You Know You've Changed When...

Last night was our Fall Festival, as I mentioned in last night's mini-post. We had a ride... a full-out hayride. By that I mean that the length was not intended for 7 month-olds or their older sisters. It was in the midst of this very, very chilly excursion that I got to thinking how much I've changed since becoming a mommy. DeLaynie was well-behaved. She was also quiet, scary quiet. She sat on the floor, under the blanket, between Edwin's feet. He poked his head under and asked, "Are you okay?"

To which she'd respond, "I okay." Doesn't sound bad, right? But the tone was pitiful. She kept leaning over to check and make sure that Ella was okay. She even pulled back the head of her costume to make sure that it was still her. She was really still and sad. Edwin and I were worried.

Ella wasn't much better. She had to eat once. Yes. I nursed her. Right there on the hayride. When we realized that we were at least 30 minutes (though it turned into about an hour) from the church, and Ella was hungry, and she could freeze to death without the proper nourishment (exaggeration), I covered up with our blanket and fed. Most people just thought that I was trying to keep her warm. Yet another way that I'm different. Who would have thought that I'd do that at a church function? After that she went to sleep. It was a deep sleep. Again, scary.

I can't imagine that five years ago I would be concerned about a two year-old being too well-behaved or a seven month-old sleeping too soundly. With the other tots being none-too-happy to be there, I probably would have seen this little family, with the sleeping baby and quietly not-fully-conscious toddler, and thought that those kids were great. But I was sitting there, praying that we wouldn't need to go to the hospital upon our return. (We didn't; they were fine. Elmo is a powerful healer. I gave Dee some hot cocoa in her cuppy. She was really happy.)

There've been more of those moments recently, like when I became deliriously excited about the fact that I was able to get a smaller Crock Pot, with a basin that fits into our dishwasher (!!!), for $18. Or when I bought a nice, glass mixing bowl set for $9.99. It has lids and everything. From the counter to the fridge to the table to the potluck, those babies go anywhere.

Yep, I'm a changed woman. I'm not done changing, either. Christ-like is the goal, folks, even if the examples don't point to that as the transformation. I bet Jesus got pretty jazzed about good deals on things that helped Him care for His family, though. While you dwell on that, allow me to wish you an awesome beginning to your week. I hope that it is a total blast of grace!