Permanent Trauma?

After five days, I decided it was time to pick up Caleb’s birthday stuff. He’d been having fun with the aftermath, and as long as it was contained to the living room, I was trying not to be neurotic about the mess. So we grabbed a trash bag, and we were making a game of picking up tissue paper. “Trash!” he’d yell, as he slam-dunked yet another bit of wrapping paper.

“Trash!” I’d yell, as I tossed plastic packaging from one of his many cars.

I pushed it too far when I let the air out of the first balloon. He threw a tantrum unlike any I’ve EVER seen from him. It was completely devastating to me for having caused that kind of sadness in my little one. However, my regrets faded as the crying kept going on and on. And on. I finally had to threaten to put him back to bed before he stopped wailing.

Lesson learned: get rid of the rest of the balloons tonight when he’s in bed.

We had to get some meds for Gavi’s thrush. He loves it! I told myself that I would taste it before making him take it, but didn’t have the guts. It smells like almond extract, and he licks his lips after every application. On the other hand, I remember when it was easy to get Caleb to take medication as well. Maybe it’s just a phase.

Grandma and Grandpa Fashbaugh left yesterday. They’re planning on coming back sooner rather than later since they’re going to be in the country for at least another couple of months. Mom made a comment that was probably the nicest thing she’d ever said to me: “We’re so proud of the way you guys are raising your children.” She was referring to the discipline issue and the fact that neither Jonathan or I are screamers. Twenty minutes after she said it, I was ready to wring Caleb’s neck.

That's how you know that grace in functioning in my life. That little man can whine, scream and disobey until he's blue in the face, but God's grace is always big enough to keep me from yelling. Sometimes I deliberately override that grace and make bad choices about my own attitude. It just keeps me humble when Caleb makes similar bad choices.

Man, do I love my job!