Tests of Patience

I don't know what possesses my children to do the things they do! I have been praying specifically for patience with them and I've always heard that when you pray for things like that, then be careful what you're asking for because the Lord will give you something to give you practice. Oh, boy ain't that the truth. 

 Test #1: Let me start with the little one. Kami's dramatic, to put it lightly. She cries instantly when I tell her "no". When I say instantly, it reminds me of the ads that say, "Just add water!". With her it's, "You get instant tears. Just add discipline!" That is how she navigates most of her days. But the thing that set me over the edge today, aside from the fact that she's been vomiting without warning all over my house (I would take at least a gag!), was watching her try to figure out how to manage a section of banana that for any normal person would be a good, two-bite piece; a cup of water; and a cup of Cheerios. I thought she had figured out that she could manage the Cheerios (in a cup with a handle) and the portion of banana if she tucked the cup under her arm and held the banana in her hand. Just as I began to say, "Good job," she decided that wasn't good enough. In order to rid herself of the burden of a banana, she crammed this adult-sized piece of banana in her mouth along with the debris that was already in there from the Cheerios. Ahhhh! She just looks at me like, "What?!" 

Test #2: Now for the bigger child with more experience with testing my patience. I had layed AJ in his bed for his nap probably two times. I thought he was sleeping. I heard Kami making noise, so I went up to get her and while I had her on the changing table, I heard AJ's bedroom door open and him say, "I pooped." OK, I can handle it. He's been doing great with the potty training, by the way. He's been wearing big boy underwear (he's even got some boxer-briefs) and he's been doing great. There have been a couple of accidents that have barely been accidents, so when I heard "I pooped", I thought, no big deal. I looked over into the hall to see my son emerging from his room, naked from the waist down, carrying the "no big deal" in his hand as if it were nothing but mud. 

 So you know how I said I've been asking the Lord for patience and that He has a tendency to give us instances? . . . yeah well. Test #1 was cake. I just watched her until she was done and thought that maybe SOMEDAY she'll learn to be ladylike and not cram so much food in her mouth. Test #2 (so appropriately named) was a bomb. I failed miserably. I freaked out. I mean, my son was carrying POOP! After I calmed down and got him cleaned up, I explained that when he has an accident, he is to come to me first and I'll help him take care of it.

Tomorrow’s another day. Maybe Kami won’t cram so much food in and AJ won’t take so much poop out.