I had a wake up call this morning. Call it a light bulb moment, smack upside the head, rude awakening or whatever you may but I think it was God telling me to take a breather. Do you see anything wrong with the picture? I always tell people that after I had Jeremy I actually started to relax a bit more. I realized that I should just be grateful for the help instead of critical that it wasn't done the way I wanted it done. Take towels for instance. When my husband used to fold towels, instead of thanking him for his help I would pull them all out and refold them - but not before making him well aware that he did it wrong and showing him how it was supposed to be done. Just typing that out and reading it makes me think I'm crazy - seriously, he folded towels without me asking him to do it. What was I thinking? Pretty sure a simple thank you would have been in order. So back to the box of crackers. Notice how the top flaps are ripped open and the bag has obviously been pulled out and then stuffed back in... which in turn makes the cracker box bulge out? Well, I did and went to put something back in the pantry today and saw this sitting on the shelf. I pulled it out and asked (loudly), "Who opened this box of crackers?"... thinking it was one of my girls (who are 11 and 13) and really, they should definitely know better than to actually shove the bag back into the box and make it bulge out and more yet... NOT close it? The light bulb, smack upside the head rude awakening moment (which is now making me cry as I type this)... Jeremy (who is 6) comes into the kitchen and says "I did!" and he is all happy. You see, he didn't want to bother me when he was getting his snack yesterday so he got the box of crackers down, opened it up, pulled the whole bag out, got some scissors to open it and then put them back in the box... and even put them back into the pantry. He then says to me, "See Mommy? I got one of those clip things like you do and closed the bag cause you said it makes the crackers stay fresher that way." And that is when I stopped and thought to myself, "Wow am I ever stupid." I was so sure it was one of the girls and I was ready to freak and boy would I give them a lesson on how to properly open a box of crackers. Why did I think it was okay to give them crap about that? My first answer is because I wasn't in the most friendly of moods this morning and hey, when we're not having a good morning, why not take it out on the kids right before they walk out the door for school right (please read that in the most sarcastic of tones)? And in case you didn't read earlier... my kids are 6, 11 and 13. I am 38. Which makes me the adult. Yea, not one of my proudest moments.
As I stood there looking at his smiling little face I literally felt the world spinning around me and I knew I was going to blog this. He was so proud of himself. I should be so proud of him - he even remembered to close the bag with the clip thing! This tiny human of mine had done his best. Not one of my proudest moments but definitely one of his. We moms are not perfect and this is good. Why would I want my kids to grow up thinking they have to be perfect when I would only be setting them up for failure? Something that is so small to us can be hugely important to our kids - because they are trying so hard to do their best for us. So while a box of crackers may seemingly be quite insignificant to the majority of people - Jeremy showed me this morning that it is not. Thank you God for the simple innocence of our children who can teach us more lessons that any Professor at any University. Now go eat some crackers.
