Outstretched Arms and Understanding

"Mommy, please don't leave me! I'm not a 'be-alone-kinda-girl!' "

My Belle pleaded these words with me moments ago. Tears streaming down her beet-red face. Blue eyes looking so scared. It's amazing to me how a face can change that quickly. Perfectly content and peaceful one moment...horribly terrified the next.

She is fine. Perfectly okay now. But for her, that little moment in time told me a great deal about her.

"I'm not either, Shelby. I don't like being alone." I reassured her.

It calmed her a little more to know her mommy agreed with her sentiments. I sat beside he, hugging her and stroking her hair that still looks like angels possibly granted her an extra dose of gold-dust. I'm constantly telling her people (including her mommy) would pay a ridiculous amount of money to get their hair the color of hers.

The kids have had trouble sleeping lately. And to be honest, it is very frustrating. As much as I wish they would stay in bed, I get part of the reason they are unsettled. (The other part is they're being stubborn!)

But, through the frustration... I forget how it is to be without the life experiences they don't yet have and be so incredibly scared and vulnerable. The things that frighten them are all they know and are very real to them. Their brains are not yet formulated to break-down all the information around them and factor in the information that 'could be' or 'might not be'. It's tough being a kid. And the experiences they have had the past two years are confusing to them. More of an unaware confusion than obvious.

Add into the mix the weather has been uncooperative lately (crazy hot or thunderstorms) plus I've been working a lot so they've been stuck inside more than I'd like them to be during their summer. In turn, they argue more than usual. Oh. So. Fun.

Next week's goal: GET OUTSIDE MORE!

What does that mean? Yep...mommy works more after their bedtime. Which is fine...as long as they stay in bed!

I love you guys more than you will ever, ever, ever know...until you have children. :-) xoxoxo (And even then, "I love you more...yes I do...yes it's possible."...inside joke!).

Always remember and never forget: It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare. ~Mark Twain