spring break - lunch with daddy

today i told the kids we were going to run a few errands and then go somewhere really special for lunch.  they got to guessing about lunch right away and ran through the 'special' places we would normally go.  wends? no. mcdonalds? no. the park? no. the zoo?  nope. the museum?  there isn't lunch there.  chuck e. cheese?  no.  the hospital with daddy?  yes!

and then they fought about who had figured it out first.

they did agree that lunch with daddy at the hospital was better than chuck e. cheese.  now that is pretty special.  we just eat lunch in the cafeteria, check out the large perpetual motion 'machine' in the main lobby and then go up to daddy's office to get some mints.  since daddy now oversees a new department, he took us up there where the kids got to raid the 'treasure chest' for a toy and also got some stickers from the staff.  they were in heaven.

at lunch i had two different mothers sit beside me and make small talk while they were eating their lunch alone.  the first had a child who had just come out of surgery.  she was on her phone giving updates is how i learned about the surgery.  it actually sounded like two of her kids had procedures this morning but it sounded like it was maybe for ear tubes or something along those lines.  she was in good spirits and just asked about our kids between calls although i did learn that she has three kids.

a second mom took the table when the first had finished up and headed back up to her child.  this one talked the entire time, but she just needed to.  her name was becky and her daughter samantha had been in the picu for 10 days.  she had been air lifted to the hospital after falling ill (with a number of illnesses that all sounded on the 'normal' side) and becoming unresponsive.  becky has four children and apparently samantha is the "healthy one" of her four kids (two girls and two boys). i think her mom said she is 14.  it was hard to tell if the mom had special needs herself or if she was just in a state of shock.  i was fighting back tears the entire time.  she was talking about samantha as if she was already dead and the prognosis didn't sound very good.  she also told me all about her other kids - their health problems, their weights, who ate what, how they were doing in school and their gpas, about their church, etc.  matt was sitting with the bigs at a kid sized table they like while manning and i were in a booth next to this mom.  we were done eating, but i just couldn't get away and was happy to let her just vent a little although the kids were starting to get a little restless.  she did thank me for listening when i finally interrupted to say good-bye because manning was getting very fussy and ready for his nap.  matt always marvels at how people find me and tell me their life story.  i don't initiate, believe me.  i believe it is just God.

that is the one thing about lunch with daddy, i get a little emotional walking around the hospital.  but it also makes me extra grateful that we are just there to visit.  love.