The Wallet

A lot has happened, folk! One morning last week, I suddenly planned for my ten year old, Amarissa, to meet her birth half sister the very same day. I’d already arranged with older girl who is studying at uni, to fetch a laptop we’d bought her but my fear had been Ammy might be overwhelmed so I’d planned for when I thought she’d be in surgery. (Who was I kidding!? As happens for me, you’re starving and thirsty and two hours after the time you were told to get there, you still have no idea when exactly you’re going in!) Anmy was terrified. The knee surgery scared her for any new surgery. Even a song I played in the car had her asking me to skip it because it was the song that was playing the day I’d begged for an appointment and during it, was told to go home and pack and go straight back to hospital for IB antibiotics and surgery. She never said it then, but the drive home after realising I hadn’t just been overly cautious about her leg was scary for her. So now knowing she needed eye lid surgery to remove a cyst was terrifying. The closer we got, the more anxious she was. My heart broke for her and I couldn’t take her. My stupid, failing body wouldn’t manage the drive and also the sitting. So I thought she needed a distraction.

It was great! I’m so glad I did!

I plan to do a video about it before this week is over so I won’t say much about THAT.

My Twin B had an allergic reaction to ‘something’ that impacted her finger and cheeks, and then from scratching the cheek area, her poor face was infected, so went on antibiotics which I believe caused prolonged constipation. (That was a long sentence!) She became sadder and sadder and ate less and less. After prunes and prune juice didn’t work- was thankful she enjoyed eating the pureed prunes as she has become stricter about what she doesn’t like- I then moved onto OTC laxative syrup and after four long days, we had POOP! Whew! I know what prolonged constipation is like thanks to my IBS so my heart was breaking for her and I was WORRIED. What if I was ignoring something bigger than a reaction to antibiotics? After all, my experience with antibiotics has been abdominal pain, nausea and runny tummy. Not blocked up tummy. Was I wasting precious time and she had something worse going on? I had set up an appointment for the latest possible time just in case… And I’m thankful I DID have to cancel. I have put her on a maintenance dose of Lacson for a few more days and literally shouted, “Yay! She pooped!” this morning. As if she hadn’t begun the previous day!

My oldest two came for holidays this week. Eduvos- where they are studying- has blocks (quarters) instead of semesters so this is block number two holiday season. Ammy and oldest daughter have always had a prickly relationship and this is by far the worst. I blame both girls. I told Ammy once that she’s acting like a teenager and as replied, “Uncle T also said that!” Two stereotypical ‘teenage’ girls sharing a bedroom is a recipe for disaster. It has been constant fire fighting and telling them to just stop! So I thought I’d try some reverse psychology I left the room when I heard their raised voices yet again, and proclaimed to Amarissa, “Alright! I am changing Eliora’s flight. She will leave sooner now. Then you can be in peace.”

It had the desired effect. Ammy shouted, “Noooo!!” and went back to their bedroom which she’d left in a huff and hugged her and told me, “She’s NOT going! She’s NOT going!”

Boy am I glad that worked! If she’d agreed, I’m not sure I’d have afforded a new ticket!

And, I gave my son… I have a 20 year old son! Me! I don’t feel old enough! A wallet for his belated birthday gift. I didn’t plan the timing to send it well – once again even my Apple Watch stats are telling me my walking is bad and I feel it. I feel horrible, always tired and am faking being ok a LOT. I realised too late that Paxi wouldn’t deliver on time, so I just told him he’d get it when he comes. I sent a birthday cake, and ordered them take out on his actual day. That’s our birthday thing on top of a gift. The birthday person chooses a restaurant meal they want and mainly because of our non speaker and my inability to sit long, we then get it delivered. I had to now buy TWO cakes and meals because the small ones said they too were celebrating his birthday and deserved the same even though he wasn’t here. All things I can’t eat thanks to stupid IBS!

For me, it’s the anniversary of the day I became a mother for the first time. Given how my values are based on the fundamental teaching that the mother is the educator, spiritual guide and nurse and nanny, this is a very important anniversary for me too. Plus of course, it came after prayers and failed ovulation medication to boost fertility. So it’s big to me. I too should get a gluten free cake on birthdays. After all, without me, none of them would be here in this family.😎

But buying a gift is difficult. Because he now has his own Kindle app, I don’t know which books he has and hasn’t read, so I couldn’t buy him a book. So I got a wallet.

I thought it would be boring for my son who said to his little siblings that no, he does NOT feel like he’s a man. Not even close to feeling like a man😅. But I loved the inscription so to me it was worth a shot. At the very least, he’d know I was thinking of him.

I was not prepared for how he immediately emptied his old wallet and transferred everything into THIS one. That meant the world to me! And a day later, I found out exactly how much it meant to him to.

This is one happy mom. All I want is for my children to never forget what their mother has taught them. I am not homeschooling him anymore, but the prayer and hopes and trying to be a pure influence remain forever. I want His Creator to tell me I did everything I could to make his path to heaven smoother.

Let the church say, “Amen!”