parenting

Raise your hand if you've ever spent a week wiping goop out of your toddler's eyes.

(Hand raised).

Raise your hand if your toddler suddenly went from cool, calm, and collected to testy, tired, and tantraum-ey.

(Um, both hands raised).

Guys, can I confide in you for a minute?  It's been a... how should I put this... a tough, trying, and all together difficult week of parenting. It started on Monday when Graham puked once every hour and had goop running out of his eyes and nose. Gross, I know, but I need to be a little graphic so you can feel my pain. Since Monday, he just hasn't been himself. He seems to be developing a habit that is common to many toddlers, but one he has never grasped. I'm talking about fit-throwing. Yep. There have been some doozies this week. Like, make mama's blood boil doozies. It's crazy, because one minute, he is happy-go-lucky, but as soon as something doesn't go as he expected, bam! He's in a state of fury. I'm really hoping it's just a symptom of this virus he's had all week and that it will go away along with the coughing and sneezing and runny nose. In the meantime, any parenting advice would be more than welcome. How do you handle a testy toddler?

Plus, the weather has been awful. Just rainy and windy and gross. March has definitely come in like a lion.

In more ways than one.

Because a couple of days ago, a fellow book club member (Yes, I go to book clubs. Two, actually. Don't judge.) discovered that her two-year-old son has a tumor on his spine. As a parent, this news does many things to my emotions. Obviously, it shines some perspective on my own goopy-eyed situation, but I don't need to go into those details, because, well, this is not about me anymore. Now, I'm asking you to send some prayers or positive feelings or whatever you believe in to this family. I haven't asked for permission to use their name, so just send your prayers to a family of 10 (8 kids! plus the parents) living in Naples, Italy. I know they are really hoping for a miracle right now.

Sorry to end with such sad news. I just can't stop thinking about this family, which inevitable makes me want to write about them..

Thanks for listening. 

Here's hoping March goes out like a lamb.