A 2-year old kind of day

Yes, today has been one of those days...a 2 year old kind of day.  The kind where no one is happy and everyone is cranky.  Probably because it is a clean up day to get ready for home fellowship group tonight, which usually the kids enjoy because they love to vacuum and will clean anything if you give them Lysol wipes.  However, whenever I want to get things accomplished, it seems the kids want to misbehave.  It is also the kind of day that teaches me how to react in certain situations and not to hope for "perfect moments" to teach my kids...that I have to work through the turmoil that is the life of an almost 4 and almost 2 year old to try to think as they think, which is so difficult for me since I am so task-focused.

 Since my pictures are usually of happy, smiling children (which we know is not the norm!), I wanted to give you a glimpse of what Lilly has looked like 85% of our day

This ponytail was much cuter (and neater!) before she rolled around on the floor crying

Sometimes you just have to laugh (inside, ofcourse!) for the silliness of her tantrums!

So, this is my story for today:

While I was nursing Brilee at 11:00, Sean and Lilly are sitting on the floor "reading" books.  Sean picks up one about Jesus feeding the 5,000 and he asks, "Is that Jesus?" 

Me:  Yes. 

Sean:  Is Jesus in my heart? (pulling out the neck of his shirt and peeking inside). 

Me:  (trying not to laugh and thinking of an appropriate answer) 

Lilly:  Starts wailing over nothing 

Brilee:  Starts crying because she needs to burp. 

Me:  thinking in my head, "please stop crying girls!  this is a teachable moment!" 

Lilly &Brilee: still crying. 

I'm getting frustrated that they won't stop crying so I can talk to Sean before he forgets about his question. 

I start to say, "Someone that has Jesus in their heart believes that Jesus died on the cross for their sins because the Bible says we all have sin in our heart." 

All the while Brilee is still crying and Sean takes a toy away from Lilly which makes her start crying again.  Me:  See, Sean--that was sin.  You were thinking only about yourself and were being selfish by taking that from Lilly.

Sean:  Not paying attention

Me:  "Look at me Sean!  You're not paying attention...I'm trying to tell you something!"  Starting to get frustrated that this teachable moment is completely going wrong--still trying to get Brilee to stop crying and notice my voice is getting very harsh with Sean and that I'm blowing it.

Brilee:  Spits up all down my shoulder, down the back of my shirt and onto the glider--great...gotta clean this up.

After I clean up the mess and sit back down, Brilee is starting to nod off to sleep, and Lilly comes over and yells in Brilee's face.

Brilee:  starts crying

Me:  Lilly!  That was not nice. We do not yell in people's faces.  Hold out your hand for a spank.

Lilly:  Crying even before I spank her hand

Sean:  Pulling all the books off the shelf

Me:  Sean, what are you doing?  Put those books back!  You're making a huge mess!

Brilee:  falling asleep again

Me:  Puts Brilee down in her crib and trying to get the kids to clean up the books, say, "Just put them back on the shelf really quickly."

Sean & Lilly:  Not paying attention

Me:  Gets angry and clean them up all by myself and drag the kids out of the room to keep them from waking her up

That was my almost teachable moment this morning...praying for more...and realizing I am so not in control of how my kids behave and that I can't make every moment perfect, but I have to respond in a way that will show Christ to them, not push them away.  Still learning that one...