WOW! Lily can stand on one leg

About 5 years ago, I was helping out Jill Campbell lead the middle school choir at church. I really enjoyed hanging out with the students each Sunday afternoon and when it came time to go on their tour in the summer, I was excited to go to Myrtle Beach. When I found out I would be alone in a room with four sixth-grade girls, I was a little nervous. I mean okay, I didn't even have a child yet, much less a teenager. But I am a girl and I was in sixth grade once...so I guess I had something in common with them, right?

It was an amazing week, those girls - Lily, Arynn, Sarah and Autumn - were amazing. We really bonded and I've had a relationship with them ever since. I felt so honored that they let me into their world and now, they are halfway through their junior year of high school...are you SERIOUS? That week in Myrtle Beach, I was so tired....and shortly after I got back, found out I was indeed pregnant with Z, which explains it all. Since he was born, the girls have all made him feel so special and he's developed bonds with them like me; he's even been invited to a few sweet sixteen parties haha. Last year, Lily invited us to her dance team's friends and family night. We took Z and he was enamored watching the girls, they were amazing. So of course we decided to go back this year.

We sat up at the top of the bleachers with Lily's family and some other supporters. Z moved all around, but spent a lot of time sitting right next to Lily's mom, Karen...although he called her Lily's mom at all times. He was armed with his usual package of questions about everything from why they had make up on, to why they had on no pants and why their shoes were funny...but my two favorite statements were:

"I didn't know Lily could stand on one leg?" and "Does Lily have a belly?"

Well yes, of course she does, it's just flat....so yeah, I'll be doing 1,000 sit ups tonight :)

...like a thief in the night

Today's blog title may be a tad misleading, but whatever. I meant to write about this when it was fresh in my mind, but I'm still laughing about it...so...again...whatever. Z has actually been sleeping quite well; I've been impressed at his ability to throw together 9 to 11 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Well, uninterrupted may be misleading (I'm doing a lot of that today). He still talks in his sleep quite a bit and occasionally needs his daddy to come in his room before our alarm goes off...but we are fine with that.

I'm wondering when as a parent, you feel good about turning off the monitor completely? Is this another proverbial cord I need to cut? There are so many of those and I have a feeling there will be so many more...Anyway, Saturday night, I think it was around 2 a.m., I heard Z start his usual sleep moaning. But then when I noticed he started to cry I of course asked David if he heard that (my cue to make him get up haha) and he on cue, got up :) But Z kept crying and I heard him ask to blow his nose, so I knew he was awake. I got up and grabbed a tissue then headed into his room.

He was sitting on his knees in the middle of his bed just sobbing. I could tell this was not a night terror, because he was fully aware of us in his room so the conversation went a little like this...through tears and sniffy breathing:

Me: Why are you crying Zachary?

Z: I had a bad dream

Me: Oh I'm so sorry, what was it about?

Z: It was about the Pastor...about Pastor Bill

Me: (trying to not laugh out loud...sympathetic) Oh well, what happened?

Z: The pastor took all my stuffed animals out of my room and he took my books too

then the crying got worse again for a few seconds.

I was trying so hard not to laugh, because honestly, I can't imagine Pastor Bill taking anyone's stuffed animals and books.

I reassured Z that it was only a dream...wiped his tears...gave hugs and kisses, shuffled back to my bed and left David in there to console Z. He of course fell asleep with Z and I got our bed all to myself ahhhhhh :)