Choosing to make it lovely

I was going to write about pillows. I made a really cool pillow out of my husband's old button down shirt. That would have been lovely. I'll show it to you eventually.

But I chose to tell this story for Life Made Lovely Monday instead, because I think for me it better reflects what I try to remember, that I have some ability to make my life lovely, even when it is not.

Not lovely: little boys with double pink eye and tear-inducing ear pain. 
Not lovely: late night trips to urgent care.
Not lovely: the following even later night trip to the pharmacy.

This is where I have to give the glory to God before I go any further. HE is the only one who strengthened me for the night. HE helps mothers do their jobs! He is the source of all my lovely, always, period.

I called ahead to urgent care, asking if they were busy. "Right now, there's no wait!" "Great, I'll be there in five minutes." IN those five minutes, four families came in ahead of us. There was a single doctor on duty. SO we watched a movie, made a little bed in the waiting room on the kid couch, and read a new book about predators. Eeesh, we're talking a lot of large photographs of various open-mouthed, fanged animals. I couldn't even look at the pages with the snakes. And I remained fully enthusiastic, somehow, while comparing piranha to barracuda.

By the time we made it out of the two hour urgent care ordeal, I was already tired. As we reached the pharmacy - the only 24 hour one being another distance away from home - I saw tons of people waiting at the counter. It was obvious we were going to be there a long while. Then and there, I chose to make this yucky night one to remember for good reasons, and turn this frown upside down.

I realized I had my camera. He perked up. "Can I take one of you, mama?"

While waiting for an eternity just to be acknowledged at the pharmacy, I chose to be thankful I didn't need any of these things.

Then, after turning in our prescriptions and realizing it was going to be another long wait to receive them, I made a new rule ('cause moms get to do that): sickly little boys who have to wait in doctors' offices and pharmacies way after bedtime get special things. That alone got a giant smile.

His first choice of places to visit inside the pharmacy: the frozen aisle. Just know that he hates ice cream and chocolate. We found ONE flavor of sorbet. Thank you, Lord.

Yeah, well, I DON'T discriminate as much, especially when it comes to Easter goodness. And part of the rule is that I get treats too.

Here is his pretend sick face that he wanted me to capture.

'Cause he really felt like this. Thank you Jesus for Motrin. It masks the sickness that his eyes still show. Why the black hoodie still on? I don't know. I was too tired to care.

It helped that he is my night owl. Just like his mama.
Next stop: the true meaning of Easter, New American Drug Store Version.
 

 
Know what? This was so good that it deserved more photos.
 

 
Dear fluorescent lighting,
I hate you.
 
Dear marshmallow bunny,
Never leave me.
 

 
Dear Leslie,
I won't, as long as you avoid the gym.
Sincerely,
Marshmallow bunny
 
And then I was persuaded into snack time part 2 for my sweets-hating saltaholic. 'Cause I am a really awful awesome tired mama.
 

 
(He may have told me not to hog them.)
 
I'll leave you with this. Big Binks.
 

 
I bet my wiener dog would try to eat Big Binks and then he would die.
 
My little binks was more interested in pretending it was a guitar.
 

 
I'm not kidding, we had a lot of fun, and on only $4. Sadly, I can't remember the last time I had so much time to look him in his weepy red eyes, talk to him, read with him, treat him like a big kid, and say YES to so much. Irresponsible? Maybe. But we made some memories out of unpleasant circumstances. 
 
And pushing aside my own fatigue (let me tell you, it was there, and I was smooshing it down in a big way), my main feeling was grateful. So grateful I have generally healthy children. So grateful for simple joys, medicine, and resources to care for my family. So grateful for the way God helped me choose to make my life and my son's life lovely, at least for a night.