We couldn’t find a sitter to watch Vanessa the other night so hubby opted to stay home from Monsters vs. Aliens with her. Therefore we invited one of my sons’ friends, Sam to join us.

We picked up Sam from his house, buckled him into the middle seat and began our 25 minute ride to the movie theater where the advanced screening was being shown. You may not believe me when I declare that I was entertained just as well prior to the movie by the bits of conversation going on in the back seat, as I was actually watching the movie, but it’s true. Children's conversations are often highly amusing and these three little dudes altogether were no exception:

Ethan: Do you know where we’re going Sam?
Sam: No. My mom didn’t tell me.
Ethan: We’re going to see MONSTERS VS. ALIENS!!!!!!
Sam: Cool!!
Ethan: Hey have you ever been to chocolate world? It’s so awesome!!
Caleb: I luuuuuuuuv Chocolate!! Mmmmmmmmm!!!!
Sam: No. Hey, have you ever been to a water park?
Ethan and Caleb: No.
Sam: We went to this way cool park up in Boston…
Ethan: Hey Boston is where Bill Pinkney is from!! 
Sam: Whos Bill Pinkie?
Ethan: Pink-NEE! He’s a guy I learned about for black history month
Sam: What did he do?
Ethan: I don’t remember.
Sam: Oh, well you know this other cool place I once went to, I think it was sorta near New Hampshire…
Caleb: New Hamster?!? *hysterical laughter* Hey! Hey! We hab a hamster! Her name is Honey!
Sam: No! New HAMP-SHEER!!

Caleb: I luuuuuuv hamsters!
That was just the most comical part that I committed to memory. Their 10 second attention spans combined with random facts and favorite past times made it very hard for me to contain my chuckles. The enjoyable moments of parenthood make the difficult moments all the more worthwhile.

What do you get when you cross a sick baby and her refusal to nap that day?
Yes, Vanessa has been a sick little girl. You know the illness, the one where gobs of snot can be seen dangling from her nose. You run for a tissue and as you emerge from the bathroom you dash forward in slow motion, watching in horror as the back of her chubby little hand wipes the snot clear across her cheekbone and into her hair.

Lovely mothering moments these.

So she’s been oozing snot and coughing and running a tiny fever and refusing to nap. Last evening at approximately 6 o’clock my husband was serving us dinner (for those of you not in the know, the darling man cooks every night for us) and Vanessa was very grumpy. We hoped that putting a little food into her belly would keep her quiet make her feel a little better. I put her in her high chair and gave her a bowl of rice. But, oh, the horror! I stirred it up and blew on it! Instant tears and shouts issued forth. It was obvious by the tone and rapidity of her baby babble that she was cussing me out for it. Hubby and I glanced at each other, both obviously inclined to ignore it. But ignoring it did not make it go away. The tears continued and in a moment Hubby wondered if she might prefer her rice on a plate. He dumped the bowl out onto the plate and all of the sudden we had a convulsing child hitting her head on the back of her chair. Oooooookay. Definitely not what she wanted.

“Do you want down?” I asked removing the tray and placing her on the floor.

Instant screamification, jumping up and down, then falling to the floor and writhing. Hubby and I were trying hard not to laugh but never before had we seen such a display. We obliged her by putting her back in her high chair and eating our meal in company of her tears and snot and angry noises. Finally she picked up the spoon, ate the rice (which was now back in her little purple bowl) and didn’t make another peep. We jammied her, she gave us kisses and we put her to bed hoping for her sakes and ours that she would get well soon.

I’ve seen quite a few sad news and blog stories lately. Death and murder is prevalent on news reports and it’s easy to feel discouraged at the state of human kind. As I read one story yesterday I was tempted to be depressed and angry at people in general but then I remembered an event my husband witnessed not too long ago.

As my husband was walking back to work from his lunch break he came to a busy intersection. He looked to his left and saw a woman in a wheelchair just starting across the intersection. She wasn’t moving very fast and may not have realized what a late start she was getting because at that moment the light turned green. The people in cars at the front of the light could see her and weren’t moving but some cars further back could not. Those few were getting impatient and after a couple honks and no movement, one car swerved out from behind the rear end of the line into the left turn lane intending to go around the stalled lane. The woman was now in front of a taxi cab and continuing to wheel along. In a moment she would be past the Taxi and directly in front of the turn lane. My husband watched in horror knowing she would be hit. In that instant he saw the driver side door of the taxi cab swing wide open, right as the woman emerged in front of the turn lane. The impatient driver screeched to a halt barely avoiding hitting the taxi cab door, and of course the woman he would most likely have killed. Thankfully the impatient driver realized he had just been saved from killing someone and did not look for an altercation. After the woman had passed, all drivers went on their way.

As my husband recounted this event he had witnessed we both marveled at how quick thinking that taxi driver was. I don’t know if I would have thought to throw my door open to stop that car. Whoever he was, he saved her life. There are still many good people out there.

The media doesn’t often focus on the positive, but we still can. We need too in order to keep our faith in humanity and to keep from becoming calloused ourselves.