Let's Go Clean Up The Milk

Dear Kids,

I had one of those "parenting wins" this morning I want to tell you about.

Your dad was out of town and so I had to really plan Sunday morning out in order to make sure everything was "above board". I got up early, woke everyone up, got moving for the day, was on top of breakfast and moving through the routine of it all.

After getting everyone going with breakfast I headed back to my bathroom in order to finish putting on my face and then get dressed. After about five minutes I started to hear a bit of bickering around the table, then it escalated, then majorly raised voices, then I heard a CRASH! It was clearly glass that had shattered, there's no way to mistake that noise.

First, Talia came running down the hall to tell me all about it. "Mom! Elijah broke the glass on purpose! Wahhhh!" She was hysterical. I looked at her, then waited for her to calm down while giving her a hug. I said, "I will be out there in just a minute."

Then Gabe came to me and said, "Mom, I believe I saw the whole thing. I will tell you about it." Then proceeded to paint the picture for me of what I knew had happened from hearing the commotion earlier. Talia had started to antagonize Elijah. Elijah got upset. Talia kept pushing buttons. Elijah yelled at her. Talia kept working on getting his goat. Then Elijah took his stuffed animal and flung it at her. The poor puppy was knocked into a glass on the way to Talia and flung the glass on the floor, which shattered all over the place, and milk made it's debut all over the room.

As I walked out it was the perfect scene. Milk all over. Joshua standing there not sure what to do. Saw me and said, "Momma!" while he pointed to the mess. Talia crying. Gabe telling me all about it while I was surveying over the scene. It was reported to me that Elijah was in his room.

Before continuing, I must interject something here. I had been spiritually focusing all morning. I was praying in my heart, "Heavenly Father, these are thy children. I am going to serve them breakfast out of the love I have for You and how much You love them." Same thing when I heard the alarm clock go off, "Father, this is the body You gifted to me. Help me to get up and take care of it and be a good steward over it with thankfulness." I repeated phrases like this all morning long no matter what I was doing... getting in the shower, getting breakfast ready, choosing church clothes, waking up the kids, picking up the shoes... whatever it was.

So when the "heat of the day" came up and scorched the spirit in my home with this conflict, I was able to handle it correctly because of the seeds I had already sown in my thought patterns before the "rocking of the ship" actually happened. I went to find Elijah. He was on the floor in his room hiding under his blanket. I immediately prayed and asked Heavenly Father for help in knowing the best way to handle this.

I sat down by him and said, "Elijah, no matter what you do, I will always love you." He got up from his blanket and gave me a huge hug. He just sat with me for a few minutes. Then I said, "Everyone makes mistakes buddy. Let's go clean up the milk."

I was AMAZED at his response. This is my boy who is the ultimate kid with "oppositional defiance". Whether I handle things 'perfectly' (according to parenting textbooks) or not, most of the time he has fight in his soul for whatever is happening around him. Which is one of his biggest gifts, he's a fighter. But not this time, he was ready to help and comply. I know this was the miracle that was manifested as part of the spiritual focus that I had already fed my soul with all morning long.

So we went out and with Talia's help we swept, cleaned, rinsed, REPEAT (because I tell you what, milk is STICKY messy stuff if not cleaned up all the way!).

This whole process took about 45 minutes from beginning of the situation to the end... and we didn't finish until about 8:55. Church starts at 9am. I kept looking at the clock and just knew it was more important for me to  handle the situation correctly, WITH the spirit, than it was for me to hurry everyone along in order to make it to church on time. I was able to make some HUGE deposits with my kids. So we finished getting ready for church, watched a scripture video, and headed out the door to make it to classes.

This was a parenting "win" for me. But most important it was a parenting "win" together with the spirit. We were partners through the whole morning through the situation. Even though it was only a daily enticement and not a 'huge' adversity, it made deposits into every single one of your souls.

I pray everyday that the Lord will take my small basket of five loaves and two fishes of parenting and expand them into miracles for all of your lives in your future.

I love you,

Your Mom