Besides the Sky

When I was in college, a friend of mine asked me something...the question:

"What's up?" Then she followed up with, "Besides the sky..."

My lips readied for a quick, canned response of "not much", yet I paused and begin to linger on this, allowing myself to hear her words once more.

She wanted MORE than just "not much".  She was ready and willing to listen to what was going on with me in my life beyond just the surface.

Not many of us have the time, let alone actually take the time to ask someone this, or process ourselves how things are and "what's up".  Besides "the sky".

As I recall this memory, I'm smiling.  That was almost 20 years ago, yet some things never change.  I was busy then and somehow still busy as ever today.  (It took me 1 1/2 weeks to put this post together!)

Please allow me to share what's up for us, "beyond the sky".  The following are some of the many reasons for the long pauses in between posts:

Our baby is almost 2!  And in a simple, one word description: Toddler!

Into EVERYTHING (from splashing in toilets to throwing anything he finds into the washer and dryer -- WHILE it's running), he "owns" EVERYTHING in his mind and won't let you think otherwise. In true toddler form, he runs EVERYWHERE (away from me is his favorite!).  He's so incredibly sweet and just as busy!

P is, thankfully, doing really well in Pre-K, no fear or anxiety like last year.  He goes 3 afternoons a week for 2 1/2 hours while the Little Prince naps.

We recently found out P's allergic to, well, we'll make it easy and just say "everything outside", according to his most recent allergy tests.  Grass, weeds, pollen, trees, etc.

Add that to his already formed allergy of dogs (and yes, we do have a dog), and you've got a little boy with consistent hives, itchy legs/arms -- anywhere there's physical contact with all the above.  I now lube him up with Crisco each morning, first thing, and each night, to be a barrier between his skin and the allergens, give him his high powered allergy meds and touch up skin with medicated ointment in the "hot spots".  Of course, we've got his inhaler and nose spray are also on hand, as needed.

I've been charged by the allergist to vacuum the house every day and never allow P to wear the same thing twice w/o washing, due to pet dander.  Lots of work and energy but well worth every second.  We seem to have learned, fairly well, how to co-exsist with our dog and not as well with the outside world of grass and beyond.

His strong-willed personality ebbs and flows and, at the moment, is really "flowing", (if you know what I mean).  He knows how to push us as parents to our limit with his defiance, then will 2 minutes later give us the most loving embrace and sloppy kiss.  The 2 sides of passion.

When he's "on a roll", he leaves me feeling completely exhausted and depleted emotionally, mentally and physically.  Like I can't do anything right as a parent.

Thankfully, I serve a God that is big enough to restore me and fill me when I come back to Him broken and defeated.  It is His grace and love poured over me that is the ONLY way I can make it through these days that are so challenging with P.  ** Be looking for a new post soon on our latest reward system ** 

T is still in the process of adjusting to a longer school day and asks every morning if he can just have a "day off" to recover.  His awesome friends are so helpful and provide special social time at lunch and recess to help provide something to look forward to.  He's becoming quite social!  :)  I'm hoping that as he becomes a more fluent reader, learning will become easier and more captivating for him as well.

Medically for T, his Vitiligo, (the skin condition causing him to lose his skin color in various spots all over), has really spread more quickly than we had first assumed it would on arms, hands, feet, legs, back and face.

He's been given a special topical cream for his face 2x daily, (where most dramatic), and it seems to be slowing the process a bit there.  The "white spots" seem to bother him off and on, making him a bit embarrassed at given times.  No child wants to watch their skin lose its color, but he seems to be working through it as best as a 7 year old can.

We are working with insurance and his awesome dermatologist and are hoping to get a light box unit for us to have at home with the goal of the light rays slowing the loss of pigmentation over the entire body.

Keeping us busy in other ways, T and P are in soccer this fall and between them we've got 4 games each week, spanning between 2 different towns.  Getting T off the bus at 4, homework done, kids in uniforms, and dinner ready early, eating at 5 and heading out the door at 5:20 to rush to the games is a bit much, however, the boys both LOVE their teams and playing time.  This makes it worth the craziness of it all.

My sweetheart continues to stay busy with work and already made his fall trek across the country for a week earlier in September.  Thankfully, he loves his job and finds such value to be a part of fundraising for non-profits.  He truly amazes me with his selfless love that flows, seemingly effortlessly, onto myself and the boys.  I love him so deeply -- far beyond description.

In my free time, I've decided to train for a half marathon.   I've been going to our local YMCA several mornings a week (free childcare!) to train and do longer runs on weekends.  The race is coming up on Thanksgiving weekend!

Surprising me a bit, fall continues to remain the most emotion-evoking season for me.  Very bitter-sweet.  As the leaves begin to turn and cooler weather sets in, like clockwork, I can't help but remember my short 10-week pregnancy that ended in miscarriage the day before Thanksgiving 3 years ago.  And amazingly, almost 2 years ago, the heaven-sent gift of our precious Little Prince in late October.

Beauty from ashes.

Our Little Prince remains a sweet, sweet reminder daily of God's amazing grace.

Through this season of fall, God is gently teaching me that it's in my valleys -- when I feel are my darkest times -- that ironically, He tenderly weaves these times into the most vibrant of all the colors on the tapestry of my life's story...

How He does it, I do not begin understand.  But it is His wonder and mystery that is exactly what makes Him who He is.

Perfectly God.

There it is.  In a nut-shell, that's what's up with us.  Besides the sky.  :)