Sticky Hands, Warm Heart

Being a mom of 2 has definitely been a challenge. Couple that of course with moving and the many other stresses of life right now and I might as well be fitted for a straight-jacket!

The funny thing about coming home from the hospital with a newborn in my arms and a 3 year old awaiting is the moment you lock eyes with your first born only to know that "this is it"...the moment her life will change forever. It's not just R and D and Wyn makes three anymore. This is the Ross FAMILY. I remember a similar experience when we brought Wyndham home from the hospital. My parents had kept Ella (our 100lb black lab) for us for a few weeks after we got home to give us some alone time with Wyndham. The moment that Ella galloped back into our yard, I thought, "This is it...our first baby isn't the baby anymore"... I of course, cannot even being to compare Wyndham to our dog (!), but there is a similar epiphany involved...life changes.

I am happy to say that Wyndham has been doing outstanding as a big sis. She loves "Baby Sophie" and can't wait to help, to talk to her, and her favorite, "pet her head". She drags her desk chair up to the crib, leans in and says things like, "It's ok sweetheart. Don't cry. You're ok. We love you." She likes to sit in her pint-size rocker next to me with her baby dolls and feed and rock them to sleep while I do the same with Sophia. It's very cute.

On other fronts though, she has found her three year old stride as every other question is WHY, everything she touches breaks, and defiance is the name of the game. Here is a typical conversation with Wyndham:

W- Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy
D- What hon?
W- Mommy look at me. Mommy, look at my face. I'm going to tell you something. Everybody listen.
D-What is it Wyn?
W- (looking around for something to say...this usually takes 30 seconds or longer)...ummm...Why were we not born when Jesus made the world?
D-Uhhh..well, God knew about us even then Wyndham, but he hadn't created us yet.
W- Why?
D- Because it was a very long time ago...
W- Why was it a long time ago?
D- Because the world has been around a long time and many other people had to be born before it was our turn.
W- Why? Why does Jesus live in Heaven? Can we get wings and fly up and play with his toys?
D- Someday Wyn, When Jesus comes back to take us home to be with Him.
W-Why does He do that?
D- Do what?
W- Why does he take us to heaven?

You can see where this is going...in circles! I will say however, most of these conversations inevitably lead to a four point presentation of the gospel. Even if the conversation begins with something random like, "Why can't giants carry our house to Chicago?"...Somehow we always end up talking about the depravity of man... in "toddlerease" of course:)

Wyndham has been Randy's "special friend" these last few weeks too. As much as he loves this, he is trying to finish the attic remodel before we move...toddlers and powertools don't mix. I can't tell you how many times I am sitting in the nursery downstairs only to hear 30 seconds of little feet running around in our room, followed by the crash of some tool on the floor, followed by a loud reprimand from Randy, followed by 3 minutes of wailing (Wyndham), followed by 3 minutes of silence (Wyndham in time out), followed by laughing and giggling as Randy and Wyn (apparently NOT in time-out anymore) resolve the issue at hand. Story of my life... :)

Yesterday, Wyndham had been getting on my last nerve. She was doing flips on the couch, which knocked her glass of milk ONTO the couch, and then she proceeded to fall and hit her elbow on the coffee table. Later in the day, I was hoping to have some special "mommy and Wyn" time with her to make up for the morning disaster, so I commissioned her to help me to prepare dinner. This turned out to be disaster #2 as every piece of fruit I cut up, she popped into her mouth instead of the bowl. It's a little difficult to make fruit pizza if there is no fruit. When she started getting into the knife drawer and brandishing it as weaponry, I knew we were done.

I occupied her with something else only to come back to my cooking in the kitchen. I was preparing Williamsburg Soup from scratch, and a fruit pizza for dessert. I went on with my recipe which involved making "gravy cream" to add to the broth. Well...mush-brain me didn't smell the jar of what I thought was FLOUR before I put it into the soup...Yeah...it was powdered sugar. Powdered sugar and Chicken broth don't make a great combo.

It had taken me nearly and hour and a half to cut up all of the ingredients for the soup, and in one swift cloud of white, it was ruined. My sugar-cookie fruit pizza dough didn't cook well either. It over flowed from the side of the pan and starting burning in the bottom of the oven. A few moments after the smoke cleared, I cut my finger on a knife and was bleeding profusely all over the floor...I had no option but to bawl like a baby and run to my room.

Wyndham, ever so concerned with mommy, ran after me. "Why you cry like a baby mommy?" she asked as she tenderly stroked my hair. "Let me kiss your boo boo". I told her it was more than that, Mommy was stressed out because nothing seems to be going right and she is worrying about life. I went on to share that God tells us not to worry though, so mommy needs to pray to ask Him for help.

"I will pray with you mommy" she said and she grabbed my bloody finger and bowed her head and closed her eyes. "Dear De-Jus, please help mommy's boo boo and make her not to worry. In De-Jus name, Amen."

Could this tiny little being who had been annoying me all day have such insight, such awareness? Toddlers are fascinating people. I'm so thankful that God communicates with us through our children...tiny, sticky hands and all.