Today was one of those long days; you know because of the chilen - yes, the chilen (children if you must be so proper - ok, and in my case, just one - although I was babysitting all day too, but it was mostly the one and only - Taya). The soundtrack of my day sounded something like a heightened mix of whining and screams from my little one (the little darlin has been on one lately - any hints to nip occasional screaming and frequent whining in the bud?). Well, you know how some days are just harder than others to not let it get to you? It was getting to me a little more today, including physically. Maybe this sounds odd, but I've noticed when I let my stress level rise, I get upper back pains - do any of you notice how correlated our mood and our physical comfort can be? Anyway, point made: tough toddler day. Not a big deal, but ya know...
Well, to finish off this tough day, Taya gave me a little gift (I like to think of these kinds of things from her as gifts because that is truly what they feel like; for instance, when she was a little infant and would sleep longer through the night on occasion, it felt like the best gift ever in the morning - and I knew not to count on it each night after - so it was indeed a gift). Tonight, her gift to me was this:
Paul was gone; I was sitting down to eat my dinner and started saying a prayer on my dinner out loud with Taya standing nearby, but I didn't make a big deal of it (as in I didn't tell her to get ready for our prayer). When I finished, I looked up and she was standing there with her arms folded in perfect prayer position (toddler perfect that is) - and even as if she had been through most of the prayer. She had just been rambunctious up 'til the moment I said my prayer and then she not only calmed down for the night, but folded her arms as we have been teaching her the last little while. She normally likes to fold them for a Millisecond if we're lucky, so for her to be standing there very intently & toddler-reverently during our dinner prayer was my little gift for the night (you know how they try to over-cross their chubby little arms above their protruding toddler bellies? And exaggerate their bowed heads?).
It was just what I needed. Sometimes when we have tough days, we don't necessarily get little gifts from our kids who've been part of the source of our stress through the day, but today, I got one. We certainly haven't been pushy in teaching her about prayer, she's so little and it's just a relaxed thing, but they can learn from example starting so young. So to see Taya take something we've taught her and apply it like that was nice.
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In that Look At Me Mom! post, my newly found pen pal friend from India, Ruhi, shared a comment encouraging anyone who read it to go and give at least just one person a phone call or time together or good thoughts; to simply give them attention. She said that she and her co-workers were encouraged in a class to stop then and there and give undivided attention to a friend or loved one, and that the results from all who participated were very special. So I thought I would pass that along and encourage myself & all who read this to stop what you're doing and give someone some undivided loving attention. If you follow through on this, feel free to share what you liked about doing so!
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Next post up: to tell you about my blog award this week, and to pass along 3 awards myself!
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Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go give my husband some of that attention!
3 comments:
well I have to say Breanne, ever since the post about giving the attention to Taya when she was asking about has made me more aware every single day about doting it on each child more when they're fussy or whiny. Seriously, every day I think about that post.
see how you are.
(inspiring)
I love your posts. I like they are long too :) I like to read. I see it more and more the power of example is greater than much of what I say. If I don't want Jonas to yell at Micah when he's frusterated, then I better not yell at Jonas when I am frusterated because he learned it from somewhere :) And many other examples too, just like Taya learning to pray. So sweet and true. Thanks for sharing. I am hoping to make it out to Shannon's babyshower, if I don't swell like a ballon before then. I can't sit too long before I start getting some cankels goin' on. I am done being pregnant. I am being so impatient with this third one. Oh well. Too I do read the blogs often I just don't comment as much because I am usually working and just taking a break and feel like I am not cheating so much if I just read and look :)
I can never get over the photo of Taya on the slide. It's incredible. I was wondering, did Taya maintain the folded arms position after climbing on a chair while eating a banana? She's one charismatic kid.
Peace,
Tyler
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