Insomnia

Well, I could blame it on caffeine.I had more than my share today, ya' know.  I think it might be the grinding teeth in the night or getting kicked in the ribs more than the caffeine, though. We are having a slumber party to finish off a FABulouso President's Day weekend.As I see the tiny bodies and hear the gentle snoring surrounding me, I think of the best advice on parenting I've ever heard. "JUST ENJOY THEM". Sometimes when the chips have been down, the cards stacked against our tiny family, we have dropped everything and ran to the closest source of joy.  Maybe this has been like the old saying ," When you are hurt you can laugh or you can cry". Whatever the gurus say, this approach has put many,many miles on our car, but maybe it has ALL paid off.
This past weekend,  when our oldest graduated from the first step on her college journey, CNA, my heart soared. We were at a church for the ceremonies.  The girls fought over who got to go in to see her. "You did her hair, so technically, you've already helped her today! I should go in.Mom, don't you think I should go in".
"Why do they only invite two people to these things, I fume. Evidently, the planning committee did not have 5 daughters to contend with."
We try the "guess a number " between 100 to see who gets to go in. That spurns a numerical debate.
"WHY do you guys ALL want to come in anyway, " I yell.
I look at the five girlies decked out in their finest and the littlest one says "Because she worked so hard!" The car is immediately silent. I dab my eyes as memories of a high school counselor who said"Maybe you should not expect so much and just let her get C's " go through my brain and I show the counselor a neuropsychology report again. "But right here it says she is a genius if you guys would just help her with a few learning strategies. " We ended up switching high schools twice to get what we needed.
Back to the present, I make an executive decision and we all clambor out if the car to see if we can sneak in late. It works! We slide on a back pew at the Presbyterian church and the candle lighting ceremony begins.  When they announce Lauren's name they give her an additional medal. It is for "Valedictorian" of her class. The girls roar and give her a standing "O". I am SO glad I snuck them in to see this! NOW there is a waterfall on my cheeks and I think "Why didn't she tell me? " and then "I knew she had it in her. When no one else believed,  I as her mom, KNEW, because  God whispered to my heart."
Afterwards,  Lauren said she "Didn't want to brag", and that was why she hadn't told us.
SO all those years, all those moves, doctor's appointments and when nothing else worked...we ran for the closest source of joy PAID off!!
President's Day weekend 2012 will go down as the day Lauren beat AUTISM!! 




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