Small Favors from the Universe

As full as our life is right now, as chaotic as days occasionally feel, I do often take a moment to appreciate the small favors that the Universe has sent our way in conjunction with our four sometimes-wild children. In other words, I like to reflect on the fact that this could be a lot harder than it is. For instance, sleep, the hallmark of parenting headaches, has not really been an issue for us. Perhaps this is more due to our low expectations about our kids' sleep--we never expected them to sleep through the night, and thus we're fine with the fact that they don't-- than it is an indication that our kids are good sleepers, but we've only very rarely had to fully wake up in the middle of the night (the first six weeks with twins notwithstanding; I have no memory of that time). Then there's the fact that none of our three older boys feels the need to pee standing up. They're all happy to sit. Which is really nice for our one bathroom. And even though we have four kids who are exposed to all sorts of germs every day, we have yet to experience them all being sick at the same time.

Currently, I'm feeling especially grateful for the fact that Leo seems to be taking after his big brothers in that he's the kind of baby who does not put tiny things in his mouth. I was grateful for it when our other kids were babies too, but I honestly cannot imagine how we would get through the day if Leo was the type of baby to pick itsy bitsy things up off of the floor and deposit them into his mouth. Because we are currently living in the house of itsy bitsy teeny tiny things (legos, crumbs, marbles, pennies, you name it, it's on our floor). And Leo finds it hugely entertaining to crawl around collecting these small chokeable objects. The favor from the Universe is that he doesn't--yet--show even the slightest inclination to put these little bits in his mouth. He just clenches them in his fists and keeps crawling.

But when he comes across big things left lying about on the floor? Like, for instance, a heavy, metal, meter stick?

There is zero hesitation.

There's nothing that's too big for Leo to try and put into his mouth.

And that is just absolutely fine with me.


Thank you, baby, for knowing just who you needed to be
to survive in this sometimes-crazy family.