The FLOLife

Numbers can be quite revealing; here are the numbers from the past two days:

• 2 fillings in the left side of my mouth
• 42 dental instruments in my mouth at once
• 10 times I gagged in the dental chair
• 4 1/2 hours of numbness and a fat tongue
• 1 34 year-old woman reduced to a whimpering six year-old
• 9 Diet Pepsi’s
• 0 minutes exercising
• 3 episodes of Dora
• 4 loads of laundry
• 5 blogs I enjoy following
• 25 bags of groceries
• 2 hot baths
• 73 loud, harsh construction noises from next door
• 1 fat cat nap (nothing like it to change your perspective)
• 5 episodes of chocolate
• 59 puzzle pieces strewn across the kitchen floor by the puzzle-obsessed 2 year-old
• 2 meals eaten in the car
• 2 meals cooked (although what constitutes a meal is certainly open for debate)
• 5 different pairs of shoes left around the house by one precious 5 year-old
• 11 times I thought my car smelled gross
• 3 Cawthons doing the Hokey Pokey at dance class
• 21 hugs and kisses……………priceless!

I looked in the mirror yesterday around lunchtime and found that I was wearing only one earring. No, the other one wasn’t lost. No, the other one hadn’t fallen out during the morning chaos, but thank you for trying to excuse my absentmindedness. I had simply put in one earring and gone right about my business.

I had dropped off Campbell at school and volunteered in Carson’s class, and no one said anything. Chances are they didn’t notice; it’s not a big deal really. But it is indicative of how I move through some days – haphazard and scattered.

But, you know, it’s like a ten year-old snowboarder told my husband when Chris complimented his funky ski hat, “That’s how I roll…”

So there, most of the time I’m a crazed nut case mom with my one earring; french fries, crayons, cups, and drawings rolling out of my car door when it’s opened; speeding like a bullet everywhere I go to reach the unattainable goal of actually being on time somewhere; and sporting some kind of food stain at all times.

But you what, that’s how I roll..

I know spring is kinda a symbolic time for new stuff. New growth. New clothes (spiffy Easter duds). But come on… I am almost shell-shocked from the “new” going on in my life. Chris is starting a new job, which we do every two-three years, so that always means a period of home study (to learn the new product(s)), at least two weeks away for training, a new car, perhaps a new territory, and a new manager.

Then there’s also the new church start our family is a part of – NewSpring Church in Florence. Yahoooooo! A new location. New people to meet. Lots and lots of things to do.

No complaining here. I’m one who is easily bored, so I am beyond thankful that God is pouring out the “new” on us. The uncertainty, the newness, the change, even perhaps the discomfort is exhilarating because we’re plugged in to the Source while our heads spin and ding in the pinball machine that is our life during this season.