A Little Comic Relief

If you're the least bit human, you're probably still reeling from yesterday--even if you aren't a runner, even if you didn't know anyone running, even if you don't have any connection to the city of Boston. Because the emotions of horror and devastation in the face of unspeakable tragedy are just human nature. Thank goodness for that. For the goodness in human nature. Because it shows that even when things seem to be at their worst, we can still have faith in the human race as a whole. Thank goodness that we're also learning to spread the stories of the goodness and heroism along with the heartbreak. Thank goodness that our hope of redemption still has the chance to overcome the hopelessness of despair. I think at some point, though, we need to understand how easily we can become over-saturated in the despair. Sometimes to the point that we stop living our own lives in the way we should. Last night, after being glued to the news that just capitalized upon the horror and sensationalized the details, after hearing nothing new [be it heroic stories or despairing facts] in over an hour but seeing the same tragic clips again and again, I knew it was time to turn off the TV, time to close the computer. I knew it was time to quiet myself, take action in the one way I knew I could actually help--prayer--and remember to recognize all the good in my own life. Because the returning theme in all of these tragedies is that we need to keep honoring life. Our life, others' lives. Even as we continue to grieve and pray with our whole hearts, we need to give ourselves permission to laugh with our whole hearts, too, and embrace the pure joy of life. Because taking advantage of the moments we've got right now is what life's really all about.

So today, in light of yesterday's events, I'm trying to keep that up, trying to do what I should be doing every day--really appreciating the life I've been given and the gift of the people who are in it. And since so much has happened already today that's been both positive and highly entertaining, I felt it might be worthy of a  rather impromptu post. Hopefully it can bring some laughter to your day in the same way it did to mine!

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So in one part positive, two parts comic relief, here is my dose of joy for today...starting with my conversation with Erik last night:

Me: "Hey buddy, don't you want to get in your bed?"
Erik: Grunt.
Me: "Do you want me to carry you to your bed?"
Erik: "Uhn-uh!"
Me: "You sure? I don't want your neck to hurt in the morning. If you get tired of the floor just take your stuff back to your bed, okay?"
Erik: Grunt.

And this is how I found him this morning...

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Today, while making herself a quesadilla in the microwave, Marie revealed how in tune I am with her literary progress:
Marie: "Mommy, can I press the button that says 'clear/off' now?"
Me: "How do you know the button says that?"
Marie: "Because I can read it." [in a tone that said 'no duh, mom, what kind of stupid question is that?!']

And just like that, my little girl (who I swore was still learning all her lower-case letters just a few months ago) is like, totally reading. 

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Ethan isn't far behind in his verbalization progress, which he picks up by and large from big bro and sis. Today, I caught him once again in an all-out tug-of-war; he was trying to retrieve his blanket that was stuck between his crib slats, yelling "YETGO! YETGO!" indignantly at his crib. He's learned that magic phrase "let go," of course, during epic battles to maintain possession of the toy that big brother is always trying to wrestle away from him. Unfortunately, the crib is just as unrelenting as big brother, regardless of how loudly and desperately poor Ethan bellows, "YETGO!!!" Sorry buddy...crib wins again.

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At lunch, having gotten himself caught between a rock and a hard place after backing wildly into the corner cabinet during a tantrum, Ethan was enraged yet again:

The thing that made it even better? His woeful little voice crying out "SHTUCK! SHTUCK!" as he tried in vain to frantically wiggle out of his tantrum trap. While I laughed hysterically and took a picture of him, no less.

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And finally, my little corner cabinet kiddo might just beat his brother to the chase in the potty training department. After arriving home from an appointment this morning, Ethan went upstairs to find his blanket and pacifier, because life as a toddler is hard (and the blanket was no longer stuck in the crib). He waddled back downstairs after a bit, dragging his blanket behind him like Linus. As soon as he saw me, he looked up with pride and announced with  great gusto: "POO- POO!" A quick sniff test revealed that it was true--he did indeed have both a dirty diaper and the wherewithal to tell me what he did. Though it was the first time, I have high hopes that his future diapering days may be short-lived!


That's all for now--feel free to share your own comic relief as we all keep the love and prayers going!