Oh my, what joy the little miss brings to me everyday...what drama and what joy! We have truly hit discipline in earnest this past month and I think I need a break! From the moment she wakes up we have a bit of a discussion about obedience. It pleases Mama when she obeys...and it pleases God. We are working hard...but oy...I think I need a break sometimes. But at the times when I SO do not want to discipline I think if I am consistent and regular, she will understand that I need her to obey the first time...and maybe the battle will be ultimately shorter than if I waver. It is hard to remember that sometimes the grace is in the discipline. Who wants to be around a 25 year old who acts like a 2 year old? And I have met some of them!
Our big discipline project of the month, other than the obvious "come to Mama", has been keeping her diaper on during nap/nighttime. What drama! She is potty trained, but we have some major poopy issues. I do not feel like going into it here, I have mentioned it before. So, we continue to work with HC on going poop regularly, and going in the potty. In any case she is still wearing a diaper to bed as I am just happy at any point when she poops. About a month ago she got into the habit of taking off her diaper which resulted in pee/poop in the bed/on her hands/nast! Thus the discipline began...for 2 straight weeks. Wow, really? And just when I thought I, myself, would die she woke up from her nighttime sleep with herdiaper and shorts still on. Victory! Did we ever celebrate! I created the "Shorts-on" dance which is really fun to watch/participate in (Annelise especially likes to shake-it). What fun! After every nap she greets me with a plea to do the shorts-on dance. I am actually thinking about making it a general obedience dance...how can we make obedience fun?
This has been a super difficult time, and of course I am terrified about screwing her up and it taking 5 years of therapy to set her straight...but she will need therapy if she is 25 and acts like a 2 year old...so can we really escape harming our children? I think it is inevitable. Even in the midst of the difficulties it has been a sweet time with HC, and I feel like together we are learning more about each other and also about the Lord. I am reminded myself that it pleases God when I obey him. That he will always love me no matter what I do/do not do. That choosing obedience has some fun results (Shorts-on Dance, anyone?). And that discipline is a form of grace, mercy and love. It is a lot of work, and tiring and emotionally draining. Ugh.
Miss HC is doing a lot of things herself. She can dress herself, put her shoes on, go potty alone, get in her carseat, get in and out of bed/stroller/booster. She loves helping me around the house. She helps with laundry, cooking, baking, cleaning up, dusting, etc. What a helper, I love it! She will go and find things for me and bring them to me. She really likes things in their place, and sometimes makes up where they belong. I will find juice cups in cupboards (because she wants them up off the floor). If there are random clothes in her room she will pick them up and put them in a basket. She is my funny little OCD girl.
She rode a mini zipline for the first time. After she did the mini one (holding on by herself) Dave wanted to put her on the big one, but after some convincing, main Kris saying ABSOLUTELY NOT Dave kept her on the mini one.
Singing is still a fav. SHe picks up songs and words really quickly and walks around the house singing. Her new fav is Rainbow Connection, "...someday we'll find it, a rainbow connection, a lovers, a dreamers and me, la da da..." in her words. HA-larious.
Oh how she loves her friends! We took the girls and our community group up to Knoxvegas for a weekend away. What fun the little miss had with all her big girl friends. She got to show off all her tricks for her friends AND for Grandpa and Grandma. Big stuff. Everyday she asks to see her friends and have them come over and play or go to the park. By 9 yesterday morning I was so tired of her asking about her friends that I made a quick call to Christy and Brea to secure a playmate for the morning. They are so cute together!
Going places is also a fav thing to do. She will say, "Let's go in the van". It doesn't matter where...let's just go! She is saying the funniest things with the funniest expressions. It is hard not to laugh sometimes, especially when I should be serious. She will just look up at me with these big eyes and begin to talk really fast in words that undiscernable...hilarious.
2 comments:
You are so wise. Good reminder to celebrate obedience. (especially in such a fun kid-silly way!) When do we get a video clip of the Pants-On dance?
Those are some great thoughts on the parallels between disciplining our children and relating to God. I think I'll put those on my fridge!
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