Savoring The Times

It wasn't too terribly long ago that I was posting about The Prairie Kid's resiliency. It was a challenging time in our home dealing with his choices of pottying around the house. I forgot to report that it ended after two weeks (two very long weeks in my memory). It was as though he just had to get to a place where he chose different. Thank the Lord! I hope he realized that his positive choices resulted in positive consequences. Something must have clicked cause he sure hasn't done that again!

At some point right after those two weeks I had a revelation of sorts. I just really sincerely realized that I am always commenting to people about how time flies and how The Prairie Kid grows up too fast. I realized that I need to savor the time. Before I know it I will not have all day, everyday with my son. Even though we aren't constantly interacting in the house all day, we always seem to be in tuned with one another as we go about our business.

I have been savoring. I have been soaking up, eating up, and meditating on these times as of late. And my heart is filled with joy. As exciting as it is to see his growth I also realize there is one more thing that is now only a part of the past. I have to set my mind to be joyful in the growth or I will be saddened by the loss. This all goes so fast! If I let myself think about sending The Prairie Kid off to school I about cry. I truly must decide not to let myself go to such places. I am in the moment. I am breathing in "the now."

And boy is it fun! The Prairie Kid constantly makes my heart sing. He is learning so much! He has been spelling his name verbally, writing it on paper (in fact he just brought a pencil and paper over for writing his name as I typed this!), singing songs I didn't know he knew, asking to learn more words to the songs, identifying letters, putting away toys better, playing longer and more intentionally and trying to memorize scripture! No kidding! Yesterday on the way home from church he was trying to say the verse that we have been encouraging kids to memorize in Sunday School:

"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." John 20:31

I have also been listening to his play. It has been so rewarding to hear the manners that his toys have! : ) Manners have been a part of the foundation of training The Prairie Kid. I believe that manners are one of the best ways we can show love and respect to those around us, focusing on others and not just ourselves. Anyways, when The Prairie Kid is creating dialog between his toys it goes something like this:

"Oh, excuse me. I am sorry. Kank you. Please."

Even his pirates are polite. My sister and I were laughing on the phone when I shared this with her and we created our own "polite pirate" dialog:

"Arghh, matey. Please walk the plank!" "Aye-Aye, kank you for your bounty! Excuse me while I run off with it. Sorry to have taken the treasure, arghh."

Sure, life isn't void of tantrums and issues. But when I see the joys of the moment and relish them and ask the Lord to parent through me and be the kind of parent He is to me, then it is sure better. Better doesn't necessarily mean happy or easy; it means I know I am right where God wants me to be and that is way better than the temporal happy or easy that I see this world chasing. God's idea of life to the fullest and "the best" is becoming more and more my own idea of full life and "the best."