Future Scientist

  
     Do you see this face?  This, my friends, is the face of a future scientist.  He is quite capable already.  You see, he has been conducting quite a few experiments in our house already.  Namely, he has been conducting experiments on sleep deprivation and their effects on his mother.  I know, I know - it seems so unlikely that one so young could already be conducting experiments and observing the results, but it is true.  And what results has he been observing you ask?  Well, let me tell you....
     This precious baby has observed his mother as she gazes in the mirror wondering of it is possible to look more like death warmed over (if I were less vain I would post a picture so that you can see just exactly what death warmed over actually looks like).  He has observed in detail how the house seems to be slipping (not overwhelmingly, but slipping still), the laundry is piling up, and the unfinished projects are crying for more and more attention.  This little cutie has watched as his mother wakes up feeling behind and then runs around all day trying to catch up but not having the mental capacity to form complete sentences let alone organize and prioritize the many things she need to accomplish.  He also watches what happens when he reduces his nap times to blocks of time long enough for his mother to start a project but not finish it (adding to the growing list of unfinished projects).  Then this little budding scientist makes note of his mother falling asleep at night, usually fully clothed on top of the covers because she was only intending to put the baby asleep and not fall asleep herself.  But that is not all!  Through the night he conducts multiple experiments on the cause and effect of waking up every couple of hours or so, never actually allowing the specimen (his mother) to fall fully asleep and make it through the various necessary sleep cycles, yet she is also never fully conscience during these nighttime experimental sessions either.  Is this maybe what twilight sleep is like?  Or how zombies feel?  He's not sure, but he will observe for future sessions to find out.
     Through all of this, the precious baby has watched as his mother has not had much time for stuff like, oh, eating, showering, or finding matching clothes.  Although these things do end up getting accomplished, it usually happens at odd times and over longer time spans than what those tasks would normally require due to the many interruptions.  Then there are things like blogs that need to be updated, phone calls that need to be made, long lost sisters-in-law who need Skype dates, e-mails that need to be returned, and pictures that need to be uploaded onto the computer (hence the one picture of our budding scientist above and not the many, many more that have actually been taken recently).  Oh, and then there is that little thing called sanity that his mother seems to be losing more and more with each passing day as she has no time for breaks or herself.
     That is not all our budding scientist has seen though.  Just today he observed his sweet sister watching him for a few minutes so that his mother could have a small break.  Then he watched his father come home from work to find his wife sound asleep (because she fell asleep during her small break).  This precious baby then got to witness a heroic act - he saw his father close the bedroom door and allow this little scientist's mother a long nap.  This heroic act gave his mother the opportunity to actually feel rested enough to get some things accomplished and even stay awake long enough to have some time to herself and regain some sanity!  Oh how sweet it feels to regain a bit of lost sanity!
     But wait, there is more!  This precious baby has learned that he is loved, and that his mother is thankful - oh so thankful for every second that she has with her three beautiful children and sweet husband.  He knows that even when it gets hard, his mama would not trade one second and realizes she is blessed beyond words to have the job God gave her.  He also sees that his father loves his family as well and is a hero who saves them all on a daily basis.  This little baby has seen that his siblings love him and are learning how important they are in the family by helping out where their mother needs it.  Most importantly, our little scientist has learned what it means for a family to come together and work together, growing closer and gaining virtue in the process.
     Okay, so maybe assuming that our little scientist realizes all of the things in that last paragraph is a stretch, but I can assure you that he knows that he is loved and is confident and secure because of it.  Maybe that last paragraph is more the things that his mother is realizing.  Times of trial have a way of reminding you about the most important things in life.
     Please bear with me as I go though this latest trial that God is allowing (very small trial I realize!) if I am not able to post as much as I would like.  I would be willing to bet that my next post will be after Easter, which means that while I am writing I will probably also be consuming an enormous glass of chocolate milk and a large bowl of cookie dough!  :-)