Slow progress is still progress

Adam's been sick.  I felt terrible leaving for work yesterday morning because he was feverish and when he gets like that, he's not fabulous at taking care of himself.  I did the reasonable thing and texted my big kids.  They're on the tail end of finals and I thought there may be a chance one of them could come home and take care of him/drag him to the doctor (because dragging is involved).

Braeden answered immediately that he had just finished his last final and he was at my disposal.  (He's the kind of kid that just finished his last final before 8:00 AM.)  Braeden drove home and gave his dad a priesthood blessing and tried unsuccessfully to get him to the doctor.  (You've never met such a stubborn man...oh wait, you've met Emma and Mark?  They got it from somewhere....)

Braeden texted, "Should I push him?  Do you wanna push him?"

Now Braeden is a world champion persistent talk-you-into-anything sort.  I called him on my lunch break.  We discussed.  I knew Braeden could wear Adam down with entreaties to go to the doctor but Adam was sleeping so I called off the hounds and Braeden went back to Provo.

I was so grateful for that kid.  For showing up.  For serving his dad (and me).

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At the school where I work, they are doing construction.  They are building an addition in the front of the school that will be the new office.  They have cordoned off the inside with plywood and an opaque fence surrounds the outside.  The other day, some of the fencing was opened and I peeked inside.  What I saw was a lot of nothing.  They've made a tremendous amount of noise and they've been working every day for over a month but what they've been doing is foundation type stuff.  I don't know what exactly, I'm not really that good at construction.

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In parenting, some days are super hard.  Sometimes you're just physically spent and sometimes the emotional toll exhausts you.  Sometimes you look around and think, besides the fact that everyone is still alive, that you don't really have much to show for your work.

Sometimes though, you need one of your kids.  You send up a distress call and they are there.  You realize they are your ride or die people and that parenting must have meant something because these kids are spectacular.

So if you're in the stage of parenting that feels like the construction at the school, (and some days I feel like I am still at that stage as big as these people are), take heart.  All that daily-ness adds up.

And this morning at 6:34, I got a text from Braeden asking me how his dad is feeling.  He's done with finals and he was up texting at that hour.  I love that early bird!