~ I know that this is a long story but if you're willing it is worth it!~
It was the Monday after we "sprung" our clocks forward and were forcefully subjected to the torment of losing an hour. "It's just an hour," we think. Well, "just an hour" threw our entire family (what I mean when I say entire family is really just me and the kiddos) into the Saga.
The kids were wretched. Crying, whining, throwing things. It was fun. Every five to ten minutes I was disrupted with having to get up to force children apart, place little bodies in the Recovery Chair, comfort the victim of sibling rivalry, and get sippy cups and snacks from the kitchen. You might have found my prayer journaling quite humorous as I tried to accomplish it in the midst of the kiddos' chaos: "I do ask for wisdom and patience as I parent today. As You are well aware, this is not an easy, peaceful morning. I need You. I really need You." (No joke, I just copied that right out of yesterday's prayer!)
Finally, when I couldn't take it any longer I realized, "Switch modes. Engage children." And it came to me! COOKIES! We were having some people over for a meeting that afternoon and what would be a better hostessing move than fresh baked Chocolate Chip Cookies?
"Do you want to help Mommy make cookies?"
"YEAH!"
And an hour later, without crying and whining, it was accomplished. Wonderful, soft Chocolate Chip Cookies neatly placed on a pretty plate on the kitchen counter ready to impress the guests. Ahh. I had answered prayers. We even made up a wonderful song about making Chocolate Chip Cookies. Sing along, it goes to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus"...
The beater in the mixer goes round and round, round and round, round and round,
The beater in the mixer goes round and round, all through the cooking.
The Prairie Kid dumps the flour in the bowl, in the bowl, in the bowl,
The Prairie Kid dumps the flour in the bowl, all through the cooking.
I soon realized that I was now running out of time before The Prairie Daddy would get home for lunch and I'd better quickly jump in the shower. So, I placed Missie in the playpen. That means one child is taken care of- check. I asked The Prairie Kid, "do you want to watch a video?" "YEAH!" Okay, video in and second child is taken care of- check.
I ran downstairs and hopped in the shower. And then...I heard it...the quick little thomps of feet running across the floor upstairs above my shampoo-covered head. I thought "oh no, I forgot to strap him in a chair. Lord, please let him be running to The Prairie Daddy because he just got home. Please don't let that little guy be getting into anything!" Then I heard the thumping headed back to the family room. "Okay, maybe he's going to settle in to watch the video. Hopefully The Prairie Daddy is with him now." Although I never heard The Prairie Daddy's footsteps in the house.
I began to hurry through the rest of my shower. Now I was conditioning. I heard it again, "thump, thump, thump, thump, thump..." "Oh no. I hope that child is not in the cookies!" I raced to get done with my shower, quickly toweled up and headed directly up the stairs like a wet sponge in a race for her life. I turned the corner toward the kitchen. The Prairie Daddy was no where to be found. And then I saw it...the plate of cookies...
I slowly headed toward the family room. A red-headed little boy was sitting in his favorite Elmo chair watching some video with bears dancing and singing. Melted chocolate chips adorned the carpet. And there it was...the face of a guilty cookie thief...covered in crumbs and chocolate.
Do you want to know what I did? I did what every mother would do....I gently took the cookie from my son...and I ate it. And then I proceeded to scrub the chocolate out of the carpet, off of his face, fingers, hands, etc., in my bath towel, with baby wipes (for those of you without children, I highly recommend buying a case of Kirkland baby wipes at Costco. They are by far the best cleaning supplies a person could own!)! I was really happy...really, really happy.
By the way, 1/3 of the plate of cookies had been ravaged while I shampooed, conditioned, and fretted.
Not too long ago The Prairie Kid was given a shirt that reads "Genius in Training." I think that the training part needs to be lovingly CUT OUT of the shirt. My 2 1/2 year old knows how to patiently wait for just the right moment.
And in case you're wondering, the guests loved the cookies.
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