One of THOSE days!

Yesterday was one of those days when I would literally give my I-teeth to go back in time 10 years. Well, maybe just 5. Yep you guessesd it: the 5 year mark would be right before Andon and Zak were even thoughts. But even though I wish it today, my life would be empty without them tomorrow. At least the lessons I've learned from them about myself would've been forever missing without the dynamic duo.
Looking back at the mother that I was with the girls, and the mother I am now, I find two distinct differences. Number one, I actually thought I was a good mom, you know, one that had it all under control. And maybe back then I might have, but only because the girls were so much EASIER than the boys. Number two, and this one is hardest to admit because now I have to acknowledge the snob in me, is that since the girls were easier I often looked at other people with whiny kids or ones that threw temper tantrums the whole time in the store and thought, "why is that kid so whiny? Doesn't his mother know how to calm him?" You know the ones. You see the poor mother in the produce section and the kid is throwing a major fit, worthy of an Emmy. Next you see this poor woman in the pasta aisle, same kid, same Emmy fit. Next, the bread aisle.... you see where I'm going with this? Her whole shopping experience that takes at least an hour is filled with cranky child. That's the worst possible situation. But here's what I would think: First I would always have empathy, but the thought that would run a close second would be, "Someone needs to show her how to discipline so that child knows he can't get away with that. He needs to know that he can't talk to his mother that way." Now I know this sounds very pious and all, but in my defense I really did feel bad for her. During this period when my girls were little, they did throw the occasional tantrum in public, but they were easily controlled. Where am I going with this you ask? I'll tell you. Heavenly Father, in all his wonderful wisdom, saw fit to teach me about what compassion REALLY is. Not the kind where you feel sorry for someone but walk on by, but the kind where you stop and try to help out. My boys have taught me this. I am now the mother in the store with not only ONE screaming, whining child, but TWO! TWO!!! I am the one all the other shoppers are trying to avoid. During such times, (and it really is EVERY time I'm in the store with them!) I want to stash the shopping cart and run to Fiji. Yes, if it was possible, I would RUN. I would be running so fast that I would be able to run on top of the water. This is how desperately I want out of the situation. I have now turned into the mother that the other mother with the perfect toddler (which I used to have) is wondering if I'M in need of some parenting classes. At this juncture, a resounding, echoing, YES! would be in order.

Some good has come out of being humbled. I now have REAL LIFE empathy for mom's who battle children in the store, because they're just doing the best they know how to do. It's just a difficult child and some are just harder than others. I no longer walk on by, afraid to intervene. I at least will stop and try to give the child another focus. Usually it's a who's this crazy lady look. But it usually does the trick. But here's hoping that my boys mellow with age, because I don't think I could handle any more hard knock lessons coming my way. One day my kids may receive a postcard from Fiji!