the lifesaver

While the facial expressions don't need much commentary, the night as a whole does...

My sister Liza, as a Christmas present, gave us tickets to a BYU basketball game (one of many games Spencer would attend, but the only one for me and the kids).   My parents were in town making it an entire family outing.  The kids are at a great age these days - both can communicate, no strollers needed, rare diaper changes (working on that with H), and fun to be with.  I hardly saw my kids that night as they were lap hopping from Grandma to Liza to Grandpa to Luke, just depending on which one would give them the attention they crave. 

After popcorn and treats were bought, shared, enjoyed and spilled, the game was coming to an end.  All of the sudden I hear the noise, the choking/dry heaving noise from down the row and my heart dropped as my legs scrambled to get to her...

I get there just has a life saver is heaved out of her throat - the Field of Dreams, shoot-the-hot-dog-out-of-the-girls-mouth, moment.  Whew, dodged a bullet there.  Then I look at her face, nevermind, the bullet is about to make impact.  My extremeties bolt into action clearing out the seats near us just as the traumatic 'action' begins.  Her sensative little gag reflux took over and rejected everything that was once in her body.  Throw up.  Over and over and over again.  Yuck yuck yuck. We got laughs (my mom), frozen looks of terror, stares of sympathy from just about everyone around us, a call for the medical staff and many calls for the custodial crew.  Safe to say we were the last of the spectators out of the stands that night.  The cleaning crews were waiting to come in as we slowly made our way out. 

It sounds so dramatic - so what?  she just threw up, kids do that!  But it was so traumatic for me seeing how traumatic is was for HER.  Just an awful feeling all around.  Sick?  Nope.  Just that darn reflex that keeps popping up.   I'm happy to say that in moments like these, it's comforting to know that instincts take over.  I remember worrying about that before I had kids - would I freak out at disgusting things?  or what if my kids were bleeding everywhere?  Natural instinct is to run away, but the motherly instinct is to run towards, rescue, pacify, soothe, solve, and restore.  And then walk with them away from it to leave it in the past.  And then do the same thing over again, because you know that's not the last time. 

Funny what this parenting thing teaches someone...a micro teaching lab on relationships, help, love, humility and faith on a much bigger scale.  Family is the unit for learning on this earth and it's been rewarding for me to take a step back and think about what I've learned in the past 4 years from my children.  For me, this is what it is all about.  I was born to be a mom and failure is not an option.  That night in the Marriott Center, I succeeded and it felt wonderful.  What a dicotomy - with insides coming out, it felt wonderful after.  So ironic we are taught in such extremes but I'm grateful for the 'lifesaving' teaching moments.  Oh, and showers.