Well, hello everyone! It's almost the end of Wednesday and what a week it has been.
I have been thinking all day about what I would write tonight and man, how my thoughts have evolved! Also, I do want to apologize that I still am not able to comment back, I have no idea what the problem is. I do appreciate your comments and am reading them, so thank you!
I spent most of the day with a terrible headache and thinking about the events of last night.
As I mentioned last week, we had tickets to see Celtic Thunder, Michael's favorite musical group.
That SO did not go as planned. It was a huge disaster of sorts, way too many things going on at one time for the poor little guy. By the time we came home, everyone was exhausted.
Brian had a huge bump on his eye, among other battle scars, I was emotionally drained and
Michael was sleeping, still clutching the glow stick a kind man gave him to try to calm him down.
Side note: This is one of those posts where, if you are reading this, I must ask that you please stick with me until the end of it. I promise, I am going somewhere good with it.
I must also apologize ahead of time that it might not be the most well-written, as my headache is still plaguing me to no end.
It was terrible. Just terrible. What made the experience so bad was watching Michael in such despair and all the terrible comments and glares from onlookers, like we were the worst parents in the world. I kept my composure all most the whole evening. When I tried to get Isaiah to go to sleep, he would cry and cry if he was put down. So tired, I laid down with him to snuggle and calm him. This did not comfort him at all and he started to scream. Finally, I began to cry. "God, why won't either of my children let me hold them and comfort them, (a feeling that I'll bet He is not a stranger to)
what is WRONG with me?".
Then all of the sudden, Isaiah was quiet. He put his little hand on my cheek and looked at me, sucking away on his pacifier. He let me hold him. Then he went to sleep.
The above picture is really from today, but I thought I would sprinkle in some more cuteness :).
Instead of going on and on about what happened at the theater that night, I want to tell you about promises.
On Monday, I was able to get out for a while with Isaiah because our wonderful friend and respite worker came for Michael. The weather was not the most pleasant, but I really wanted to get out for a little while. After bundling up the baby and taking the stroller up to the corner Dunkin Donuts, I decided to purchase a box of k-cups and get a warm drink. It ended up that I was .98 short. Instead of accepting plastic to cover the balance, the cashier pulled out a dollar from his pocket and refused to let me cover the drink. I thanked him, standing there confused for a moment. Then I sat down and noticed Isaiah sleeping in the stroller. The top blanket I had on him to protect him from the spraying rain was a little damp, so I carefully removed it from him and fixed his little hat. I sipped my coffee (gingerbread is awesome!) and reached for my Ipod. Realizing that I could not do much on it without wireless access, I began to stare off into space for a while and lose myself in my own thoughts.
The rain was coming down much harder and I began to worry we might get stuck there.
It was time to go home, but I worried about Isaiah getting wet.
I took off the fleece pullover I'd worn in lieu of a coat and draped it over him. Then we left.
We'd made it back to the apartment complex, which is only a five minute walk from where we were. Just at the apron of the parking lot to the street, a gold van pulls up to us.
I heard a woman's voice, but did not really hear what she was saying.
"Excuse me?", I said. "Sweater!", as she hands a sweater out of her window to me.
"I saw you put your coat on your baby, put this on to keep warm" she said to me.
I took the sweater, and for the second time in half an hour, thanked a complete stranger for their gift to me. Then I watched her pull into the parking lot, do a u-turn, and exit back onto the road.
She was not even a resident of the complex!
Fast forward to this evening, as I am dealing with this awful headache and trying my best to care for the boys. I still felt pretty awful from the events at the concert. Then, a knock at my door. Cautiously, I answered it. I was not expecting anyone and Brian was at work.
The UPS man was on the other side of the door with two packages for me.
I open the first box and find a full size Scentsy warmer that says "Autism Speaks" on the side of the box. Three bars were also nestled in the paper: Pumpkin Marshmallow, Mochadoodle, and Just Breathe. "
Amy, no you didn't!", I thought out loud. My eyes welled with tears and my heart welled with love. Michael was already tearing at the second box, which was filled with tons of wonderful books and an envelope of pictures of my wonderful family. My sister-in-law is wonderfully skilled with the camera and sent pictures from her recent visit with my nieces and mother in law, as well as pictures of everything they have been up to! Michael's eyes lit up at the sight of all these books and immediately began pulling them out and sitting them on my lap, ready to read each one!
Nothing like ending the evening with your child sitting in a Scentsy box and joy in his eyes as he looks at his new books. Looking at pictures of your smiling family and beautiful nieces.
Opening a box of wonderful gifts from a wonderful friend.
I took that sweater from the closet and put it on, hugging my two babies.
Oh, how He loves us!
