The Jumpoline

Tom does not say trampoline he says jumpoline and I really like that word – I think it sounds far more interesting than trampoline so it will forever more be known as jumpoline in our house.

Lots of people have asked me so “how has it been” and while pondering on how to describe this I thought of the jumpoline.

It has been like…going to sleep after a long bath and reading my book with everything under control - to waking up on a trampoline, dressed in my jarmies getting double bounced with no safety net to stop me from falling off.

The word trampoline actually comes from the Spanish word “El trampling” which means diving board and really another way that I can describe the last couple months has been like this…it has been like diving off a really high diving board and into the deep end and discovering with delight that we survived and would live to tell the tale!

It has been exhausting, exhilarating, frustrating, amazing, heart breaking, hilarious and so much more!  What a journey we have embarked on and we are so happy and grateful to be on it. Today we went out for supper and we had to pick the boys up on the escalator, as they weren’t wearing shoes. I explained to Tom that “We don’t want you to hurt your feet” and he said back quick as anything “Yes… I know Mom… because I am VERY special!”. Really not sure what that has to do with anything but I felt so happy that there is no doubt in his child’s mind that he is amazing and his parents adore him!  We must be doing something right.

We have been through many stages over the last couple weeks. I would describe them like this:

First week – So fun to watch them sleep and wake them up in the morning.

Second week – Very tired – trying to be superhero parents is rather tiring.

Third week – This is the naughty chair I am going to count to 3.    1…2…!

Fourth week – If you wake them up I will kill you.

Fifth week – Babe can you not get home a little earlier in the evening?

Sixth week – Silent Treatment…I feel like I need to inflict pain on someone.

Seventh week – Sick Kids….OMG….Why did I think I could do this?

Eight week – Is “Me” time seriously a thing of the past? Seriously?

Ninth week – Can children really not do anything on their own or are mine pretending?

Those are some the negatives and they are real and I am told that I am not a terrible person for thinking them. I remember what an adjustment married life was when after 3 months of dating we got engaged and 3 months later we were married … and about 6 months after that we sat screaming at each other in our first counseling session with our church leaders where I actually told Rog that he has “tricked” me.  We have many laughs over those early days and we have learned not to take life so seriously and trust that things just have a way of working out when God is in control.  How many times since then - have I thanked God that I allowed myself to be “tricked” by my amazing Rog – too many!

So I have spoken about some of the lows now I must mention some of the highs. 

-       I get no less than about 20 kisses a day some on whatever park of my leg they can reach and some smack on the lips while squeezing my face!

-       I get random “I love yous” with alternating embellishments like SOOOO Much or Very much or “to the moon!”

-       I have two of the cutest little boys I have every known fighting over who gets to comb my hair or put cream on my face.

-       I get pictures drawn for me and flowers picked for me and kisses blown to me on a very regular basis.

-       I get told by my four year old that he will look after me when Daddy is away.

-       I get to hear a four year old saying his prayers every night.

-       I get to listen to my 2 year old sing when he can’t even speak – not sure that I want him to speak if baby language is this cute.

-       I get to be called Mom by two very beautiful children every day – all day.

It has been hard, very hard - but the rewards are plentiful. We just need to keep oiling those springs so that the jumpoline keeps takes us to new heights every day!

Thank you for reading - please pray for us this week - we go to court for the foster hearing on Wednesday.

xxx