There are three critical points during the day when this Mama starts to lose it....her patience, her mind and her willingness not to really run away to China. These points are as follows:
~just before 9:00 am...when we are supposed to be on our way to school, but instead are whining about a shirt looking too babyish, smearing pancake syrup on newly laundered pants and running around the kitchen with a shirt pulled over the carefully combed bed-head-cow-lick that took many products and a ton of spit to secure into place.
~just before 5 pm when we have exhausted every activity known to man, nothing is on but the illegal Sponge Bob, dinner isn't even halfway ready, little people are screaming and gnashing teeth and mommy is frantically looking out the front window for daddy, who is at least 15 minutes late, waiting for him to take over before someone gets sold to the circus.
~just before 9 pm when little people are supposed to be in bed and mommy gets a few precious minutes to veg out and watch a DVR'd show that aired last week.
Tonight, 9 pm was the breaking point. It began with my sweet girl screaming and refusing sleep because she was afraid that...and I quote, "a big, scary animal might crawl up into my (second story) window, hide behind that chair and peek at me." After assuring her that our 1968 storm windows are impossible to open, even by human hands, and are most likely painted shut by yours truly...and reminding her that the only animals in Colonial Heights are squirrels and the occasional chipmunk, I thought she'd she'd see it my way and get some shut eye. But, she quickly changed her fear of an animal predator into a "bad guy robber."
By this time, her sneaky brother, Mr. B, had appeared in her room to plead his own case of bedtime woes and his sister's "what if " robber scenario sent him over the edge so badly that Mama Oz began to believe there was a real possibility that a one-way ticket to China or a large, childproof cage really might have to be purchased.
But then Mama remembered the book her sweet children had asked her to read over and over......Heaven is For Real. So, she asked Mr. B, "When Colton went to Heaven, what did he see the angels carrying around?" "Big, big swords......flaming ones," Braid said. And then a smile crept over his face.
And just like that....he climbed under his covers and was ready for bed. But, just for some extra visual imagery Mama Oz printed out this pic for him and put it on his night stand.
And, as I slipped off to cancel my plane ticket, I heard him say, "See Sissy, an angel is right beside the little boy's bed. God sent him. We can go to sleep now."
Sometimes I feel guilty.....lying to my kids about a fat man who comes down chimneys to eat left over cookies, a rabbit who poops jelly beans and a fairy creature to who pays big money for worn out teeth. But this is not like that.
This is truth. And, we can REST in that truth.
"For it is written, He will give His angels charge over you to guard and watch over you closely and carefully." Luke 4:10
She did not go bald, but she did sport a great 
I was so anxious for her hair to return!! Thus, I vowed to never let her loose her beautiful curls again. But after 5 years and hair that was long enough to serve as toilet paper, I decided it was time for a trim. 
