Instincts

I have become accustomed to taking the quickest showers as possible.  The kids can rarely make it through my speedy shower without needing me for something.  Today was no different than any other.  The boys were playing on their cars, riding them through the house, when I saw an opportunity to sneak in the bathroom and get my shower business done. 

After about 2 minutes of my shower, Jacob came to the door.

"Hunter hit is car on his foot and he's crying!"

"Is he bleeding?"

Jacob was quiet for a moment as he ran back to assess the damage. 

Jacob:  "His foot is bleeding and it's getting all over the floor!"

"Go get a towel out of the laundry room and put it on top of it.  I will be there in a minute."

(As I am already drying myself off and rushing to get out).

I go out to find Hunter howling and Jacob is using the towel, not to stop the bleeding on his brother's foot that is dripping blood, but to clean up the blood that is already on the floor.  Apparently when I told him to put a towel on it, he assumed I wasn't talking about the bleeding foot.  Hunter's foot is fine.  He has a sore that used to be a blister that he keeps bumping on things and breaking the skin open again.  I properly bandaged his wound and happily complied with his request to go to bed even though it was only 6:40 p.m. 

The funny thing is, I had a feeling while I was taking my brisk shower that one of the kids would end up bleeding.  I thought about what I would tell Jacob to do if that happened.  It was strange that a few moments later, I was delivering the instructions I had rehearsed in my hypothetical thinking. 

A mother's instinct is a powerful tool.  It is as sure as the knowledge that whenever I lay Adam down for a nap, within 5 minutes, one of the boys will have to use the bathroom which is conveniently located just outside Adam's bedroom door.  And even though I have to drag Jacob out of bed for school every morning, I know on Saturday morning he will be up even earlier, all on his own.  And when I lock myself into the bathroom to..you know..they will be at the door within 30 seconds with a problem I need to solve immediately.  And when I decide to try and sneak in a rare nap while they are playing quietly downstairs, within 10 minutes they will be upstairs waking me up.  

Apparently, kids have pretty strong instincts too.