Help For Your Head

In the middle of the night, Sam was up with a fever.  Getting up with him was difficult as I don't remember the last time I slept 6 consecutive hours, let alone 8.  4 might be a more realistic estimation.  Our home has been plagued with fever and cough for the better part of 2013.  However, when someone says his stomach hurts, it has a tendency to jumpstart me.  For as much as I love sleep, I dislike cleaning up puke just as much, maybe more!  So I quickly sprang from my bed and steered Sam straight for the bathroom and threw up the seat lid in case he might throw up too.  As I held him, it was obvious he was on fire.  After  a few minutes of nothing, I decided the tummy trouble must just be nausea from fever so I set out for some supplies to help us get a little more rest.

When I returned with Tylenol and an old kitchen pot, Sam's face lit up. "Is that for me to puke in?" Sam enthusiastically inquired.

"Only if you need to," I said.

"Yippee!" Sam grabbed for the pot and hugged it tight with a cheshire type grin.

The Tylenol was not received as gleefully and took some coaxing and it was once again clear how yuck the lil guy felt.  Mid agony, Sam suddenly looked up at me, placed a hand on my shoulder and lovingly said, "Hey Mom, next time you have a headache, I know what you should do."

"What's that Sam?"

"Get some Scalpicin.  It'll get the itch out.  You'll feel better in no time" he replied with knowing eyes and a sweet smile before dropping his head back to my shoulder.

After making up a bed on my floor, I climbed into bed a smile washed over my face and I couldn't help thinking, "Oh my sweet, silly Sammi.  Thank you God for letting me be his mommy."

American

Earlier this winter, the boys' youth wrestling team was invited to be guests of honor at Austin's High School wrestling team's home meet.  The boys were told to hear Austin apparel if they had any or red to show support for the Austin teams when they were brought out for introductions.

Prior to the meet, I was rounding up the boys' shirts but could not locate the one Robby wanted.  After some searching he told me, "That's okay Mom, I'll just wear my George Washington costume."

"Why would you wear your George Washington costume?" I inquired.

"Because he was American too."

SAMisms

"My penis says it doesn't have to pee anymore," says Sam after going out of your way to help him find a public restroom before an accident might occur.

"That doesn't suck, that doesn't suck at all!" declares Sam when told Becky was taking him to McDonald's for lunch.

"I wasn't saying I love you, I was saying I'm Spiderman.  Sheew, I just webbed you," Sam told me after I told him I loved him too when he held up the sign language hand shape for me to see in my rearview mirror.

"You can't pee, just poop right?  Cause you don't have a penis," loudly informed Sam to me while in a crowded public restroom.

How Thii Came To Be

Theodore John, Teddy, Teddy Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt Bridge, Theo.  The youngest of the Wix Six has a lot of names to choose from.  The one we use the most caused us to ponder spelling.

Theo is what Michael and I found ourselves calling the little guy and eventually the boys took hold of it too.  It wasn't long though, and we found our little clan of 1 syllable name men (Ray, Rob and Sam) shortening Theo to just the 1st syllable as well.  Eventually we all dropped the O in The-o.

However, to simply drop the O verbally is one thing, but in print it isn't so simple.  Theo becomes The which is a sight word that I teach my preschoolers to read.  Add another E we thought.  Nope then it looks old English with Thee and while we do love Thee and had the long E going, the Th sound was too harsh.

That's when we had a generational epiphany.  Seeing as Theo with no O rhymes with Wii, our little guys name should be spelt Thii.

Grandma's Favorite

This is the eulogy I gave at Grandma's funeral last week.

Growing up, I knew I had a good thing going with Grandma.  In her cupboards I always knew where I could find a special treat.  There was always room in her lap for me and she always took time to sing “The end of the rainbow” song to me.  We were always able to share a good laugh trying to get the last hit in on one another.  Time and time again she did “surgery” to reattach the arm on Button Eyes, my bunnies by Billie original.  She had the patience of the saint when came to teaching me how to ‘gnore my brother, braid hair on my Barbies and  My Little Pony, crochet a set of coasters, tie my first quilt, or bake a batch of buns.  Looking back on all of this, it is easy for me to see why I was pretty sure I was Grandma’s favorite.

As I got older, but not Grandma (she was always 39 you see), I remember having a discussion with some of my cousins about this very thing and we discovered something.  Somehow, some way, we had all come to believe we were her favorite.  It wasn’t that she told us this out right with words; it was in her actions that led so many of us to feel a special connection between Grandma and grandchild that surely must have meant we are favored.  And we were; we were ALL favored.

The special treat that Grandma stocked special for you may have been a tootsie roll, or a Kit-Kat, or a jar of peanuts, or maybe a cherry slice, or a frozen fruit cup, or homemade chocolate chip cookies, but you knew Grandma kept it on hand for YOU. 

She may have sung the rainbow song, the cow shed song, boom ditty or some other tune, but she rocked and sang to each and every one of us at some point.  And you could be guaranteed as you grew up and announced your engagement; Grandma would enthusiastically volunteer to sing “CeCe Oh Playmate” or “Blue Moon” at your wedding.

In addition to the laughs we were able to share with Grandma playing dumb like a fox, many also had a special last hit, pinch, or word game (can you Rats-a-frats and Neh-ner, neh-ner, neh-ner!?) that you played with Grandma that helped you feel connected with her.  We all had a nickname Grandma liked to use: Spoofers, BJ, Phlip, Nana Banana, Jake the Snake, Kit Kat, Danni, Topher, Ash, Lissie, Aimes, Jen Jen, Tiffer. 

Grandma was always eager to help out with mending whether it was a stuffed animal that needed stitching, a hem that needed to be shortened, or a button come loose. 

Grandma taught all of us valuable lessons.  Some were in the kitchen or at the craft table.  We were all taught that if you wanted something clean, warshing was better than washing.  Many other lessons were taught from the heart as Grandma time and time again modeled for us how to care for others, welcome all and love big.  Grandma’s waiting by the window to wave good-bye, forcing us to share her with classmates for Grandparents Day, having a stocking and gift for every, and I mean every, person who came to Christmas, and getting up early to cook breakfast and wish good luck to the hunters are prime examples of her devotion and love for not only her family, but for others as well.

It takes a very special person with a big heart and lots of love to make 13 (plus 4) grandchildren feel that each and every one of them is favored.  And it didn’t stop there.  The same deep love and devotion that Grandma bestowed upon each of us was poured out onto the next generation as well.  With each and every great, we got to see all over again Grandma’s love for these babes.  First there was Lil Ray Ray and Robby, or Scott Robert, who could get her to sit in a parked truck for hours.  Next came Grandma’s Willy Lump Lump.  Grandma was so very happy when she got her 1^st great granddaughter and was able to share her wedding anniversary of March 5 with Danika, also know as little Deana Lee.  Then came Sam I Am, Calvin, Hunter, Dom, Miss Makayla and Miss MaKenzee and Grandma’s love never faltered.  She continued being able to hear and understand babies so well that somehow each and every one of them was heard time and time again saying, “I like my Grandpa, but I LOVE my Grandma.”  When her most recent great was born, Grandma made sure the hospital staff found a way for her and Grandpa to get from his hospital room to the nursery so she could meet her little Teddy bear.  Her adoration for them (and a well stocked freezer) earned her a fitting nickname of her own, Grandma Cookie.

13, plus 4, and 11 more is 28 grandchildren.  And that doesn’t even count all of the nieces, nephews, neighbors, Sunday School kiddos, friends, girlfriends, and boyfriends of ours that she also loved like only a Grandma can.  Each and every one of them loved, cherished and favored.  That takes a lot of heart.  I also think it takes a lot of faith in and love for God because her love was very much like the reflection of His.  I am so thankful that I was blessed to be one of the lucky ones who got to call her Grandma.  Thank you Grandma for the lessons, memories, and love you shared.  I know that each of us will have a freshly warshed room and open arms waiting for us in heaven.

Seven

One evening a month or so back, we were having dinner at Culver's.  I don't remember what started the conversation, but Ray informed us that 7 is a pretty special number.

"For every 7 kids, you are guaranteed a girl."

"Huh?"

"For every 7 kids, you are guaranteed a girl."

"Really?  What makes you say that?"

"That's just how it works in big families.  So you only have to have 1 more and it would be a girl."

"Well, I'm still not sure where that come's from, but would mean 3 more kids in our family.  We have 6 people, but only 4 kids."

"Oh yea.  That's what I meant."

"Hmm, that's a lot of kids.  What would we drive?"

"Well, I guess you'll have to wait a few years and then I can get another Yukon and drive some of them for you!"

Juvie

I'm sure by now, most of my readers would have to agree that Sam is a free spirit.  He is SO his own person.  He also had a bit of an independent streak to him.  This being said, you can understand why we are occasionally late for things.  You'd think by now I'd allot 5 extra minutes for him to brush his own teeth.  Oh, and 5 more to put on his shoes.  And 5 for him to buckle his own car seat.  Well, you get the picture.  It can be incredibly frustrating to find out that even after giving him extra time to find out he has not done the task he was suppose to but instead find him engaged in some sort of distraction.

The other evening we were about a block from our destination when Sam hollers from the way back for Michael to stop the truck immediately.  "Dad!  STOP!  I'm not finished buckling yet!"

"Oh, Dad's going to go to jail now!' commented Rob.

"No, Sam's going to juvie!  That's kid jail!" chimed in Ray.

I'm not sure what part of this bothered me the most, the fact that Sam was not completely fastened in or that my 8 year old knows about juvie.  Oh well, I guess back to double checking everyone's buckles for the one and prayer is about all can do for the other.