Peace Project Countdown- 11

For that one or two times a year I either lose my keys or lock them in the car(today)- I toast the other 362 days of the year that I don't. And thank you wonderful husband for running home so I could go to my pilates class.

Peace Project Countdown- 12

Grouchy kiddos. This is #1 On my list. Cause grouchy or not I still love them. And perhaps a case of the grumps is good for me. It teaches me how to better love those who at the moment are not very easy to love. That and this pic cracks me up!

Project Peace

Discontent. I woke up this morning, not wanting to wake up. I nursed a baby and rolled my eyes when I heard the kids waking up LOUDLY in their rooms and starting to yell. I stumbled downstairs to cereal and munching mouths, thinking, "I want to be munching too." But instead, I poured some coffee, ran upstairs and got dressed. Minutes later I emerged from the bedroom, sighed at the pile of laundry by the door and the dust balls that danced around my ankles, and embarked on feeding Ezzie "twosies." This took nearly all my patience as half of every spoonful hit the bib or balanced precariously on the edge of her chin. And her fresh outfit? Now spotted with applesauce, and me? Spotted with her applessauce as well...

This Christmas I want to stop. Stop. Stop and enjoy all the things I don't enjoy. Because here is the truth. All the things that drive me crazy all day long, if suddenly taken from me, would leave a deep and painful hole in my life. If my kids were taken from me, I would give anything to wash their tiny pants again, to hear them yelling in the next room, or wipe applesauce off their faces. If my house was taken from me, I would yearn to vacuum its floors and turn off its lights. If my husband was taken from me, I would be desperate for one more call from him, even if it was only to say he'd be home late from work.
So for the remaining days until Christmas this is my goal: to share with you one thing a day that I am thankful for, one thing that might normally be taken for granted or even dispised and recognize it for the blessing it is. Feel free to share some of your own as well!

Lesson #3 in semantics - The Golden Rule

"Do unto others what you would want done to you."

Everyone has heard this throughout their lives, christian or not. This simple rule covers many of the selftish tendencies of children. But once again I am surprised at my daughter's interpretation.
Abs and Bells play nicely together probably 60% of the time. And the other 40% they fight over toys, they fight over space, they get angry, or they argue over the specifics of how they should go about playing together. This last week I've spent countless moments illustating the golden rule to Bells, asking her to do to her brother like she would want done to her. HER INTERPRETATION: Make her brother do what she wants to do.
She wants the stool in the middle of the kitchen. He wants it by the wall. Solution?
Bells: "Abs you need to put it in the middle cause I want you do what I want you to do." Um yeah....
Isn't that all our tendency...to apply rules religiously to others but not see our own failure to abide by them?