Closing The Chapter...

Yesterday our sweet two-and-a-half year old boy had his very last orthopedic appointment. Thus ending our whole spica cast/broken femur ordeal. He has been given the green light to romp, jump and play like any toddler boy does. Which makes me so, so happy...and so, so terrified. (Letting go and letting come what may have never been my strong traits.)
The past eight weeks have been torturous ones, actually. But yet, enlightening ones. It's amazing the things you learn about yourself when you're stretched and squeezed in ways that are incredibly uncomfortable and out of your control. I'm learning that I'm not nearly as hard-core tough as I thought I was. Nor am I even close to being as self-reliant as the impression that I tend to display. No...you squeeze me just the right way, and I'm as fearful, worrisome and needy as a frightened child. I've learned that when faced with my deepest down fears...I'm a wreck. I ball all that fear up; roll and package it tightly into tension, frustration and impatience...and hurl it at the ones I care for most. I know. It's rather ugly. (The truth usually is.) But. It's a learning experience. An awful, humbling, not-so-pretty, smack upside the face learning experience. And so...I move on. Hopefully a better Mama and wife from it. But most definitely aged several years through it.
Chase has slowly come around to himself. We had a few absolutely horrid, no good, very bad few days in the process. We called it "the dethroning". He was quite fond of sitting high on the couch and barking orders to his family-servants. And we had grown quite used to jumping at his commands. (He even had his twin brother attentive to his demands.) But...every king must descend from his throne eventually. It was NOT pretty. Tantrums, sassing, and tears were pretty regular. Our patience was tested. Our home was extremely tense. And then...Chase discovered he could walk. And play. (On his own!) And he has slowly settled into his cheerful, contented self. Today he has tried a few times to run, which hasn't worked out super great as of yet, but he's almost there. He has spells where he walks circles around the house, grinning and giggling like a fool all to himself. He's thoroughly and completely impressed with his skills. And happy to have his freedom back...it really is quite touching.
It's crazy, the different things we go through in life that challenge us. Sometimes it takes the simplest of events, such as an nonfatal injury, to shift our attention to the things that are desperately needing improvement within ourselves. (I always seem to have to learn these things the hard way. It's just how I roll.) And so...we now turn our attention to getting life back to "normal". Well...as "normal" as "normal" can be while raising twin toddlers, a ten-year-old and two teens under one roof at the same time...