for giving us this opportunity. Kyler just kept talking. We talked about how hard it is to have faith sometimes. We talked about how easy it would be for God to make us "robots" or to show us that He is real so everyone would believe. We talked about faith--how we need faith, how He does show us He's here for us, and He is here for us, if we only look. We talked about the devil and people who do bad things. We talked about loved ones we've lost because of bad things. We talked about the devil's power and God's BIGGER power. We talked about what hell is like. It was profound and moving.

God showed me my son. He showed me my faith. He showed me Kyler's faith. Kyler has always been a philosopher. He would ask these huge questions and just listened as you stumbled over an answer. You knew he was listening, because days later, he would come up with some obscure comment regarding the topic. (He once told me he wanted to save $10.00, so he would have enough money to give to God when he got to heaven. . .missed that one big time, huh?) But yesterday. . .yesterday, we had a conversation--thanks to a God who can move mountains and create floods in August.

Thank you, God, for all you do for us.

Mommies Need Friends, Too

Blah. Irritated at Kevin. That's how I was feeling at lunchtime today. I had already talked to a friend and mentioned lunch the day before. Today, I was trying to get out of it. No one wants to eat lunch with someone. . .um. . .unpleasant. She-who-shall-remain-nameless-on-here-because-she-didn't-tell-me-I-could-publish-her-name-for-everyone-to-see (let's call her sheila) would not let me back out. She made me go to lunch with her. I am so glad. I seriously needed that. Too often, as mothers, we don't make time for our friendships. We have time for school, church, baseball, basketball, and laundry (seriously? Folks, we have time for LAUNDRY and not each other?). Why don't we make time for our big-girl friendships?

I remember my mother having very few friendships as I was growing up. I understand. Most of the time, I don't make the time for my friends either. I do think it is easier today to keep in touch with friends with our technology. I am so glad I can drop a text message to so many of you or send an email or call you on my cell (or as Kyler insists on calling it--a "sell-o") phone. So, not to get all sentimental and emotional, but I THANK YOU to all who are my friends. Thanks for answering all those texts, emails, and calls when I needed y'all. Thanks for always being there. Let's really make time for each other. Not the passing, "hey, let's do lunch," but a real honest-to-goodness quality time together. Thoughts, comments, anyone?

Oh, and Sheila, thanks again!! I needed that!!!

Denial. . .Fun for the Whole Family

My father's family is arguably more functional and mentally stable than my mother's family. (Not always a hard race to win, trust me!!) I tell you this to tell you that I long ago figured out the "how" (not the "why," if you'll notice). D-E-N-I-A-L. A person can function through anything using this technique. Here's my little secret: I use this technique at almost every funeral I go to. I watched an aunt perfect this, and it works well. You do eventually have to come to terms with the circumstances, but it helps to function within the social setting of a funeral. (I've lost some of you. You think I've just given up what sanity you had given me credit for. I beg to differ. I think this bodes well for my chances of being sane. . .I am using the denial to cope and am aware of the strategy. . .That's my story, anyway!)

I have discovered that the rest of my family uses this technique as well. Again, I am hoping this indicates good mental health for my children. Kyler is colorblind. Don't tell! He refuses to accept this and gets MAD when someone suggests he might be colorblind. I keep thinking we'll have some type of breakdown similar to the scene in Little Miss Sunshine when he finally comes to the realization that, Yes, he is colorblind. . .Stay tuned.

Kady, who is not potty-trained, is the most-interested kid in being potty-trained. I've been saying that I think she is ready for the last 6 months. I don't want to rush her, however (she is my baby, after all!). Anyway, she will go sit on the potty. She will tell you she needs to go and then refuse to sit on the potty. She will not tell you she needs to go but will bring you a diaper. If you ask her the logical question to any of these, you will get complete denial. Sample dialogue:
"Kady, did you poopoo?"
"Noo-oooo"
"Are you sure? I think you poopooed"
"No, Mama, no" [giggle]

Do you feel my pain? Oh, well, I'm sure she'll be potty-trained well before kindergarten. . .(Did you feel the denial?)

Caught Between Two Worlds

Boys are difficult. Parenting boys is easy but mysterious, uncharted ground when they are small. As they grow, they belong to two worlds. My son has always been the sweetest little guy you will ever met. He loves life. He loves to make people laugh. He loves animals. He loves to learn about animals--sometimes to the point of no return. . .but that's another post. He loves people, all kinds/shapes/sizes/ colors/cultures/disabilities. On our vacation to Myrtle Beach, he played with a young lady (around 12 or so) with cerebral palsy. He was very loving, very gentle, very "normal" with her. I would love to take the credit. After all, we once trick-or-treated the rehab wing of the hospital I was working at, including recent amputees, stroke patients, etc. However, he has always been this way. God made him extremely loving and empathetic from day one.

As Kyler grows, he is expected to join this "manly" world, where emotions, kindness, softness are discouraged, or at the very least, considered secondary to toughness, aggressiveness, competitiveness, and resourcefulness. Those latter things are not necessarily bad, mind you. Kyler has always been quite athletic, so those skills will serve him well. I am just not prepared for my son to give up what makes him, well, him. God made him loving and kind for a reason. I agree, he can be competitive. He can be resourceful. He can even be aggressive, when it is called for. Don't make him change his very personality to be that way.

Also, (in an I-guess-I'm-not-as-over-this-as-I-thought-I-was moment,) don't ever talk to my son as if he doesn't deserve your respect. He does. He deserves more respect than you will ever know. I will try my hardest to forgive someone who wrongs me, but if you wrong my son, it will take God's forgiveness. That is something He and I are still working on when it comes to someone (an adult, mind you!) verbally attacking my son in public.

Oh well. I have to end on a light-hearted note. Kyler told me this morning, "Mom, EVERYTHING costs money!"

Mom said, "Yes, I know."

Kyler, in that great comeback, dry, matter-of-fact way he has, said, "That's why we should just trade stuff. Trading doesn't cost anything. And that trade I made yesterday was a good trade. Jarrod and I were both happy. (Plus, mine that I traded just came from McDonald's, so I think I got the better trade. Don't you, Mom?)"

How can you argue with that??

Daddy's Girl

From the moment we talked about having children, my husband was terrified that we might have a girl. It's not that he doesn't like girls. He has always enjoyed playing with, teasing, harassing everyone else's daughters. From Meriel, Marina, Aziza, and Kalie, Kevin terrorized and teased those girls until they either hated or loved him--I'm not sure which.

I think Kevin thought that a little girl would have him wrapped around her finger. A little girl would get away with anything. A little girl would. . .eventually bring home a young man. That was the biggest fear. Kevin was quite a little hell raiser in his day. If any daughter of his dated someone like Kev. . .well, it just might kill him.

Fast forward a few years. Ever since Kady was born, Kevin has been crazy about her. It is so amazing to see their relationship grow as Kady grows. At first, he was scared he might hurt the "little princess." Now, he proudly tells everyone that she's "quite a handful." (He was embarrassingly proud when the babysitter told me that she was doing quite well at defending herself from the bigger kids.) He makes plans for what he's going to buy her one day (Don't ask, and I still have some veto power!). Yes, she has him wrapped around her finger. Yes, she gets away with anything. And yes, one day she will bring home . . .a BOY. (The horror!! Just the thought has me near tears now.) I wouldn't have it any other way. . .and neither would Kev.

swallow--don't gag! no, swallow, now!!

Those of you who know me well know that I am NEVER on time. (Don't tell my dad! He's always 90 minutes early. "Better get there. Something could happen, you know?" "What, Dad? A nuclear holocaust? In that case, Dr. Ezell will have bigger things to do than work on your teeth!") I am lucky that work allows me to be. . .um. . .flexible in my arrival and departure. Amazingly, I was running ahead of schedule this morning. (I know, makes you wonder about the state of the universe, huh?) Well, I called work this morning to ask if I should make the blessed Friday donut run. They were amazed that I was out and about that early. After assuring them I was who I said I was, and no, I didn't get cloned by aliens or stay out all night. . .really, what is their opinion of me??, I headed to the donut store. Turns out I would still be late to work. . .

Have you ever tried to talk a 7yo into swallowing a pill? (Kyler has an ear infection, and I have to say, he swallowed the pill with little difficulty last night.) After 30(!) minutes of cajoling, harassing, threatening, etc., I left him hysterical and me emotionally traumatized. (And we wasted 3 good antibiotic pills!) We have since befriended the pharmacist and gotten liquid medicine. Some things are not meant to happen! (Sorry, Dad!)

and how was your weekend?

Hello, all. (A very special hello to R.F. and J.F.!) I am proud to announce that I have new tires!! Yea!! Hopefully, this means no flat tires (although I hate to think what this means for Worley's Tire. . .). So much for the weekend. . .I had a stomach bug all weekend. This means that my weekend without the kids (otherwise known as "I-can-tackle-anything-weekend" turned into "Maybe-I'll-just-sleep-in-the-bathroom" weekend). (Sorry--too much info, huh?) Anyway, I think my kids both had fun. Kady had her first camping experience (in a camper, so it SSSOOO doesn't count, right? : ). Kyler got to go to a real Native American Pow Wow. I can't wait to see his pics. He had so much fun! It has been so much fun to get to know new people through this "blogging thingy." Thanks so much to all those who share so much with the rest of us through their blog, and thanks to you lone souls who take the time to read this blog. : )

what next?

Short story: I had a flat last night, and I changed it. Slightly longer and more accurate story: I had a flat last night and my brother lended support via phone while I changed the flat.

Ever had one of those weeks? You know, it's not the big stuff that gets me. I have had one of those weeks where every little thing that could go wrong did. . .I'm trying very hard to be positive, and truly, when I step back and consider, it could be so much worse. This week I could say. . .
thank you to the tire shop for the loaner tire (has anyone ever heard of a loaner tire?)
thank you that I have money to get new tires (They'll be in Monday)
thank you to the electric company for their swift and pleasant service (despite incompetency in the office. . .)
thank you to all the friends who've brightened my week
thank you to all the family who've also brightened my week.
thank you to my husband for being so take-charge
thank you to my brother for being so helpful over the phone (and offering to drive over and help me)
thank you that my car runs (even if it has nothing to run on. . .)
thank you to my kids for being so patient when mommy is so cranky and busy
thank you to kelly for reading this ; )
thank you to friends who ask, "How are you?" and mean it
thank you to paula for helping me see that things could be worse
thank you to mom for being so quiet when I ranted and yelled FOREVER one night.
thank you God for not giving me more than You and I can handle. . .

Oh, and thank you God that there are people who change tires for a living and I'm NOT one of them!!!