The Many Faces of Eliot

This could probably be the title of my blog everyday. Well that or 'the many faces of Naomi'.

They both have such a variety of interests (Naomi told me today that if she got to ask Santa for a present she'd ask for 'pink' right after she told me she really wanted her red car to play with and wanted to play with the trains).

So in the vain of the many faces....here is what might be a first installment....

Some pictures from Gramma and Grampa

It's Not a Train!

Eliot, Naomi and I spent part of the morning at the clinic. Since I wrote that post about how great Mother's Day was I've been paying the price (a sleepless night and 2 sick kids who are clingy - I so don't have my body back). Naomi has yet another ear infection. Poor, sad kiddo. To top the lovely day off I spent 3+ hours in the emergency room with Eliot this afternoon. He had a 102.5 degree fever. Joy. Joy. Luckily his counts were high enough and they sent us home. He was perky and happy this evening.

God be praised!

That is not the point of this post though.

While we were at Naomi's clinic visit (where she was mostly inconsolably the entire time because she can't stand to be poked and prodded and I think she always thinks one of her barbaric parents are going to hold her down while she gets 4 shots in her legs) the doctor was listening to her chest.

In my lame-ass attempt to help the mood be light (not only was it horrible because she was a mess, Eliot didn't feel well and I was freaked out on superstition - the doctor was the guy who sent Eliot off to the hospital the day he was diagnosed) I asked if Naomi thought the doctor might hear a train when he listened to her chest.

Eliot got annoyed when I said that.

It's not a train! He said.

He had a grumpy, pissed off look on his face.

It's not a train!

It's God.

I'm confused.

Happy Mother's Day to Me

Wow. What a day. So many wonderful things happened today. It was heaven.

The kids slept until close to 6:30 am. They were in great moods this morning.

We had a wonderful morning before church.

Then we went to church and Naomi went off to children's church with Aunt Nancy and Uncle Rob and Isadora and Arlo and Eliot and I stayed in church with me and was very happy entertaining himself. I was able to listen to the entire sermon without interruption for the first time in who knows how long.

Neither kid hung on me.

I felt like I got my body back.

At the coffee hour Aron ran around and played with the kids. The 3 times the kids came to ask me for something I said, "go find Daddy. He'll help you."

I never do that.

But today was Mother's Day. And I did it.

Aron had my favorite Jelly Bellies for me. Juicy Pear. Mmmmm.

And a wonderful note.

And a gift card to Ann Taylor. My new favorite shopping center of decadence and wonderment.

The kids and I came home and had a great lunch. Then they fell asleep.

I watched a movie on tv and they slept so long I got a little tiny bit bored.

Then Nan and Rob and Laur and Amelia and the kids came over with take out Thai food. All of the adults sat around and talked for a long time while the kids played outside, happily by themselves.

It was sooooooooooo awesome.

I just took a hot bath.

Awesoooooooooooooome.

I feel like we made it through the hellish infancy, leukemia shit hole we were in.

The kids are getting independent and smart and fun and wonderful. I'm enjoying them. My body is mine again.

Sigh.

Yeah.

Mother's Day wonderfulness.

Why Did You Call Me Buddah Mama?

Rob's radio story aired around 1:30 pm today. You can hear it and read it here.

We didn't know exactly when it would air and we haven't had Internet at the house for the past few days and I didn't want to miss the show so I chose to let the kids stay awake at nap time so I could listen to the show. We were driving home from a fun morning at Nan and Rob's house and I just kept driving around.

Naomi was sleeping. Eliot was sitting in the back seat of the car singing the alphabet and other random songs. When the story started he got quiet.

Then he said, "why do you call me a Buddah Mama?"

"What's a Buddah."

I was desperate to listen to the show.

And really wanted to respond to him.

And then got nervous that there might be something in the show I didn't want his young ears to hear.

So I said, "The Buddah is very calm Eliot and you used to be really calm like the Buddah."

"Why was I calm Mama?, why were you calling me the Buddah Mama?"

From there I can't remember exactly what I said or what he said.

I know I told him that I wanted to tell him all about the Buddah after the radio show was done.

We both listened in silence.

At the point when we talk about him being 'put to sleep' at the hospital I looked back at him. He smiled, sheepishly. Proudly. He seemed to be enjoying hearing the story.

When it was over I said (and I'm really proud of this question) "Eliot you wanted to know about why I called you the Buddah, are there other things you want to ask me too?"

He said there weren't.

I told him that we talk about Jesus and God at our church and some people in other churches talk about Buddah.

We have a book that asks the question 'where is God' and at the end of the book when it says, "God is everywhere." I always say, "I see God in you Naomi and Eliot." And they always say they don't want me to.

So today I said to Eliot that just like I see God in him I also saw the Buddah in him.

Eliot told me that he didn't want me to see God in him. I asked him what he wanted me to see in him.

He said trains.

"I want you to see trains in me Mama."

And so on the day when he heard his mother and his uncle talk about him on the radio he took it all in. He smiled. I don't know what he thought or felt.

Except that I know he wants me to see trains in him.