mom-daughter-baking

I was looking forward to spring break more than my kids. I had almost every hour planned out with fun places to visit and outdoor activities. Monday morning dawned clear and beautiful — perfect weather for our fun-packed week! As I pulled on my clothes, the right side of my back suddenly contracted into a massive spasm that left me immobile in the bathroom.

I managed to hobble to the bed and called for my children to come to my rescue. My wonderful kids, expecting a well-earned break from school, instead waited on their mom. They brought me ice packs, glasses of water, and drew pictures.

After a short time of resting on ice, I was able to get up for a few minutes at a time to deal with daily necessities (like breakfast and baby’s diaper change!) before falling back into bed.

Friends took the children in the afternoon while I visited the doctor, who was able to get me back onto my feet for short periods of time. But I quickly realized that almost all of the fun activities I had planned for the week involved driving at least 30 minutes in the car and walking and hiking a lot. Neither were options for a spasmodic back. Feeling terribly guilty, I sat my children down to share the disappointment.

To my surprise, I was the only one disappointed! “That’s okay, Mom. I really just wanted to stay home and invite Austin over. We never have enough time to play at recess.” And “That means I’ll have time to try some new baking recipes. Thanks, Mom!”

Instead, board games are being played, the swing set is getting a good workout, and our home is filled with children’s laughter, imagination, and my daughter’s fabulous baking.

Thank you, God, for putting the “brake” on our spring break!