Not Too Fast...

This week was school break for us. No preschool for the kids... no rest for 
the weary. Thankfully, the weather has been great. We've been able to 
visit multiple parks... along with the rest of the school district. It was 
difficult attempting to explain to my two year old that we had to wait for
our turn on the toddler swings, his favorite. 


Again I find myself pensive. How can time go by so quickly? Not only 
have I had my college degree for nearly ten years (gulp), but my oldest
(who you'll remember is only four), is informing me of who she will marry
when she's all grown up. My little lady has her life planned out already.
She will get married, but still live with her mommy and daddy, and have
four children, two boys and two girls. Her occupation will be, "only a 
mommy." Although today she voiced the realization that she might have
to get a job to support her four children. 


I chuckle to myself at these sweet conversations, but deep down I know 
that her grown up years aren't too far off. I think about her wedding day
and the biggest, "letting go," I'll hopefully face. It's hard enough for me 
when she's picked up for play dates with school friends. How am I going 
to handle her moving out, let alone getting married! Slow down, I remind 
myself, that's at least twenty years away, or thirty if her father has any say.


From this contemplation I'll take an appreciation of the moment and try not
to get flustered when one or both of them meltdown in public, or become 
frustrated when I find remnants of a tasty lunch all over new clothes. 
But instead I'll cherish every moment, realizing it's all part of the process, 
and make sure that above all, they know and feel how loved they are, so 
that in turn when they look back on their childhoods, they can reflect with as 
much affection as I do. 

Superhuman Mommy Senses

Earlier this week, my four year old darted away from the lunch table while 
my back was turned. Not only did I hear the swishing of wind made from 
her hasty escape, but I noted a flash of pink into the dining room from my 
extreme peripheral vision. Without turning around I calmly stated, "Avalon, 
come back to the table and finish your food." 


"How did you know where I was!?" she asked in amazement.


A scene from my childhood sparked in the recesses of my brain. "Don't 
you know that mommies have eyes in the backs of their heads?"


If it was possible for her eyes to grow wider, they did. "How did you get
them, Mommy? When did you get them?" 


I could literally see her logical young mind trying to make sense of my 
claim. "I got them when I became a mommy. You won't have eyes in the
back of your head until you become a mommy." She accepted the explanation 
without further questioning, a rarity, and returned to the table as instructed.


Today I stepped away from the kitchen for some reason and upon returning,
again she was nowhere to be seen. "Avalon, come back and finish your milk."
Instead of the much desired, "Yes, Mother," I heard a creeping then a lunge 
onto a love seat, the back of which faces the kitchen. I leaned over the couch,
and spied a disappointed face. 


"How did you know I was here?" her voice a bit exasperated. 


"I heard you. Don't you know mommies have super hearing?" This time no 
discussion ensued. 


Now in writing this, I think I may know why she wants to be a mommy and 
"only a mommy" when she grows up. Obviously, mommies have superhuman
abilities that other people are not fortunate enough to develop. Who wants 
to go to a job all day when you can have super hearing, extra eyes that permit
you to see everything, and not to mention an unnerving ability to sense when
someone is not telling the truth?


She'll be amazing no matter what she does in the future. Along with being 
proficient in whatever profession she chooses, I know she'll be an excellent
mother. 

Guest Posting Today on Redwood's Medical Edge

I'm a sucker for a good medical thriller, my favorite genre for pleasure reading.

So when I came across a blog devoted to accuracy concerning medical facts

in literature, I was intrigued. Redwood's Medical Edge is author Jordyn 

Redwood's blog. If you're a writer with a medical scene in your WIP (work

in progress), she'll be happy to review it for medical accuracy. I personally

can't stand it when I'm watching a medical show or reading a book containing

medical impossibilities or fallacies. I'm the one shouting at the TV, "You can't 

shock asystole!!" Really how many times will writers make that mistake? 

I was thrilled when Jordyn asked me if I had any ideas for a guest post. Since

the area of nursing I practice is postpartum, I took on the polarizing topic of 

home verses hospital deliveries. An issue many are passionate about. My 

goal in writing this post for Jordyn was to be sure soon to be parents make

an informed decision about where to deliver, knowing the risks and benefits

of both. You can read my guest post on Redwood's Medical Edge here. Thanks,

Jordyn, for the opportunity, and I can't wait to read your new novel, Proof, 
coming out this June!