My Broken Ankle: How My Kids Are Doing

Lots of people are wondering how our kids are handling their mommy not being able to walk, carry them, and generally do things for them.

They are handling it beautifully; I'm so proud of them and amazed at their ability to adapt. They've had to adapt to a lot in their short little lives. :-)

I was talking to a Singaporean lady yesterday at Bible study and she asked how the boys were handling it. I told her that I had realized through this just how much the structure and discipline we've instilled in them has paid off already. When I ask them to get something or tell them to do something, they listen. Her response?

"They listen? They're 2 and 4 and they listen??"

Yes, they do. We've taught them to obey and that there are consequences to not obeying. They may not obey the first time (they are preschoolers!), but they do obey because that's what we've taught them. If we had waited until later to do that, this situation would be a nightmare trying to control two uncontrollable children.

If I tell one of the boys to go to time-out, they go. They may cry and fuss their way to their time-out spot, but they go. I cannot carry Levi kicking and screaming to his room for naptime or time-out, so I'm thankful we've already established this pattern!

So, here's what a typical day looks like these days (I'll do Thursday, for example):

7:00am-Levi wakes up and I crutch to his door, open it and tell him to come out (he's in a toddler bed now)
7:10am-I get Levi breakfast (Justin sets out the bowls and cereal before work, so we just have to get the milk)
7:30-Caleb wakes up, eats breakfast.
7:45-I get everyone dressed (this takes a while!)
8:15-we get our shoes on and head down to the lobby (a FAR walk on crutches!)
8:30-the school van picks the boys up for school (T,W,Th)
8:30-9:00-I sit downstairs and wait for a friend to pick me up for Bible study (it's too hard to go back up to the apartment and come all the way back down)
9:00-off to the church for study
12:00pm-back home to rest up for getting the boys from the school bus
1:00-boys off the bus
1:15-Levi goes to his room for a nap
1:20-I have to go back and cover him up
1:30-I have to go back and cover him up :-)
2:00-4:00-Levi naps and Caleb plays computer games or colors; I rest
4:00-Levi wakes up (usually, sometimes it's later...yay for me!)
4:00-6:00-we get a snack, we color, we read, we play games (all things I do sitting down, obviously)
6:00-Daddy gets home!!!
6:20ish--Daddy heats up dinner (that's been prepared by our lovely friends), sets the table, gets everyone drinks, brings me a chair and pillow to prop up my leg
6:45-8:00--Daddy plays with the boys, gives them baths
8:00-Daddy does the dishes and other domestic things Mommy cannot do, like laundry
9:00-Daddy goes running
10:00pm--Daddy supervises me getting into and out of the shower so I do not slip on the very slippery marble tile. It's dangerous for me to attempt to shower while home alone right now.
11:00-we fall into bed exhausted (especially Daddy!)

We've all made adjustments during this time, and things are going quite well. Justin, once again, has picked up an enormous amount of slack. I have a super husband!! Seriously. He's amazing.

The kids are doing so well and know that Mommy cannot do lots of things. Levi has to crawl onto the couch for me to change his diaper, they both have to bring me fruit to cut up for them at the table or packages to open for snack, and when they have a problem they have to come to me instead of the other way around.

We're so blessed.

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” -Psalm 73:25-26