Patience is my new middle name.

I am not by nature patient. Never really have been. Greg definitely wears the patient pants in our family, and for that I am grateful. Cuz I ain't got none.

These past weeks however, have proven to be weeks full of patience lessons.

I have to exercise patience as I wait for our IVF results. These last few days have literally inched by for me. Will Thursday ever come?

I have to exercise patience as I follow doctor's orders to "take it easy" with no exercise, no heavy cleaning, and no lifting of objects over 5 pounds. UGH. It really is harder than it sounds. Especially for a busy body like me. And especially with a 33 pound toddler who has a mind of her own.

So instead of eating lunch, she does this...

And instead of taking a nap, she does this...

And instead of taking a bath, she does this...

Honestly. Try "persuading" a toddler to do ANYTHING without being able to lift up the child during moments of defiance. Which happen regularly. I have to give myself an extra 30 minutes to get anywhere - as I wait for her to put on her shoes, gather up any necessary trip accessories, get out the back door, get through the back patio (on which sit all of her fun outdoor toys), through the gate, into the car, and finally into her car seat. All without carrying her. It really is much more challenging than you would expect.

Thank goodness for my sweet, wonderful, most helpful Mother who came for 10 whole days to help my pitiful plight. I am forever indebted to her hard work helping us through this experience. I needed her care as a child and I needed her care as an adult. Do we ever cease needing the love and attention of Mothers?

But I digress... back to my patience lessons.

I exercised patience when our big box television died (thank you Leavitts! we loved it thoroughly for 3 years), on the ONE day I was not supposed to move. Really? Greg and I looked briefly for a new television online, only to discover that big box television are evidently outdated and archaic. Like, they don't even sell them in stores anymore. This was news to me. I have been known to "live in the past" a little longer than most (i.e. hotmail account, VHS, poofy bangs) - but I'm just not ready to spend the money on a flat screen yet.

Luckily, our patience was rewarded and we got yet another big bulky television for FREE from JJ and Zac. Nicest TV we've ever owned. Maybe by the time this one dies, we'll actually join the land of the living and buy a television without a 2 foot back side. Until then...

And I exercise patience with hormones. But unfortunately, this time the hormones are not mine. They belong to my daughter. And I'm starting to wonder if she snuck into my IVF meds.

The stars aligned today, and I found the "Chipmunk Adventure" (circa 1987) at Red Box. Emma loves the Chipmunks and my childhood was shaped by watching this movie repeatedly. So, I blew the $1 and rented the movie.

At one point in the movie, the Chippettes sing a "touching song" to a baby penguin who was cruelly ripped away from it's mother. Emma was captivated. But, when I looked closer, I saw HUGE alligator tears rolling down her precious little cheeks. When I asked her what was wrong she replied, "I so sad for penguin. Penguin misses his Mommy." She then ran into my arms and began sobbing, muttering muffled phrases of "so sad" and "penguin Mommy". I then reassured her that the penguin would indeed find it's mother.

It was one of the cutest/saddest moments of her little life. How could she become so emotionally involved in a cartoon at such a young age? Especially with my genes. I'm not a movie crier.

For those of you that would like to relive a childhood cartoon or cry big alligator tears yourself, you may view the referenced song below...

Wish patience weren't a virtue, because I've still got a long way to go.

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