Because there aren't mailboxes in heaven...

The mailman knocked on the door today because we got a package that wouldn't fit into the mailbox. I'm expecting some fabric to be delivered so I was all excited and just about to rip it open when I saw that it was addressed to my children.

I'm not gonna lie.... I really, really wanted to open it anyway. But I restrained myself because I didn't want to take the excitement of opening it away from them. So I waited and waited for them to get out of school.

These are their excited faces. 

(And did you notice how both girls are ready to claw it open?)

Inside were bags of school supplies and arts and crafts for each of them. 

I barely got them to pause long enough for this photo before they had those bags opened and spread out to see all the goodies! 

They each had a doodle pad and some markers, which was particularly thrilling for Lila. "Oh Mom," she said with a little catch in her voice, "I saw the evening star and I wished for doodle pad!" They also each got a little pocket-sized bottle of hand sanitizer... or handi-tizer if you're Lila. 

A princess coloring poster!

Glitter glue and an embroidery kit!

(She literally screamed with excitement when she saw the embroidery kit.)

Lego folders and stickers!

Five minutes later each of them had sanitized their hands and settled down for some creative time.

There was also a card, which I tried to read to them, but didn't quite make it through because I was unprepared.

Once I'd gotten myself back under control I explained that Aunt Kristen (Jake recognized your address on the box) had sent them these fun things on behalf of Mima Kim, since she couldn't be here to celebrate the start of a new school year with them. 

Elephant 

by Evie

Thank you Aunt Kristen, not just for such a fun surprise, but for the spirit behind it. Your thoughtfulness in helping to fill that hole in my children's lives is something I will always be grateful for.

Belle

by Lila

With no help from anybody!

(She really wanted me to add that last bit.)

What I learned today...

1. My children will ALWAYS wait until it's two days before payday and the budget is stretched so thin you can see through it to have a weird medical emergency.

2. They will also always wait to have that emergency until our pediatrician is closed for the day and therefore we must pay the higher co-pay to go to Instacare.

3. When your child is in agony numbers 1 and 2 don't matter.

4. Trying to help a 9 year old who is maybe six inches shorter than you and who cannot walk, while simultaneously trying to keep his 6 and 3 year old sister from getting hit by a car in the parking lot is not fun.

5. Just because I live with a man in a wheelchair doesn't make me automatically good at pushing someone in a wheelchair, judging by the number of people, chairs and door frames I ran into. Not to mention the blood pressure machine I almost wiped out by starting to wheel Jake off before they could remove the cuff...

6. It is always frustrating when you can't get a concrete diagnosis. "Wait and see..." is terrifying when you have no faith in your ability to handle medical crises.

7. It might be a hernia. Or the worst case of constipation ever.

8. Talking about "stool softeners" is confusing for a very literal child. "Can't we just use a pillow?"

9. Explaining that flatulence is the same thing as a fart will end the conversation. They are too busy giggling to ask anymore questions.

10. Some days you just can't quite believe the crap you have deal with as a parent...

11. I have an amazing Dad who is willing to drop everything and come help me physically, financially, and emotionally. I do not know what we would do without him sometimes. (That isn't something I just learned today. I've known it for awhile. But it still makes me so humble and grateful every time I am reminded of it.)