I love the fact that I can stay home with my girls. It’s a huge blessing that we are able to live on my husband’s salary (albeit with budgeting) so that I can stay home to raise our daughters. I can be there for their important moments; I can show them my love that much more and teach them things that I want them to know. However, loving the fact that I can take care of them doesn’t mean always loving the actuality of taking care of them 24/7. Joel gives me breaks when he can, but he’s tired, too. After all, he works throughout the week and then comes home to a not-so-well-organized house, a touchy toddler, and a sleeping, eating, or pooping baby. We love our girls, but they sure wear us out!
Today I would like to take a personal day. I have a stomach ulcer… well, really it’s called duodenitis. It’s the start of an ulcer in my duodenum. I’ve had it since late highschool. It acts up now and then after I’ve been under stress or sometimes when my back is too messed up. (There’s a part of the spine that can affect that part of the digestive track.) I think both of these things, stress and back issues, are at play today. It’s been a busier week than usual so I’ve been stressed and haven’t had a chance to get in to the chiropractor even though I’ve known that my back is out.
So anyway, I want to take a personal day. I’d like to call in sick. So I tell my toddler, “Mommy’s having some tummy trouble…” to which she responds, “No, Mommy’s not having tummy trouble! Clifford has tummy trouble!” referring to one of her beloved Clifford books. So I explain to her, “Mommy’s tummy is really hurting today,” at which point she runs into the living room saying she needs her diaper changed and then proceeds to pee on the changing pad as I’m trying to change her.
Hello? Lord? Could I have a personal day please?
What’s this? Alexis is entertaining herself with her books and her baby doll. Branwen is sleeping in the swing. I can go online for a little while and relax a bit. It’s only an hour or so before I can start getting lunch together and then put Alexis down for a nap. I think I’m going to make it.
Thank you, Lord.