Looking on the bright side is something we are told to do from the time we are old enough to reason. You had to eat spinach? Look on the bright side. You had to go to bed early? Look on the bright side. Your mom made you wear that? Look on the bright side.
From as early as most of us can remember, we are encouraged to look at the sunny side of life. We may not like spinach or bed time or pink, frilly dresses, but we’re taught to be grateful for whatever we have: food on the table, a bed to sleep in and clothes on our back, no matter how pink or frilly.
And for our boys, things are certainly no different. I find myself reminding them daily to “Think positive!” and say, “I can do that!” Looking at the cup as half full is a skill, and one that we would have all been well-served to have mastered while we were young.
It seems that at least one of the boys is taking our encouragement to heart. Brisco’s sunny disposition was obvious to us when he was still very small. He’d wake up in the morning and look excitedly out his window at the beautiful day ahead and shout, “Mom! Dad! It’s a sunny day!”
Of course it’s easy to find the good in a delightful situation, like baking cookies or whipping up pancakes. Flour? It’s good. Sugar? It’s real good.
And he’s managed to work that same “sweetness” and charm for close to four years. Rather than trying to argue or cry his way out of trouble, he will typically take a more positive approach. With his brown eyes twinkling and that chubby-cheeked grin, he’ll attempt to put a positive spin on almost any situation. Like right after he pokes a hole in the center of a freshly-baked birthday cake. “It’s good that I didn’t poke two holes, ant’n it, Mom?”
He’s even learned to find the good in the least likely of scenarios. Like when he’s had an injury or when he’s broken the rules or when he’s simply due a good spanking.
Just yesterday he came running to my side through screams and tears, blubbering, “I was dwibbling the bak-set-ball and it bounced right up and hit my nose and it hurt!” And after a few seconds of rubbing his nose and hugging his momma’s neck, he looked up and said, “It’s good that I’m not bleeding, ant’n it, Mom?”
It’s interesting to me that he seems to know just when to throw in an upbeat approach. Like after he insists on putting his own toothpaste onto his toothbrush, but uses at least half a tube in the process. “It’s good that I didn’t drop any on the floor, ant’n it, Mom?” It’s a little harder for a mother to stay upbeat when there’s $.95 worth of Ultrabrite squeezed into the bathroom sink.
And after spilling his water glass at the dinner table, which is almost a weekly event, his response may come in a variety of forms: “It’s good that I didn’t spill all of it.” or “It’s good that I already took a drink out of it.” or “It’s good that you didn’t give me a big cup like Daddy’s, ant’n it, Mom?” (He’s had to master several approaches to the spilled drink scenario.)
Then there are times when no response other than his happy-as-a-clam-quips could be more comforting to a mom, like the day just a few weeks ago when we thought we had lost him.
It was a beautiful Saturday to spend outdoors doing anything, even cutting down trees and picking up sticks. We had three neighborhood boys running around and helping and yelling and riding bikes. It was a day long overdue for two little boys who live and die to play outside.
After several hours of hard work, I noticed that the yard seemed a little quiet, so I took a moment’s break to check on the boys. I found the three big ones, but the two little ones were MIA.
After quizzing the other kids and walking around the house, through the garage and down the alley, I began to feel a mixture of anger and apprehension at where those two knot heads might be.
Knowing how Brisco likes to play hide and seek, I decided to search the house one more time, spouting threats and promises of Daddy’s belt if he didn’t immediately come out. But when I heard his weak, shallow whimper, I knew he could not.
I followed his sounds into the bathroom to find my three year old boy sitting on the toilet, boots on the floor beneath him, head folded over resting on his knees, dirt streaked across those chubby-cheeks, and real tears falling from his twinkling, brown eyes.
“I’ve been calling for you, Mom, but you never came!” he cried.
Feeling relieved that the boy was safe at home, I couldn’t help but hold back a smile and a tear of my own. And as we finished the business at hand, with his legs blood-red and tingling from the lack of circulation, he hugged my neck, wiped his snot on my shoulder, and said, “It’s good that you didn’t wait any longer to come look for me, ant’n it, Mom?”
Well said, young grasshopper. It is good.
Most days, keeping this kid on the sunny side of life is a breeze; staying positive just seems effortless. And whether it’s learned or ingrained in his delicate DNA, I know it’s a gift to both parent and child. The mark of his good nature (and our good luck) makes encouraging this child to see his cup as half full a piece of cake…freshly-baked, and with only one small hole.
And that’s All in a day’s work!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Truths to remember
It’s happening more and more often that our little Pre-Kindergartener is surprising us at home with his tidbits of new knowledge and his growing intelligence. I knew that he would learn many things when he went to school, but guess I wasn’t prepared for the emotions those lessons would bring about in me.
Like the day he randomly spouted the months of the year. Or the way he seemed to learn to add and subtract overnight. Or most recently, when he showed me how he could count by fives. It always makes me well up with pride and excitement, but with that comes a sadness at how fast he is growing up. How could he be old enough to know this already, and why wasn’t I there when he learned it?
It seems one day we wish they could always be little, and the next we can’t wait until they’re all grown up. We want them to “Get up!” and “Go to school!” and “Get smart!” But we somehow feel we are missing out when they do. I guess that’s just what it is to be a mom.
And as life sometimes goes, just when we are feeling it most, we get an insight into what this job is really all about. Someone gives us a call or sends us a letter that puts into perspective some of the timeless truths of life--just a few more items we can add to the list of things we want to teach our kids, before they really are grown.
These were just too good not to share.
Twenty Truths to Remember
1. Faith is the ability not to panic.
2. If you worry, you didn't pray. If you pray, don't worry.
3. Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.
4. Laugh every day; it's like inner jogging.
5. When you get tangled up in your problems, be still. God will untangle the knot.
6. Do the math. Count your blessings.
7. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.
8. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.
9. Surviving and living your life successfully require courage. Learn from the turtle-he only makes progress when he sticks out his neck.
10. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.
11. The most important things in your home are the people.
12. Growing old is inevitable; growing up is optional.
13. Dear God: I have a problem. It's me.
14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.
15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.
16. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day.
17. We do not remember days, but moments. Life moves too fast, so enjoy your precious moments.
18. Nothing is real to you until you experience it; otherwise, it's just hearsay.
19. It's alright to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are done.
20. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
And that’s All in a day’s work!
Like the day he randomly spouted the months of the year. Or the way he seemed to learn to add and subtract overnight. Or most recently, when he showed me how he could count by fives. It always makes me well up with pride and excitement, but with that comes a sadness at how fast he is growing up. How could he be old enough to know this already, and why wasn’t I there when he learned it?
It seems one day we wish they could always be little, and the next we can’t wait until they’re all grown up. We want them to “Get up!” and “Go to school!” and “Get smart!” But we somehow feel we are missing out when they do. I guess that’s just what it is to be a mom.
And as life sometimes goes, just when we are feeling it most, we get an insight into what this job is really all about. Someone gives us a call or sends us a letter that puts into perspective some of the timeless truths of life--just a few more items we can add to the list of things we want to teach our kids, before they really are grown.
These were just too good not to share.
Twenty Truths to Remember
1. Faith is the ability not to panic.
2. If you worry, you didn't pray. If you pray, don't worry.
3. Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.
4. Laugh every day; it's like inner jogging.
5. When you get tangled up in your problems, be still. God will untangle the knot.
6. Do the math. Count your blessings.
7. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.
8. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.
9. Surviving and living your life successfully require courage. Learn from the turtle-he only makes progress when he sticks out his neck.
10. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.
11. The most important things in your home are the people.
12. Growing old is inevitable; growing up is optional.
13. Dear God: I have a problem. It's me.
14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.
15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.
16. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day.
17. We do not remember days, but moments. Life moves too fast, so enjoy your precious moments.
18. Nothing is real to you until you experience it; otherwise, it's just hearsay.
19. It's alright to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are done.
20. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
And that’s All in a day’s work!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Did you know?
Peeling wallpaper to a three year old is a lot like a bad sunburn. Once you get it started, it’s almost impossible to stop.
A golf ball is just the right size for playing with in the bathtub. It will sit on the drain, whirl in circles, and make a crazy sound as the water drains around it.
If you pull a tooth, you just put a seed in the hole and another one will grow.
If you boil an egg long enough, it will peel itself. You may need goggles and a pair of gloves to fight the flying shells that shoot out of the pan and across the kitchen, but you certainly won’t have to peel…manually.
Inviting a child to tell you the truth about anything is taken quite literally by a five year old.
If you drink your milk, you’ll grow some more bones.
It really is possible to brush your teeth and eat a vitamin at the same time.
It gives a mother an “Aww how sweet” kind of feeling to see her son trying on his daddy’s boots. It gives her an altogether different kind of feeling to walk in and see him wearing hers.
“Sometimes in the daytime, the moon is up, but when it’s not, it’s hiding behind the sun.”
Basketball is a great way to learn to count by two’s.
The best way to teach a big brother to quit picking on a little brother is for a mom to close her eyes to that first, firmly-delivered blow to the gut.
A kid is really stubborn when he knows he’ll get what he wants if he simply says, “Please,” but still refuses to speak that one simple word.
We like babies at our house “cause they get big”.
An apple with only two bites taken out of it can lay face down in a fruit bowl for a ridiculously long time before being discovered under a half dozen oranges.
It’s amazing how many things a five-year old can do which are apparently “very annor-ing” to his little brother.
“Cooper was in Momma’s belly and Momma was in Daddy’s belly.”
There are at least 452 different sounds that can come out of a little boy’s mouth when he is pretending to drive a race car.
The three year old can’t seem to recognize a one dollar bill, but his brother can tell him to “pick out a George Washington” and he gets it right every time.
And that’s All in a day’s work!
A golf ball is just the right size for playing with in the bathtub. It will sit on the drain, whirl in circles, and make a crazy sound as the water drains around it.
If you pull a tooth, you just put a seed in the hole and another one will grow.
If you boil an egg long enough, it will peel itself. You may need goggles and a pair of gloves to fight the flying shells that shoot out of the pan and across the kitchen, but you certainly won’t have to peel…manually.
Inviting a child to tell you the truth about anything is taken quite literally by a five year old.
If you drink your milk, you’ll grow some more bones.
It really is possible to brush your teeth and eat a vitamin at the same time.
It gives a mother an “Aww how sweet” kind of feeling to see her son trying on his daddy’s boots. It gives her an altogether different kind of feeling to walk in and see him wearing hers.
“Sometimes in the daytime, the moon is up, but when it’s not, it’s hiding behind the sun.”
Basketball is a great way to learn to count by two’s.
The best way to teach a big brother to quit picking on a little brother is for a mom to close her eyes to that first, firmly-delivered blow to the gut.
A kid is really stubborn when he knows he’ll get what he wants if he simply says, “Please,” but still refuses to speak that one simple word.
We like babies at our house “cause they get big”.
An apple with only two bites taken out of it can lay face down in a fruit bowl for a ridiculously long time before being discovered under a half dozen oranges.
It’s amazing how many things a five-year old can do which are apparently “very annor-ing” to his little brother.
“Cooper was in Momma’s belly and Momma was in Daddy’s belly.”
There are at least 452 different sounds that can come out of a little boy’s mouth when he is pretending to drive a race car.
The three year old can’t seem to recognize a one dollar bill, but his brother can tell him to “pick out a George Washington” and he gets it right every time.
And that’s All in a day’s work!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Insights without lights
Having a fireplace to back up to is a blessing.
You can never own too many pairs of long handles.
Kids really don’t miss the TV.
Summer sausage and chocolate chip cookies make tasty sandwiches.
It takes a half hour to get two kids dressed in five layers of clothes so they can enjoy 10 minutes of playing in the snow.
No matter how many times they freeze their fingers, kids just can’t resist picking up the snow.
It costs approximately $35 a day to run a fridge, a freezer, and a coffee pot.
Little kids never tire of beating grown ups at Go-Fish and Crazy 8.
Milk boots are not the greatest substitute for snow boots.
No matter how fast they outgrow them, coveralls really are a worthwhile investment.
Sleds and trees are a dangerous combination.
Wieners can be cooked to a tasty finish over the flame of a lit candle.
Icicles are fascinating to kids of all ages.
Both of our children may be video-game challenged, but they have no trouble understanding poker.
When someone offers you a hot shower, you graciously accept.
Making booty trails in the snow is prime entertainment for a three year old.
There’s something about sitting around all day that makes people increase their sleep cycle to 10 or 11 hours a night.
When else can you stand on the toilet, look out the back window, and cheer with pure joy every time a branch falls from the tree in the yard that is infamous for spoiling your would be homeruns?
Three inches of ice covered in two inches of snow on a flat driveway makes a great place to practice sliding head first.
Stay off the scales. Just don’t do it.
After three or four days, a mother can expect nightmares about the impending piles of laundry.
No matter how long you’ve been without power, you still flip the light switch every time you go into the bathroom.
And that’s All in a day’s work!
You can never own too many pairs of long handles.
Kids really don’t miss the TV.
Summer sausage and chocolate chip cookies make tasty sandwiches.
It takes a half hour to get two kids dressed in five layers of clothes so they can enjoy 10 minutes of playing in the snow.
No matter how many times they freeze their fingers, kids just can’t resist picking up the snow.
It costs approximately $35 a day to run a fridge, a freezer, and a coffee pot.
Little kids never tire of beating grown ups at Go-Fish and Crazy 8.
Milk boots are not the greatest substitute for snow boots.
No matter how fast they outgrow them, coveralls really are a worthwhile investment.
Sleds and trees are a dangerous combination.
Wieners can be cooked to a tasty finish over the flame of a lit candle.
Icicles are fascinating to kids of all ages.
Both of our children may be video-game challenged, but they have no trouble understanding poker.
When someone offers you a hot shower, you graciously accept.
Making booty trails in the snow is prime entertainment for a three year old.
There’s something about sitting around all day that makes people increase their sleep cycle to 10 or 11 hours a night.
When else can you stand on the toilet, look out the back window, and cheer with pure joy every time a branch falls from the tree in the yard that is infamous for spoiling your would be homeruns?
Three inches of ice covered in two inches of snow on a flat driveway makes a great place to practice sliding head first.
Stay off the scales. Just don’t do it.
After three or four days, a mother can expect nightmares about the impending piles of laundry.
No matter how long you’ve been without power, you still flip the light switch every time you go into the bathroom.
And that’s All in a day’s work!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)