We started the day a little frustrated but that happens when the day starts at 5:00 am. For some reason Bradley thinks that the earlier he gets going on his day the better he likes it. So walking around in a fog, Eric and I stumble into the living room and find a kitchen where there's a coffeepot that we get cooking and then after a cup or two, I realize that it is Sunday and the great Church Quest is supposed to continue again today. So I mustered the girls into action once they got up, and we headed out to check a new church while Eric and Bradley held down the home front. What I didn't account for was the sudden, paralyzing fear that gripped my eight year old and left me sitting through a 3rd grade Bible lesson with no concept of what the actual church service was like. I'll have to try again next Sunday. Since our list is narrowed to those churches that have either a crying room, or a nursery - we're getting pretty close to narrowing down our search. Oh, and we need more than five people in attendance, that service was a little uncomfortable for me and the crying room was so far in the back of the church it was like Eric and Bradley were in another service all together, but without a speaker in there, they were just hanging out and playing.
So anyway, after an interesting morning, we settled into a quieter day and one extremely rousing game of basketball with Bradley after dinner. His belly laughs as he was lifted to dunk the basketball was I thought the very best part of the day...but I was wrong. Getting ready to pop Bradley into the bath, he looked at his potty and pulled it out towards the middle of the bathroom, so I opened it up and using signs and words asked if he wanted to go. He got excited and started signing the words to "Itsy, Bitsy Spider" (we do this every time he sits and tries). So he sits, we start and he PEED! Joy! Excitement! Since he hadn't gone to the potty since October it was a wonderful surprise for all us! So here is our goofy family...all five of us standing in the bathroom cheering and clapping for Bradley while he stands in the middle of us, buck naked - clapping his hands and saying "yeah!" throwing his hands up in the air in his excitement. I'm not sure who was prouder, Bradley of himself or us of him.
I'm left with the knowledge and the certainty that it will never cease to amaze me how things work in this house. A tough morning turns into a day that is a Gold Star Day! It's a big deal that he went in the potty...it's just as huge to see the joy flowing over the girls at this small triumph from their brother. Moments like these are the ones that keep us going. The girls can fight all day with each other, they can get so caught up in their own play that they all but ignore their brother...but at the end of the day, Madison is the one to change a diaper and after helping me give him a bath, it was Sydney who diapered and dressed Bradley for bed - they want to be a part of his life, they are just as thrilled to take part in the typical parts of his day as they are to be a part of the amazing parts. Because his girls mean the world to him, Bradley hugs them good night and just as he does every morning when the girls run off to school, he waves good bye...and gives them his attempt at "I Love You" - a fist in the air with his index finger pointing up and his hand bouncing up and down. I know in time his pinky will also lift, but we get the idea now.
As Art Williams says: "I'm not telling you it's going to be easy - I'm telling you it's going to be worth it." I keep this as my cover picture for "Bradley's Buddy Brigade," (Bradley's page on Facebook) because of days like today. Today is a reminder that no matter how many obstacles and struggles there might be...in the end it's worth it! My Oreos are worth it!
Happy Sunday All!
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