I don't deserve these kids

Today was one of those days.  It was a bad mommy day.  I was grumpy.  I had no reason to be grumpy.  But all I did was snip at the kids a l l  d a y  l o n g.  Elizabeth, after getting up and ready on her own, came in this morning wearing a pair of pants she knows she is not supposed to wear to school.  The first words out of my mouth let her know just how displeased I was with her choice.  And the day just seemed to go downhill from there.  Isaac spilled milk all over the kitchen.  Josiah made the choice to clean it up without even asking for help.  Instead of telling him how proud I was, I complained at him for his excessive use of paper towels.  Even though I was telling myself how mean I was being to my kids, it didn't change the negative words coming out of my mouth. 

So, instead of letting the kids choose where to have dinner, I  decided my rough day meant I deserved to have my choice.  HA!  The kids weren't happy, and they complained for a moment, but they came into the restaurant and were angels.  They had been promised playtime at the mall, and instead they were stuck in seats at a sit down restaurant.  They sat well and used their manners.  They did a fabulous job eating.  As the group at the next table was leaving, they gushed about our kids--everything from how cute they all are to how well-behaved they were.  I didn't need them to tell me those things, but it was reinforcement of how very blessed I am to be able to parent these three.  And how very blessed I am that they are amazing, despite me parenting them.

Thank you, God, for these blessings...and for reminders from others that they truly are blessings!