Looking For The Good

Rough week here at the Richhart house.

It started out with being stuck in the snow in Moby (our big Ford truck) a couple of times while vacationing (an a certain someone losing his patience and cool over the matter) then we had a daughter break up with a boyfriend, another daughters childhood friend move away,  more continuing drama from the estate situation in Mount Pleasant and work issues for both James and I. (As in James is still unemployed and I'm not selling any houses lately.)
Blah!! 

But for all of that we're all alive, no one's sick or broken, the sun is shining and the skies are blue today so....I thought I'd record some of the good things the week had to offer too?

1st off - James finally got Devree's car going. It was a 10 day ordeal and something even two different mechanics couldn't figure out without charging us more than the car was worth but James (with the help of my fabulous cousin Cory) finally figured it out! 

Hallelujah and crossing our fingers!

Driving the kids to school and Dev to work was getting old. You just don't count your blessings - like running cars - until you don't have them any more!

Good thing #2

Although the boyfriend break up was painful - and is still ongoing -  I will savor the moment said daughter came home and literally ran and threw herself in my arms sobbing. This daughters not big into hugging/touching. As I held her and rubbed her back and tried to comfort her - wishing I could take away the hurt or give her some solace - I was grateful that her safe place was me? That even though she's practically grown and rarely seems to need me, that for just a moment, she did and I was just grateful to be there. 

Good thing #3

That all though friends move and times change, families are forever. So glad I have this clan to support and be with me for eternity. Even when we have crappy weeks, bad times and short tempers. 

Good thing #4

My Alex. 

He's been such a joy. I know all my children love me, but Alex shows love to me everyday. He pitches in to help, he carries heavy things, fixes things, kills bugs, pumps up my bike tires, reminds me when the weather is good and encourages me to ride my bike, and he hugs and kisses me daily. 

  Here's something I posted this week on Facebook. 

(I don't tag him so he and his friends won't read my posts.He would be embarrassed but kids these days aren't on Facebook much - it's more a mom/adult thing?) 

Today while driving water polo carpool I asked one of the boys if he was excited for his mom to come home?
Boy: Yes!
Alex: How long has she been gone?
Boy: Three weeks. (She was on a service trip to Africa)
Me: That's a long time to be without a mom.
Alex: Yeah. I was without my mom for 8.5 years. I know how that feels.
(And he said this sincerely, not sarcastically.)
Be still my heart.

This week I taught him what a butterfly and Eskimo kiss was.(Something you usually teach to toddlers - not 5 foot 9 inch/15.5 year olds)  I told him he needs to know there is more than one way to kiss!  And since then, he's given me a few - all on his own accord. I'm super lucky to have such a sweet boy that shows love continually. Last night, while hugging me goodnight for the 2nd time he crawled up on my bed and as I rubbed his back he confessed that he's a "mama's boy". He said he tries not to be but that he just loves me too much. I told him there's nothing wrong with snuggling with your mom and that and that he's just making up for lost time. 

This afternoon I had my niece with me at church and she crawled on my lap and laid her head against my shoulder. Alex sighed, and told me "I wish I could do that." I whispered he can anytime, but probably not at church? He just winked at me. He hasn't crawled onto my lap for a long time but usually settles for laying his head in my lap and letting me tickle his face. 

Which reminds me of what he said when we walked into a fast food restaurant with a play area for little kids on our trip home.  He said, "Awe mom, can't you just make me little for awhile so I can play?" Every so often he realizes what he missed not having a safe place to grow up? That his childhood was so much different from his siblings?  He has voiced it more than once that he wishes he had been my baby,  and a few weeks ago stated, "I just came out of the wrong stomach!" 

We were talking about first words. What child said what and he asked me what his first word was? I was at a loss for a minute thinking I really had no idea? Then I realized, I DO know his first word. It was "Honda". When we walked out of the airport after picking him up for the hosting program he saw our van and said, "Honda" that's the first time I heard him speak. He has a first word too.

Seriously, how lucky am I to have such a snuggly kid? And yes, it might look weird to some - given his age and size - to see him lay against my shoulder in church, put his head in my lap, or come up and give me a squeeze and kiss me on the forehead but if he doesn't care, than neither do I and I'll take every snuggle I can get. I figure we missed 10.75 years and we've probably made up for 5 years? Maybe by age 20 he'll be caught up and we'll just hug hello and goodbye like most moms and sons? 

(I will say this, the fact that he needs so much touch has helped me hug and touch my other children more.)

In other Alex news, he is sweet on a girl named Miki. She's a nice girl and nicer still lives a good 20 minutes away by car and neither of them drive yet. He shared with me that last night (they met for rollerskating at Classic) that he put his arm around her and held her hand during the Snowball Skate. Oh. My. My snuggling days might be numbered? Let's just hope he sticks with butterfly and Eskimo kisses for a long time.

Good thing #5

We've had lovely spring weather and I may just make it through one more winter! And there's probably a lot more good things ? Like the safety we had while traveling, our health, our cupboard with food, a roof over our heads and our savings account. My married kids are making it through nursing school, my Austin is trying to find his path, Devree got a full scholarship for next year, Rylee is controlling her tears more,  Alex is getting A's and B's in school, James is good at fixing things and digging us out of snow banks and will get a job one of these days, my body can run, swim and ride a bike and I do it regularly.  I have great friends and a great family.

 This is my quote for the week: