I thought we had all been doing extraordinarily well. The visit to Allie and Grandpa's had already been longer than usual. Mama's big adventure to Kenya was only half over. Dinner with Dad seemed just the trick to get us over the hump.
Dinner went well. Everybody ate; everybody laughed; everybody enjoyed being together. Then it was time to go.
I had already prepped Annalyn and Gracie about leaving Dad to come back home with us. Lots of drama wouldn't make anyone feel any better. (Realist sounds so much better than heartless, don't you think?)
Dinner went well. Everybody ate; everybody laughed; everybody enjoyed being together. Then it was time to go.
I had already prepped Annalyn and Gracie about leaving Dad to come back home with us. Lots of drama wouldn't make anyone feel any better. (Realist sounds so much better than heartless, don't you think?)
At two and a half, Gracie is just developing a sense of time. For her, next week can mean tomorrow, or in a minute, or next week. Unfortunately, being on the doorstep of third grade, Annalyn knows exactly long time can be.
Gracie got right into the car, no problem. Annalyn, not so much. But Dad had to leave for work no matter how many tears and hugs were forthcoming.
I love my oldest granddaughter, honestly I do. Sometimes though her penchant for drama gets a little tiresome. Once she was peeled off her dad and tucked safely into the car, it was time for a diversion. Cell phone to the rescue! This seemed just the ticket:
Gracie got right into the car, no problem. Annalyn, not so much. But Dad had to leave for work no matter how many tears and hugs were forthcoming.
I love my oldest granddaughter, honestly I do. Sometimes though her penchant for drama gets a little tiresome. Once she was peeled off her dad and tucked safely into the car, it was time for a diversion. Cell phone to the rescue! This seemed just the ticket:
That was all it took for Annalyn to snap out of it.
Now Gracie thought it was her turn to "see a song". Okay, no problem. Not! She wasn't interested in her favorite friend Mickey Mouse singing the "Hot Dog Dance", or anything else that seemed toddler appropriate.
The toddler started asking for the "feeling song with the car". What? Really? This Allie has Contemporary Christian, Oldies, and New Age Solo Piano plugged into her Pandora. "Feeling song with the car" didn't compute. But older sister knew exactly what Gracie was talking about. Score! (Annalyn was happily engaged and I knew what to look for.)
Now Gracie thought it was her turn to "see a song". Okay, no problem. Not! She wasn't interested in her favorite friend Mickey Mouse singing the "Hot Dog Dance", or anything else that seemed toddler appropriate.
The toddler started asking for the "feeling song with the car". What? Really? This Allie has Contemporary Christian, Oldies, and New Age Solo Piano plugged into her Pandora. "Feeling song with the car" didn't compute. But older sister knew exactly what Gracie was talking about. Score! (Annalyn was happily engaged and I knew what to look for.)
In the span of maybe five minutes, the girls had testified to the words of Ecclesiastes 3:4:"There is a time to cry and a time to laugh. There is a time to be sad and a time to dance." (ICB) Poor Tom, we were an emotional explosion on wheels. (I gotta tell you, I'm NOT looking forward to puberty with these two! And with a separation of over six years, we're talking decades here people!)
Instead of weeping and gnashing of teeth, now Annalyn was cracking up while Gracie was belting it out with Justin Timberlake. Isn't the resiliency of kids amazing!
Kids are also amazing because of the lessons they so easily teach those of us who are supposed to be older and therefore wiser. Checking myself, instead of fussing at Annalyn, got a much better result than I had hoped. The girls were teaching me about the writer of Ecclesiastes's words, "One hand full of rest and patience is better than two fists full of labor and chasing after the wind." (4:6 AMP)
We all need a minute once in a while, don't we? The Toddler (and Sister) and Timberlake will help me remember to show patience to others in proportion to the patience I sometimes need from them. What helps you to keep it real when it comes to patience?
Instead of weeping and gnashing of teeth, now Annalyn was cracking up while Gracie was belting it out with Justin Timberlake. Isn't the resiliency of kids amazing!
Kids are also amazing because of the lessons they so easily teach those of us who are supposed to be older and therefore wiser. Checking myself, instead of fussing at Annalyn, got a much better result than I had hoped. The girls were teaching me about the writer of Ecclesiastes's words, "One hand full of rest and patience is better than two fists full of labor and chasing after the wind." (4:6 AMP)
We all need a minute once in a while, don't we? The Toddler (and Sister) and Timberlake will help me remember to show patience to others in proportion to the patience I sometimes need from them. What helps you to keep it real when it comes to patience?
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