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I decided, when Jack was about a year-and-a-half old, that God must give new moms a “freebie.”

I don’t remember every detail, but I do know that my God-given freebie involved me in another room changing a newborn Maria’s diaper while Jack stayed in the kitchen with a pot of Spaghetti-O’s on the stove. I returned to find Jack on tip-toes at the stove, hand on the pot handle. I know. I know!!! God definitely issued me a freebie that day.

It wasn’t long before I discovered that God gives out one freebie per child. (I guess he realizes how many brain cells we lose with each addition to the family.) Luke’s came before Maria’s.

I was unpacking the house after first moving to Tennessee and had Luke (then 4 mos. old) lying on my bed. At the foot of the bed was a cedar chest and on top of that were two very tall, very heavy, very full wardrobe boxes. Something (I don’t remember what) was stuck underneath one of the boxes. Whatever it was, I wanted it and instead of setting the wardrobe box on the floor, I yanked at the object. The box fell onto the bed… onto Luke. With superhuman strength I threw the wardrobe box to the floor and scooped up my poor baby, whom I was sure was dead or at least severely damaged. He was screaming like a banchee, so clearly he had survived. I remember calling Dr. Brother-In-Law in tears, begging him to tell me that Luke would be okay, which he was (although these days some may argue that point).

Freebie #3 was Maria’s narrow escape from disfigurement when she had the Easter accident a couple of years ago. She didn’t get off lightly, but considering what metal can do to a face, I definitely consider that our Maria freebie.

Today was Sam’s turn.

After dropping Jack at school, Maria planted herself in front of the TV (I have GOT to curb that) and The Little Boys and I played outside. I took the opportunity to snap some photos. At one point, Luke was sitting on the top step of the playhouse ladder and Sam was climbing down it backward. I thought it’d be cute to get some pics of the two sitting side by side, so I grabbed Sam mid-decent and sat him up next to his brother. They hammed it up for a couple of minutes and then Sam found a small rock. He threw it out in front of him, off of the top of the playhouse… and went with it. And into my arms. Both stunned, we just clung to each other, camera smashed between us, and I thought about all the things that could have happened had I not been standing right there… and had a freebie coming.