One Down and Three To Go!

Raising a two-year old fills my days with lots of joy and laughter.  Oh, the things a two-year old says continues to amaze me and crack me up.  But with this age also comes her tantrums, desires to be more independent than she realizes she can be, and her ability to run 90 miles per hour AWAY from me when I ask her to come.  I'm telling you, two-years must have these invisible jet packs that are strapped onto their backs, so they can take flight at any moment and go from 0 to 90 mph in a matter of 2 seconds.  I'm still very amazed by this talent they hold.  All of these behaviors have just become a normal part of our days and weeks.  I chalked it up as her new energy level and also started to believe that this may just be the next phase she's going through (specifically with the tantrums).

But then while brushing her teeth last night...A tooth was discovered!  A two-year molar.

Ahhh.  YES.  That explains a lot.  Doesn't it?  

Although most of her behaviors were fairly normal and to-be-expected, the realization that she's teething again has brought a whole new level of grace and understanding to me.  I was beginning to notice signs of possible teething when I caught her attempting to fit her entire fist (or, at times, both fists) into her mouth.  I'd ask if her teeth hurt, but she always said no, so I just assumed it must be her age causing her to act out...and not her teeth.  

I cannot imagine the pain and discomfort little ones face while teething.  No wonder they get cranky, drool everywhere, and try to chew anything from their own fist to shopping cart handles, shoes, and random toys and books.  I feel like behaving that way, too, when my teeth hurt as an adult.  Ha!  And to be honest, I've never experienced a cavity (yet!)...but I do remember the pain of new teeth growing in as a youngster and of getting a lovely head gear and then braces during my early teen years...followed by the removal of wisdom teeth during college.  Tooth pain is no fun at all.  It's bothersome for me.  I feel like it's hard to focus on anything but the pain when it's so intense.  No wonder Mya's been irritable.

As a mom, I wanna to take that pain away and make it better for her.  But when it comes to teething, I can only do so much...and then I just have to allow nature to run its course.  I can't prevent the tooth from coming.  And I don't want to.  I don't want her to be stuck on baby food her entire life.  I want her to experience life...experience new things.  And that can be a hard thing as a mom.  We want to take their pain away...and we can temporarily (what a praise!)...but sometimes life is painful.  Whether its teething...or dealing with nightmares, facing issues with not-so-nice friends, the strong dislike for school, or you fill in the blank...life is not easy.  Even for little ones.  Part of it is just life.  And, as a mom, I'm learning that it's okay to allow Mya to face these hardships in an age-appropriate way.  Life is gonna be hard, and I want to equip her with the abilities to face those challenges.  I wanna walk alongside her but also allow her to learn and grow through the challenging times.  I want her to be able to make decisions on her own and learn from her mistakes.  As I type this, I realize how dependent this makes me on God.  This [parenting and life in general] will keep me on my knees...and in prayer...as I allow her to learn and grow and experience life in new and different ways.

With one tooth down and three to go...this momma's gonna need some more grace and love to surround her little one during this small phase of life and development.  Thank goodness for God's example of love and grace in my life...so I can work to model that for Mya.  

Have a great weekend!

Note: Click here if you're interested in purchasing this as a wall decal.  

Unpredictable

Life is unpredictable.  

Today is a perfect example of this.  Snow was predicted by many...five to eight inches (or more, in some areas).  Schools closed.  Businesses shut down.  Parents quickly changed their day's plans or scrambled to find childcare.  

And, the only precipitation that has happened so far...is RAIN. At least here where we live.

Gusty winds.  And rain.

Predictions continued to change.  Pushing back the start time for snow.  Extending the time frame of the storm.  But, honestly, I think most of us are now predicting NO SNOW for this storm.  

I'm a "summer girl"...but I have to say that I do enjoy the occasional snow storm.  I like when it's just enough snow to slow us down...maybe cancel school for a day...and provide a delayed start to the following day.  I don't mind being snowed in for a day (maybe two).  I get my "Betty Crocker" fix on those days...create a dessert from one of her boxes.  Cook dinner.  And enjoy that life literally slooows down in that time.  I see that slowing down as a blessing.

A way to refocus.  

Intentional family time.  

I enjoy those days.  I enjoy the memories that are made and the traditions that are formed.  I love the spontaneity in those days.  The creativity.  The warmth.  

Some of you are reading this...and are enjoying one of "those days," too.  Others may read this with children running around, screaming and fighting...and are wishing that school was never cancelled.  That life would get back to normal.  Quickly.  And for still others, it's just another normal day...at home, at work, or wherever.  

We all experience these kinds of "snow days" at one point or another.  For us, it's today.  So today, I'm welcoming the extra time with family...We're blessed to have Brandon's parents here with us for the week, and so this "snow day" comes as a blessing (and surprise!) since Brandon received the day off from school and is home with us all today.  

No matter how unpredictable life is, God isn't.  He brings stability.  Comfort.  Rest.  Peace.  Unity.  Forgiveness.  The list goes on and on.  It can be such a foreign concept to think that relying on someone else (God) actually then provides those things within me.  But He can and He does.  Life is really hard...really unpredictable.  With Him in my life, it's still unpredictable and challenging...but I am able to better accept, better understand, and better embrace life.  So in the midst of this unpredictable day, I can rest in knowing that God is not unpredictable.  He's faithful.  Constant.  Always ready to meet my needs.  I just have to be willing to turn my life over to Him.  So He can use me.  To serve Him.

SNOW in the forecast??? Here's a fun idea!

With the possibility of SNOW in our forecast (Ahhh!!), here's a creative idea to enjoy while out in the snow.  

Click on the picture below for easy, step-by-step instructions.

Welcoming Guests

In just a few hours, we'll be welcoming Brandon's parents into our home for the week.  We're excited to host them, and Mya cannot wait for them to arrive, too!!

Although the idea JUST hit me as I sat down at the computer (and thus, I was unable to actually create any of these ideas for Brandon's parents ahead of time), I thought it would be fun to gather some cute ideas for things you can do to welcome out-of-town guests into your home.


[1]  Create a handmade "welcome" sign.  Poster board works great and can easily be attached to your front door or garage door...or to the door of the room they'll be staying in while at your home.

[2]  Create gift bags for out-of-town guests.  We had the pleasure of RECEIVING a gift bag like this when arriving at our hotel room for the weekend wedding of some very dear friends of ours.  (Thank you, Maggie & Hiran!!!)  It touched our hearts and really did give us that welcomed feel.  The idea is to include special gifts that are specific to your location.  So, for us here in Lancaster, we might include in some guest gift bags: a small bag of pretzels, Kitchen Kettle jelly, Wilbur buds or Hershey kisses, a disposable camera, bottled waters, some flyers for local businesses and attractions, a coupon booklet to the Outlets, etc.

[3]  Write a note to your guests and leave it in the rooms they'll stay in.  Welcome them and share any other fun stories or encouraging words with them.

[4]  Cook their favorite meal(s).  Then, prepare and share your favorite meal with them, too.  Write out your meal's recipe for them to take along home.

[5]  Take them on a tour of your town.  Introduce them to a favorite restaurant, ice cream shoppe, or local store for souvenirs.  Don't forget to take pictures, too.


What ways have guests welcomed you into their home?  I'd love to hear your ideas.

Confession from a Two-Year Old

During lunchtime yesterday, I laid our cell phone on the kitchen table.  Within Mya's reach...and forgot about it.  Mya was nearly finished with her lunch, and I decided to venture back the hallway to our desk and computer.  I had just sat down when I heard her feet hit the floor (she has a way of always bouncing around...including when climbing down from her chair at the kitchen table).  Then came the pitter-patter sounds of her feet as she ran back the hallway to find me.  Our eyes met as she entered our office and she proclaimed, "I'm sorry, Mom."  My gut feeling: That's never a good thing for a two-year old to be saying.

A confession.

I asked her if she's okay.  What's wrong.  Told her to show me what happened.  We both made our way back down the hallway and into the kitchen.

Nothing was out of the ordinary.  No messy spill...a praise!  No diaper leaks...a praise!  No food scattered on the kitchen floor...another praise!  Why was she sorry then?  I was a bit puzzled and decided to ask her again why she apologized...to which she moved towards the cell phone and pointed.

I took the words right out of her mouth.

"Did you touch Mommy's phone?"  Her little head nodded in agreement.  I reminded her that this is not okay...that mommy and daddy want to be with her when she touches (aka attempts to "use") our cell phone.  But I also apologized to her.  It was not okay that I left that cell phone out...within her little arm's reach.  It shouldn't have been there to even tempt her.  She apologized, too, and we hugged.

********

In all the times our busy, little two-year old has gotten herself into trouble...all those times were sort of erased from my mind...in that moment that she confessed.  I did not initiate it.  In fact, I didn't even know it happened...and probably never would have either...if she'd never told me.  I was proud of her.

I don't intend for this to sound like she's any different than other children...your child.  But I wanted to take this moment to reflect on how we, as adults, should take the time to confess to others, too.  Sometimes we KNOW we need to confess.  But there are times in our lives...similar to my situation with Mya...that you feel in your gut you should confess, even though the other person may have no idea at all...and they may never know...UNLESS you share with them.  Confession...specifically of sins...lifts a huge weight off of your shoulders.  It frees your mind.  Brings peace and a calmness.

I learned from Mya in this moment of her confessing to me.

I realized that no wrong-doing is ever too small to make right with the other person.  Now, I don't think we need to over-analyze every little detail of our day...of our lives.  But you know in your heart if there's something you need to make right with another person...with God.  Challenge yourself to take the step to make "right" any "wrongs" you've allowed to remain un-confessed in your life.  And remember to extend grace to those around you...and forgiveness, too...when someone comes to you and admits their wrong-doings.  What a blessing and feeling of restoration that takes place in our lives...in our hearts...when we take responsibility for our actions and do what's right heal broken relationships.

We have so much to learn from children.  Don't we?  Share your time(s) when a child taught you an important lesson in the "comments" section below.  We'd love to hear your stories.