The Great Divide

Now, to normal people the great divide refers to a set of mountain ranges that divide our beautiful country's watersheds.  But to us, it defines life with a sick toddler.  What do you do with newborn twins when the older kids are sick?  Why you seperate them of course.  So simple.  Such a logical solution.  Not as easy peasy as you hope.  On the weekends we tag teamed it.  Jason took the twins, me the toddlers.  Seperate rooms with a gate in the middle.  Kinleigh is quick, and will sneak in a slobber as soon as your back is turned.  So the gate was essential to our mission!  It worked, so far, until today.  It was the moment of reckoning when my better half returned to work.  Separating four kids with two arms is quite the endeavor and they challenged my very core.  I should have started the day with a power smoothie and prayer.  But I opted for coffee.   Rookie mistake number one!  I did dishes, cleaned the kitchen.  I opted for a pajama day to get some housework completed...rookie mistake number two.  The morning was a whirlwind, and before I knew it, it was 11.   It was the first spare moment I had to catch up with Kinleigh, my lead troublemaker.  She still had on a pull-up and that meant no using the potty all morning.  And you can guess what I found.  

Kinleigh has been in rebellion the past couple of weeks.  She's on strike.  And it isn't a sit-in, it's an I won't sit type of situation.  She is refusing to use the potty.  She leaves us sweet little surprises all the time.  And it always seems to be when I'm tied to the couch breastfeeding the boys.  Caleb was telling me about it, but I think he's given up hope she'll ever use it again.  My precious four year old doesn't tell me much anymore.  So after lunch she runs to go to the potty and doesn't make it.  Doesn't make it...kind of sounds like there is a will to make it doesn't it?  This girl is a fierce fighter, she's still on strike.  I find her cleaning up in the bathroom at the exact time the twins are due for their next meal.  It's everywhere.  It's even on her nose.  So as the twins scream in hunger I'm giving my precious baby girl a bath.  Caleb is quiet.  As she soaks, I check on him...in fear that something else will be wrong.  Instead I find that he's tucked himself into bed, and even turned his music on.  "Mommy, are you proud of me?  Am I making you happy?"  As I cried because of his sweetness and graciousness, it gave me strength.  

I know these moments are fleeting.  I know that one day I will look back on them and we will see them as some of the best days of our lives.  We'll laugh at the obscene amount of poop we had to clean up.  We'll remember the Great Divide as an impossible mission, but we will have made it through...together.