A Great Day to Be Alive

Growing up in a relatively small town (that now has its own Target!) we always had something growing across the road from my house. Corn was a favorite thanks to Field of Dreams and I remember trying to pick cotton occasionally--that really hurts if you've never done it--and this year there is wheat growing and it is just beautiful. On Saturday while I was feeding Joy Sean took Ty and Max out into the field to take pictures. Clearly Sean thought about how nervous it would make me to have my child out in the weeds-okay wheat-knowing how many snakes are surrounding my parents' house. He was sly to do it while I wasn't paying attention. The reward of his sneakiness was these pictures and what can I say...I didn't get mad at him. We're going to make the one of Ty big enough for our entryway we like it so much. He looks so old! 

P.S. I feel better knowing Max was scouting for critters out in the field by Ty. Not that I would want him to be bitten by a snake or anything but it is his job to protect the family and all. 

Okay so let's get real for a minute. Real honest. Things around here have been tricky the last few days. See, Sean went back to work this weekend and for the first time in about a month he is not here to help keep Ty's world in order. My little man is JUST LIKE my big man--he needs a schedule and order and repetition. The apple fell right under the tree in this case. Thankfully Charlie is like me and couldn't care less about any of those things :) Anyway, even with Mimi coming and Nattie staying the whole time Sean is gone, his world is a rockin' and he is, as Sean puts it, livin' on the edge. He averages about 25 fits a day, or should I say attempted fits. He knows he gets in trouble when he reaches a certain point so he goes right up to the edge of it and when I get onto him he stops. It is causing some edginess in me but I know why he's doing it so I am able to (mostly) keep myself under control. How humbling is it that a two year-old, (yes almost 3 year-old,) can tell exactly what it takes to push momma to the breaking point. 

I was so worried about Charlie that it has been a bit of a surprise how Ty is reacting to the new dynamic. I'm praying for patience and clarity for how to respond and teach him. I just know he's confused about where his Daddy is and why he hasn't come back yet. Sean will be home tomorrow night and I'm sure he'll feel VERY loved and missed when Ty sees him. That in itself will be well worth the parenting struggles. Maybe. 

Having Nattie here is extremely helpful--she's like the energizer bunny (unlimited energy and devotion to Ty,) so it's not nearly as rough as it would be otherwise. Here's hoping by the time I'm totally on my own for four days oh dear God the thought my energy level will be back to 100 % and I'll be ready. 

For now, it's still a great day to be alive and it's also a humbling experience. My old boss used to tell us that if we wanted to learn how to be like Christ we should get married and if we wanted to feel the pain and suffering that Christ went through for us we should have children. Amen brother, Amen.