Last night, as the kids and I came in from church, Chris was busy packing for Foster’s big hunting trip. They leave this morning for Foster’s first overnight deer and turkey hunt. Foster, of course, was so excited. He wanted to help get everything ready and was bouncing from his daddy to me and back, full of questions. A week or so ago Foster asked my why Papaw and Daddy always talked about seeing deer “sign” in the woods. He said “Mommy, they are looking in the wrong places, why are they looking in the woods when I know what the deer “sign” look like, they are on the road and they are yellow with a picture of a jumping deer.” He was dead serious so I tried to explain what deer “sign” they were really looking for and at the same time contain my laughter and joy. Being able to just have him sit with me on the couch when these random questions pop into his little head is what it’s all about for me. I think about if he had been at school or daycare, trying to concentrate on what they are doing but having, what to him seems like a very important quandry, and not being able to share with anyone or get his question answered. Even if he tried to explain what he was talking about to a teacher or daycare provider, they aren’t there all the time so they are not able to understand the ideas and situations he talks about. I had this first “A HA!” moment when Foster just started talking. He was a little over 2 and we lived in our first house on Hemlock Ave. The memory is a funny thing because I can remember the ugly, teal station wagon I was driving and the gas station where we were getting gas, he was sitting in his car seat and goes “mommy theas a weefwection” My mind didn’t skip a beat, “your right buddy! That is a reflection!!” He was watching the reflection of sunshine sparkle on the ceiling of the car from something shiny in the front seat. And how did I pick up on this so quickly? Because a few days before, I had explained what a “reflection” was to him. I don’t remember that conversation at all – what I remember is that if anyone else had been with MY child, they would have dismissed that as 2 year old babble or said “what” to him a million times. SO in my “A HA” moment, I praised God that He allowed me to be home with the blessings he had given us. And not in a financial sense, but in a “made it clear when I sought HIS will” sense. Because, on paper being home looked CRAZY then and has pretty much since we started this adventure almost 5 years ago.