Oatmeal Evidence

I think when you are born with all of your five senses functioning properly and all digits and organs in tact, it's harder to trust someone's word at face value. Simply put: we want to see the oatmeal pack for ourselves. Let me explain... 

My eldest son wakes up one of two ways: happy and excited, talking incessantly, or angry and quiet, snapping at everything he hears. The mode of transportation usually depends on his level of hunger. He'd be a perfect candidate for those "Snickers" commercials where the crazy person transforms back to normalcy after eating a snickers bar. The other morning, he happened to wake up extremely hungry. After trying to patiently get his oatmeal cooking (because I won't serve snickers for breakfast), he began to question if it was the "oatmeal with the most sugar in it?" (He has come to conclude that "low sugar" oatmeal doesn't taste as good---go figure.) I simply bit my tongue and said, "Yes, it's the oatmeal you like." For some reason, this response wasn't sufficient enough for my stubborn big boy. He proceeded to work himself into a tizzy wanting me to show him which packet of oatmeal I opened. Apparently parental doubts occur earlier than I thought. 

I decided to use this opportunity as a teachable moment. Instead of answering him and appeasing the situation, I restated my response calmly because I was in no rush to feed this monster. Fast-forward through tears, time-outs, and even much-needed spanking, and Silas sadly and stubbornly refused to eat his oatmeal in protest. 

I coaxed the Si-man through an analogy that proved important for my own life. Often times we must learn to trust God even if we can't prove his reasoning. Faith is being "certain of things unseen" (Hebrews 11:1), so if Silas cannot trust my word, someone who has proven trustworthy and loving, how will He ever have enough faith to trust in a God he cannot physically see. I explained that everyone is capable of changing, lying, and distorting truth, except God. The only certainty we ever have is what happens after this uncertain life. We can be sure of where we are going when we die if we are sure of the one who gave us life. Thus, my illustration was two-fold. Not only did Silas give-in to his hunger pains and eat the oatmeal (which he claims "tasted different" after consuming it all even though it was in fact the full-on sugar pack), but he made a choice to trust and obey, something we all have to do every single day. We don't always have time for a stubborn stand-off and Biblical seminar, but I think these little years are exactly the right time for big lessons that my boys will have to grapple with on their own in the future. When we trust and obey, things seem to run so much smoother, and that hunger subsides so much quicker. 

Speaking of hunger, I have to add how much of a relief I've felt about Levi's eating lately. I never realized how much preoccupation and tensity I subconsciously held for my little man's nutrition. As he has stayed healthy and eaten better, the constant nudge of feeding Levi has slowly subsided. It's given me a new appreciation for mother's who can't afford to feed their kids or live in countries where food in scarce. I know that my circumstances can't compare in the least, but I truly have felt a weight lifted off my shoulders since Levi's choking has decreased and self-feeding has increased. I spent so much energy pushing sips, bites, and swallows around the clock, that I never really stopped thinking about Levi's oral consumption. I was carrying a burden of worry that I didn't even realize until it was lifted. Thank you for those constant prayers! We head back to GI in three weeks to see his progress since removing his feeding tube, so keep those prayers coming! We thank you deeply...

What an answered prayer to see Kyra's sweet girls again. 

And to see Levi cling to Mr. Reid was a sweet gift. Kyra would have held him the entire night.

These boys... Bring on the oatmeal!

Just some fridge learning. Since we love food and all.

We've tried the underwear twice now, and thought teaching "baby" would help, but little Levi just isn't ready. He doesn't have the muscle memory, nor does he care if he's sitting in filth. I guess we will just keep waiting on his timeline as we have with all his milestones.

Look at those baby blues... He's definitely ready for more than we realize.

Stop growing big man, and maybe stop eating two packets of oatmeal every morning!

A fun competition date-night, old-school style. Love this man (and we tied by the way).

~Oatmeal Buster