Gratitude Friday...

Y'all.

My Size Praise Be jeans fit.

I think God gave me a reward for resisting the urge to put my child out on the curb with a sign reading, "FREE!"

Here's the story:  After dinner last night, we all decided to put on our shoes (which can be a battle with a toddler) and go for a walk.  Our new meteorologist from OKC, Rick Mitchell, is apparently bored silly and has been teasing us all week with promises of rain (and it finally came today but not yesterday as expected).

Really, not much happens in the way of exciting weather down here.

And don't even try to argue with me, Texans.  I've lived in places where tornadoes are a weekly or even daily occurrence.

Which is why I think good ole Rick decided he needed to infuse our meteorological lives with a little excitement.

Yes, rain.  It is exciting.

Needless to say, we waited all day for the aforementioned promised rain and zippo.  What we got instead was some rather uncomfortable humidity.

Again, nothing like a summer's day in Auburn where the humidity has been known to straight knock the breath clean out of you when you open your apartment door.

But humid for here.

Anyway, I put Rhys in his carrier and into the double stroller while Nana walked along side AK as she picked up every leaf, acorn and/or dried out worm she saw.  I was in front so I missed most of these treasures but at one point I did hear my mom refer to the intact acorn as "So cute!"

I would say she's been hanging out with the toddler too long but she teaches first graders.  So I think it's just her.

We walked down the street and back and then decided to keep going around the block.

And then we made the worst decision of the entire week.

We went to the park.

Aubrey Kate was so excited and in our defense, it seemed like such a treat!  She hadn't been to "her park" all summer because plastic and metal playground equipment in the wide open 104 degree Texas sunshine tends to be a little warm.  She and Nana hit the swings, they climbed up to the slide, went up the faux rock wall and walked the perimeter cement retaining "wall."

Rhys and I just watched.

She played for about 20 minutes or until Rhys started to get fussy.  Homeboy is both hungry and easily bored standing in one spot.

We managed to get out of the park without much convincing.  "Bye-bye Park!  We'll see you next time!"

But then Homeboy got fussier and the adults thought perhaps we needed to speed up the walk home and avoid collecting any additional Cute Acorns.

Aubrey Kate was not at all interested in getting in the stroller.  It took both of us to hold her to sort of strap her down into the seat.

She then proceeded to pitch the world's largest recorded fit.

I would try and describe it to you but I'm 112% positive the English language does not have the words to give it justice.

At one point, Mom and I started laughing.  That uncomfortable laugh people do when they realize they have entered a realm of insanity they didn't even realize was possible.

Mom had to walk beside her in case she managed to fall out.

Word.

About half-way home, I made a threat.  If she moved another muscle for the rest of the ride home, there would be no iPad tomorrow (today) for her to play with.  

Straight up, she stayed still about 15 seconds.  

And my thought was well, that's just craptastic.  Really, taking away the iPad is more of a punishment for the adults.  But I'd said it so I knew I'd have to follow through.

When we got home, girly and I had a TALK.  I got right smack in her face, eyeball to eyeball, to explain just how ANGRY I was with her.  We cleaned up her toys, took the fastest bath ever, got dressed, did NOT read a story, said prayers and went to bed.  

Chris got home about thirty minutes later (her normal bedtime) and came creeping into Rhys' room to see what was going on.  I whispered to him the briefest of details, he went in to see her and praise the Lord, the first words out of her mouth were:

"I disobeyed Momma."

Good gracious.  If we'd gone through all of that and she didn't understand that single concept, I might have hidden under the covers for a week.  

Or five.  

Mom said I displayed what can only be explained as miraculous self-control.  Truthfully, I was so completely blindsided by the behavior, I had no idea how to respond.  I mean, I was standing there watching my precious little girl turn into something that looked possessed.  

The rest of the night I was wound so tight.  I couldn't get the image of her jumping up and down in that seat screaming "I DON'T WANT TO RIDE IN THE STROLLER!' out of my head.  

And real Momma moment:  I was still pretty angry with her this morning.  With only trace amounts of patience remaining for any toddler shenanigans she might be considering.  Thankfully, today was school.  After last night, she was far cuter while in the care of someone else for most of the day.

Thus, I believe God took pity on me and allowed the previously too tight jeans to slip right on this morning.  He knew I needed a moment of joy.

But in all seriousness, with some reflection today, I have found a way to be grateful for a few things in the middle of this.

1.  Miraculous self-control (aka Clueless what to do) - Very grateful I didn't do or say anything I regret. That's an Only God moment because I say things I regret almost every other minute.

2.  Three Year Wait - Grateful God allowed me the chance to wait for Aubrey Kate.  He taught me a great deal of patience which served me well when facing the possessed toddler.

3.  Type A Husband - Grateful God provided me with a wonderful husband who brings out the more laid back side of me.  Had I married someone more laid back, my own Type A-ness might spiral out of control.  Learning to be the laid back one for the past 12 years taught me to take a deep breath.  Regularly.

4.  Hidden in My Heart - The verse in Ephesians, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord" kept running through my head.  Every opportunity for discipline sets the stage for how she will view and treat not only us but our Savior as she grows. 

5.  iPad Free Day - It wasn't nearly as bad as I was anticipating.  She wanted to pitch a fit about it after nap but I quickly created a distraction and we were able to avoid a meltdown.  Follow-through was successful.  

Here's to hoping the jeans still fit tomorrow but only because I ran today and not because of another fit.  

But when the next one comes, I know God will be right there helping me through it.  

More grateful for that than good fitting jeans.  Every.  Day.