We Can Still See You, Emma

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but one of our favorite things to do after dinner each evening (weather permitting) was to go outside and play hide-n-seek. We had a big tree in the front yard that was home base, and scads and scads of great hiding places. I can still hear the kids’ voices yelling ‘Free!’ and see us all in ‘stealth mode’ moving from place to place trying not to get caught.

When Emma was a baby we would put her in her playpen near the base tree so she could be a part of things, too, but by the time she was two, she decided that she was big enough to play with us.

Knowing not to expect much, I told Zach, Elizabeth, and Olivia to just let her play the best she could. They weren’t too sure it would work, but being the doting older siblings they were, they agreed.

It was Zach’s turn to be ‘it’, so we all took off running to hide when he began to count-everyone but Emma. Emma ran about halfway across the yard, stopped, hunkered down in the grass, put her hands over her head and said “You can’t find me.”

When Zach finished counting Emma was right there in plain sight. He and his sisters tried to explain to her that just because she was hiding her eyes didn’t mean she was actually hiding. “We can still see you,” Olivia declared, rolling her eyes.

As parents we need to be mindful of the times our children try to hide in plain sight—times they try to hide their pain, their fears, their addictions, or other serious problems even though you can still see them, but are too busy living life to really notice.

Talk to your kids; listening for clues that they are being bullied or that they are struggling with self-esteem. Spend time with your kids so that you can recognize the situations that cause them to feel anxious or fearful and help them deal with them appropriately. Stay connected with your kids so that you’ll know when something is ‘off’ –when behavior and attitude changes give you cause to look deeper. 

In other words, don’t let your kids hide in plain sight from the love, support, and protection only a parent can give.

Love,

Momma D

                              Copyright 2015 Darla Noble. No part of this can be used or copied without permission from the author. 

                                                                                                  

Momma D Done Raised These Kids Right

For those of you who regularly follow Momma D, you probably noticed the lapse in posts over the last few weeks. I’ve not lazy and I’ve definitely not grown tired of sharing with you the why’s and how’s of getting to the heart of parenting from the heart. No, the reason I’ve been somewhat silent is because I’ve been in the hospital facing a rather serious illness. I am happy to say, however, that I am home now and recovering slowly but surely.

During my three week stay in “Club No Sleep and Constant Needles” I experienced a barrage of procedures, medications, and tests, but I also experienced something priceless. I experienced the living, breathing rewards for my years of being the best mom I knew how to be.

Elizabeth and Zach slept by my bedside. Elizabeth, being a nurse, was able to provide extra care in the hospital that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. Olivia traveled day after day to spend time with me and brighten my days before she and her family moved to Texas. Emma (and Essie) have unselfishly come to stay with me for over a week now that I am home, to help me recover while John helps Olivia, Matthew and Reuben move. She willingly learned how to give me my infusions, and is keeping the house running smoothly.

My children in-law (who I love as if they were my own) have been equally supportive. Becca gave up precious time off from work to bring Mack and Macy to spend time with me; time as good as any medicine. Craig and Matthew willingly took care of Laney and Reuben so that the girls could be with me and Craig didn’t even complain about driving through rush-hour traffic to bring me something to eat that I would actually…eat. Dwight willingly agreed to share Emma and Essie in spite of the fact that they are still in the midst of unpacking and settling into a new house.

Yes, I am blessed, but it isn’t by accident or out of a sense of duty. It is because Momma D Done raised these kids right.

My children have been, and continue to be here for me because of the example John and I have set for them and because of the unconditional love we have poured into them. You see, for all the things the kids have done over the past few weeks, John has done many, many times over. They see that and they know it is done out of love. They know that no matter what, we will always love them and believe in them. So in reality, their TLC is really nothing more than spillover from what was (and still is) given to them.  And I couldn’t be prouder, because it reassures my heart and mind that Momma D done raised these kids right (with a lot of help from John, too, of course). So keep on loving your children unconditionally and never fail to let them know they are precious and valuable simply because they exist. 

Love,

Momma D

                                      Copyright 2015 Darla Noble. No part of this can be copied or used without permission from the author.