I Don't Want to Forget

Our Elijah  - or "My Elijah" as he likes to call himself is just a little more than 4 months away from turning 3.

He is in that phase that is so challenging for many of us parents. I struggle daily with getting him to listen to me..the first or even second time I ask him something.

When I ask him if he is going to behave he often tells me "No!" - and he usually holds true to his word! ;)

He is spirited to say the least and often when I am telling Dominic about how he was I will say "He was being Elijah" and that explains it all!

I have tried the Love and Logic Parenting with him recently and it works....some of the time. It is all about empowering your kids to make choices and encouraging and praising the good ones.

This morning when I asked him to put his shoes on he said no. When I then asked if he wanted his right or his left on first he chose the left and they went on no problem. Once he had them on I told him what a GOOD choice he made and thanked him for being a good boy.

Every child loves to hear praise and Elijah is no exception. So when he does something good I try to really make a big deal out of it.

But it can still be a struggle and I lose my patience with him way too easily. I forget that he is still only 2 and he does have a lot of maturing left to do!

Last night I had all the kids in bed and sat down just to relax and watch a few episodes of House Hunter before I went to bed and I heard "My Elijah's" little foot steps across the kitchen floor.

He came to where I was and said "I wanted to see you mom". I told him that it was bedtime and he needed to go back up to bed but he asked if he could sit with me.

So I pulled him up on my lap and he snuggled in and as he was falling asleep he was rubbing his chin and his neck...just the way I used to when he was a small baby and we would relax on that same recliner together.

And in that moment I saw him as that little baby again. Beautiful and peaceful and every bit "My Elijah". 

And I knew that I didn't want to forget him like that.

In the craziness of our mornings and evenings together I am seeking order and quietness and you just don't get that with a 2 yr old and a 1 yr old in the house! 

But I am the one that need to change my focus....my expectations.

I need to see their sweet precious faces and be grateful for the chaos, because there is always a time of peace and quiet that follows.  Last night I got some one on one time to just love on my boy. To help him go from awake to dreamland and I am so glad that I didn't just force him back to his room - so that I could have the wind-down time I thought I needed.

God continues to bless me with these moments with my kids and I am so very grateful for each of them.