Winter

As a quick update, I am much further along (though still not done with) Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids by Dr. Markham. It continues to be life changing and wonderful. It may take years to completely forgive my parents but I am not having so much trouble with it, in truth.

I am having some trouble with winter. My joints are flaring up. My immune system is kicked into high gear because of the illnesses fostered in my little peetry dish youngsters.

But this  winter has nothing on LAST winter. Last winter, my pain left me weeping most nights... Pain coupled with fear, of not understanding why I was in pain. Last winter I hobbled around because it hurt to walk, worked my shoulders in an attempt to make them stronger, and got monthly cortisone shots, thanks to a misdiagnosis. I berated myself for not being able to do basic house chores and I blamed myself for being, as I saw it, a bad mom/housewife. Wow... I was harsh on myself!

This winter, I have a team of very understanding doctors. I have friends, grandparents, babysitters, house cleaners, people to lean on! and I even have my four year old, whose thoughtfulness and helpfulness has grown to astound me. The other day Leon saw Torrin, my two year old, about to climb on me. With amazing deftness, he engaged his little brother by inviting the Torrin-tiger to climb somewhere else, and he smoothly mentioned, "Mom is not for climbing." It was a moment of such good parenting I could not have done better myself.

There are still things I don't understand and plenty of things that scare me, but tonight I thank the muses I have good people around me.

Ah, Team, Team, Team, Team, Team. I even like saying the word!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoMW8VYb_GE&noredirect=1