We skipped church today. I can't remember the last time we did that, and to be honest, it felt weird, and sad. We asked the girls if they wanted to go do something fun and Shannay said, "How about church?" Oy.
But we convinced them to be adventurous, and we listened to Jesus music on the way (that's what they call it) and found ourselves at the Children's Museum.
If you have never been to the Houston Children's Museum, it is voted the #1 Children's Museum in AMERICA by Parent's Magazine. And I promise you, it was a well deserved vote. It was amazing.
Mike said at one point, "It's a shame that Nikki's ADHD is so bad because she really can't focus long enough to enjoy any of this!" (Which was true. Poor baby. I think the Children's Museum is probably not the best option for a child with MAJOR sensory processing issues!) Oh well.
There was this one place in the museum, though, where Nikki excelled. It was an obstacle course that had 5 components; a wall you had to climb by using a rope, an area where you had to hop from rock to rock, climb through a cargo net tunnel, up a cargo net wall, and then slide down a pole.
At first, Nikki was not good at any of the components. She tried to crawl on all fours up the inclined wall with the rope, she walked around the rocks instead of jumping from rock to rock, her feet fell through the cargo nets, and she was too terrified to slide down the pole.
But with a little instruction, and a LOT of encouragement, little by little, she mastered the entire course!
As I watched her, I felt her sense of accomplishment. And though it would have been incredibly easy for her to give up after one attempt, she didn't. (Perhaps that is because she has to work for everything she accomplishes, so maybe she's just used to the hard work.) She worked so hard, and in the end, she mastered it.
For me, I felt like I was learning a lesson about myself as I watched her. I'm scared. I don't know how to do so much of what I'm about to do! ( I mean, I know how to write, but starting a business, growing a business . . . I don't know how to do that and it scares me to think about it for very long!)
All that to say, if my four year old can tackle her obstacles, I should at least try. So I will seek instruction (and encouragement) and little by little, I hope to master this new journey.
Carol, our kids teach us so much. I can't imagine all that you are trying to think and process right now. And knowing you, I'm not at all surprised that you think you have to tackle it all at once. Slow down and let God guide you in His time. Love you friend. - J.
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