Sweet Heart

This morning started out so well. The alarm went off. Aubrie and I got up at the same time and she sweetly asked me for a "Minnie Mouse" pancake. So...we trudge downstairs in our pj's and start to make pancakes together. Measure...mix...pour...flip...add butter...add syrup...add chocolate chip eyes, nose, mouth and a chocolate chip "flower" for Minnie's ear. I even let Aubrie watch a 15 minute "WonderPets" show. Go Mommy. This is a great morning I think to myself.

Now things begin to go downhill....very quickly.

Look at the clock. Realize I am running a few minutes behind. Hurry to make the rest of the pancake mix so it doesn't go to waste. The griddle is too hot. Burn pancakes. Stop making pancakes for a few minutes to let it cool down. Feed the dogs. Drop Max's entire cup of food all over the kitchen floor. Sweep it up. Let Max eat off the floor (big mistake). Come back to finish making the pancakes and step (in my bare feet of course) on a big slimy licked section of the floor. GROSS!!! Make a mental note to mop the floor...and clean my feet. Aubrie's show is over. Tell her to get dressed. Run upstairs to find Aubrie in Kaden's crib playing peek-a-boo. Smile at how cute my kids are and then remind Aubrie to get dressed. Come back downstairs. Nurse Kaden. Plop him down on the floor to play with toys. Run upstairs to get dressed. Back downstairs. Change Kaden. Rip a diaper in the process because he's being crazy this morning. I forgot Kaden's clothes...back upstairs. Get him dressed. Plop him on the floor again. Start to do Aubrie's hair....and this is where things REALLY go downhill.

Aubrie: "Mommy can you please not do my hair so I can play?"

Mommy: "No."

Aubrie: "Okay, well can you please do lots and lots of small braids in my hair?"

Mommy: "I can try but I don't know how much time I will have. I might only be able to do a couple."

Aubrie: "Okay...just please don't do one on each side...I want lots."

Mommy: "Okay...well hurry up and sit down."

Aubrie: "Can I please have rainbow twisties at the end of my braids and can I please pick them?"

Mommy: "AUBRIE SIT DOWN SO I CAN GET STARTED!"

Mommy: "Aubrie you have to turn your head. You can't look at Kaden."

Mommy: "Aubrie...please stop moving your head."

Mommy: "AUBRIE! Work with me please...stop moving!!!"

Aubrie: (starting to cry) "Mommy you are doing one on each side aren't you?"

Mommy: (getting annoyed) "No but if you don't sit still I will only have time to do one on each side."

Mommy: "Okay switch sides."

Mommy: "AUBRIE SIT STILL AND STOP MOVING!!!!"

Aubrie: (starting to cry again) "Mommy you are pulling my head when you braid my hair and that's why I'm moving."

Mommy: "Well.....Hold your head still anyway!"

Mommy: "AUBRIE IF YOU KEEP MOVING I WON'T BE ABLE TO FINISH!!!"

Aubrie: (trying very hard not to move)..."Okay Mommy...I'm trying."

Mommy: "Go look in the mirror and see if you like it."

(By the way there are two braids on one side and one on the other...)

Aubrie comes back crying and says she really didn't want me to braid her hair anyway she just wanted to play with her dollhouse. I told her all the reasons I had for needing to "do" her hair (none of which were very important) and then told her to hurry up and brush her teeth and get her back pack.

After a minor scuffle over which shoes to wear we were all piled into the car. Run back into the house for my coffee. Get back out to go over and "untwist" Aubrie's seat belt. Get back in the car and we are off.

Halfway to school I was starting to calm down and feeling kind of bad for being so grumpy with her about her hair. Not wanting to start the day so poorly I turned around (while at a red light) and held her hand and told her I was sorry for being such a grumpy Mommy when I was doing her hair.

And this right here is the part I love about kids...she just looked into my eyes and with complete forgiveness in her heart said, "It's okay Mommy." A lot can be learned from kids when it comes to forgiveness. She is so generous in giving it. So sweet about accepting an apology and so loving.....she's also pretty hilarious because after she accepted my apology she said....

"Mommy...it's a good thing you don't have to do Kaden's hair!!!"

Mommy: (laughing really hard) "You're right Aubrie...it is definitely a good thing!!!"

Blessed to be Aubrie's Mom!
EMT