Sitting in church a couple of weeks ago, I noticed myself taking notes about ideas that were popping in my head while the service was going on.  All be it, church related notes and questions to follow up on…but still…when did I get so bad that I couldn’t remember an idea for an hour and a half without having to access my notepad…or check Calenmob to see if the family is  free to greet next Sunday?

I have a device problem.  There is always an i-something in my hand or feeding music to my ears.  My husband can attest to this.  I was in such denial about it previously, that I actually gave him a hard time for playing Ruzzle all the time….I mean constantly…so much so that I knew where he was in the house…even the bathroom…by the little chimes of Ruzzle.

Then I got an iPad for my birthday…from my husband.  Now, I”m not only in touch with Facebook and Pinterest…and who’s emailed me in the last 5 minutes…but also in the midst of conquering a handful of games.  Puzzle Retreat, Fruit Mania, Sprinkle, Candy Crush, Dumb Ways to Die….I hate to admit that’s not the end of the list.  It’s a lot fun to play them on the big screen.  A lot of fun.  It’s encroaching on my reality TV time.  I’ve lost the right to Ruzzle harass.

In between editing photos with cool apps, and managing my whole life- family calendar to coaching- from my new device with it’s flashy pink and yellow cover…I like to Google the answer to everything.  Why does my back hurt?  Google it.  What plants keep wasps out of my garden?  Google it.  What are the tea party rules a little girls tea party?  Google it.  That was a fun one…

Naturally,  when my 5 year old started regressing on giving up the thumb sucking habit…I started to Google for solutions.  Trying all sorts of modern day methods that require lots of patience…I wasn’t having any luck helping her.  And to make matters worse, she started dragging her blanket, “fuzzy wuzzy,” around more than ever before. Thumb lodged securely in her mouth with blanket in tow…I began to get frustrated.  Which means my husband had already been frustrated for some time now…threatening to take her blanket away for a week, etc, etc.

Finally, frustrated at that fact I couldn’t understand what she was whining about through her thumb and blanket, I joined the crusade.

“That’s it, Brianne.  I don’t agree that we should take your blanket away….but we’re going to have to find something to put on your thumb so you don’t suck it.” I retorted matter-of-factually.

“What do you put on it?” Jim asked.

“I don’t know…I’ll Google it.” I said.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Brianne wailed emotionally, looking like I just set fire to “fuzzy wuzzy” or something.

“Don’t Google it, Mommy!”

Jim immediately busts out laughing, which shattered the calm face I was trying to keep (not knowing whether this was a laugh out loud or laugh later moment.) and yielded tears of laughter of my own.

Poor little Brianne didn’t think it was funny at all.

“If you Google it, you’ll buy it, Mommy!  Don’t do it…….”  at this point she sounded like Ralphie stuck in his snow suit from A Christmas Story.

What were my Google results?  Unexpectedly, the first link I clicked on was an article stating, #1.- Don’t put anything on your kid’s thumb. It’s too traumatic, and takes away their way to comfort an soothe themselves.  ”

Thanks a lot Google.  Except, if you me, and I am…I believe that everything put if front of my face is there right at that time for a reason.  God was sending me a message.  SLOW DOWN.  It’s a common one for me…needed on many levels quite frequently.

Brianne will go to Kindergarten in a couple of months.  She’ll be gone all day.  Oh, how I’ll miss the pre-school days…when we were both free to cuddle up at the couch any time of the day and read a book together.  I’ve always loved that she carries a blankie around…and been grateful that she found her own appendage to soothe herself with rather than a pacifier.  All of the sudden, I just didn’t think it was age appropriate anymore…and started to worry about crooked teeth and smelly breath…

Maybe those crooked teeth will be part of her signature smile.  Maybe she needs a little extra comfort as she gets ready to make a huge step in her little life.  I forget how big the world is from a 5 year olds point of view.  Watching her little sister turn 3, I’m sure she feels like being the baby again sometimes.  It’s easier…with less responsibility, even at 5.

Patience.  I didn’t need to Google for a solution.  I just needed patience.  It’ll happen…just like potty training.  I’d rather not repeat that craziness.  I pushed her way too early…made way too big of a deal about it.  Nothing worked, until one day, she just asked to wear big girl pants, and never looked back.

Yesterday, I hid her blanket under her covers…hoping she wouldn’t see it, and that would help the whole process.  Well, it did.  I didn’t say anything about it.  She didn’t even look for it until bedtime.

Someday, she’s going to pull her thumb out, drop her blankie, and never look back.  And that, chokes me up.

She will be way more ready for Kindergarten than I will to see her go.  A gift from God, she changed my life.  Made me better.  The hardest thing in the world is letting go of the fear that with physical separation, our bond will weaken.As I tucked her in with “fuzzy wuzzy,” said her prayers with her, barely audible through her thumb, I silently prayed (like I do many nights) for these moments to linger.

“What are we?” I ask before I leave.

“Best buds.” she responds with a smile.

“And what do best buds do?” I continue…

“Tell each other everything.” She responds proudly.

“And we….”

“Listen to each other.”

With the end of thumb sucking will come many other changes. I just hope, crooked teeth or not, that last part never does.  Best buds.  Can’t Google that.

Happy Googling….

Megs