SURVIVING MARRIAGE AND KIDS

Being married with 2 kids, a pre-schooler and baby, can be quite tiring.  At the end of the day all I want is to go to sleep.  My 3 year old daughter often finds herself in all kinds of trouble and her brother is never far behind.  One day she was painting in the kitchen while I was attending to the baby.  When I came into the kitchen, paint was smeared all over the counter with my clean kitchen towel.  I said "Oh Jesus" and she replied, "Mommy do you need the Lord to help you now?"  All I could do was laugh and then correct her.  I washed the towel but the paint stains wouldn't come out.  Just a gentle reminder that no matter how stressful my day may be, sometimes I just have to laugh and smile and remind myself myself that she's only a child.

Comments From Readers

A reader says ... Now there's a sweet story.

A reader says ... Yes indeed!  We've got some 'lovely' marking pen colors on our family room sofa that serve as a reminder that there are children in the house!  I heard a story one time of a mother that complained vociferously of the messes her child would leave in various places, as children tend to do.  Like many parents, trying to keep some semblance of order in the home, I can sure appreciate how this would get under one's skin.  And then the child died; just how he/she died, I don't remember.  For the longest time afterwards, the mother refused to wash one particular window in the house that had little fingerprints on them.  Just seeing them provided her a memory and a comfort.  I don't know about her, but I imagine I would spend many hours in tears for every single moment spent complaining overly much, willing to give anything to have those 'messes' back, knowing that they were accompanied by the joyful, happy sounds of a child's laughter.

My little son once took all of his big sisters' "hair things" (combs, beretts, etc.) and proceeded to dump them in the toilet.  Thankfully he didn't flush it down.  My wife was quite exasperated... although probably more so at me than she was at him, since I couldn't stop laughing.  My girls didn't think it was too funny, either, but I reminded them that they were the ones that had prayed over a year for a little brother.  So, I made sure I took a picture of it so I could show him some day when he grows up... I wish I could have gotten a picture of his face, because it had the cutest 'guilty' look I've ever seen.  And then it was the bad part... cleaning up the mess, and having a little conversation with a little boy about respecting other people's stuff, namely his sisters'.  :)

Hang onto that kitchen towel, and by all means keep using it.  You'll think of your little girl every time you see it.