things Kathryn is teaching me

It is amazing if you pay attention, like really pay attention, and think about what a normal conversation with a two year old can teach you.

Kathryn has started praying at meals, saying "our amens".  Her prayer goes like this, "Dear God, thank you for this day; thank you for this food; amen."  Kind of reminds me of the Prayer of Derek.  But this is her prayer whether it is a meal time or bed time.  We try to tell her at bed time she can pray about other things... for playing with friends, or thanking God for Daddy, Mommy & Andrew.  But she still says the same thing.  She used to say, "Dear God, thank you for this day.  Bless Daddy and Mommy and Kathryn and Andrew and Daddy.  Amen." at bedtime.  Anyway, after she prays she says, "Now it is your turn Daddy" or Mommy, depending on who's there.  Sometimes at meal time we all have to pray, including Andrew.  So I got thinking.  How often do I pray during the day?  Only at meal time & bed time?  Seems that way most days, and most days, honestly, it is only with Kathryn.  She will correct us at meal times if we forget to say thanks for the food.  Even if she has already done it, we have to also.  How true this is.  Just because I pray for something or Eric prays, doesn't mean that it is done.  One prayer may not be enough.  How often do we give thanks only once, instead of daily.  I mean, I did thank God when Eric got his early bonus.  But how often do I give thanks that he has a job that gives yearly bonuses and raises.  Or even has a job at all.

Then comes my anger.  We are reading James in our small group bible study.  The middle of chapter 1 deals with anger.  James 1:20.. "because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires."  I yell.  I will admit it. And if you have been around me with the kiddos for any amount of time, you already know this.  I have a temper.  Boy, do I have a temper.  And I do take it out on Kathryn more than I should.  Sometimes I hear from the little voice, "Mommy, you don't yell.  It is not nice for you to yell at me."  My response usually goes something like, "well, if you would obey Mommy, I wouldn't have to yell at you." Then I hear, "But that's not nice." in this little pathetic voice.  Then after reading this verse over and over for two weeks, it dawned on me.  Yes, the anger doesn't do anything for my life, but it isn't only my life that is affected.  It is Kathryn's.  It is Andrew's.  I'm not doing any good for them by yelling like a mad woman.  Yes, she can frustrate the crap out of me sometimes, but that really isn't a good reason to blow up.  And now, Andrew is on the move.  and climbing.  and pulling knives out of the drawer.  and just being a stinker.  I have to stop the crazy yelling before he gets into the "terrible two" stage.  I think this reflects my discipling techniques.  I need to change something. 

So maybe the praying more often will help with the anger.

"Mommy.  That's a stop sign.  You have to stop."  or "We have to wait for the green light to come on.  Then we can go."  How quickly she has picked up on this.  So since she loves to point out stop signs, I think I am going to make me a handheld one to work with her at home.  Maybe if I show her the stop sign when she is bouncing off the couches and walls, I can do a word-sign recognization tool thingy with her.  Also, a friend of mine has started with her toddlers doing "practice sitting still" time and she says it has started to work.  So I may add that to the list of things to try.

I'm sure there are other things that I can learn from her if I just give her more attention.  But I need to work on these two big ones for now.