Unexpected Joys

One of the ways God has used my children to bless me is to help me appreciate the little joys and to help me be more flexible.  I like structure.  I am a perfectionist.  I like things to be organized, and I ALWAYS need to have a plan.  Children, however, have forced me to get outside of my comfort zone by going with the flow, making plans on the fly, and just accepting the unexpected.  God has helped me to appreciate and accept those learnings by making so many of those unexpected occurances joy-filled...or at least hilarious (when I look back on them). 

In the past few weeks, some of those unexpected joys have made me pause to truly appreciate the way that my children have changed my life and me.  There is a Dan Allender book called How Children Raise Parents, and that title really says it all.  I obviously would not be the parent I am without my children, but I also wouldn't be the daughter, sister, wife, friend, co-worker, boss, and nieghbor that I am without my children. 

Here are just a couple of the moments from recent weeks where my children have continued to open my mind and heart with the little surprises they bring to my life.

• Fletcher got to go to his first Blues hockey game this week.  It was fun to watch him look around and take in all of the sights and sounds.  I was amused by his reactions to the loud horn and cheers when the Blues scored a goal.  I was also happy to see how Audrey and Barrett enjoyed the game, the popcorn they convinced their daddy to buy, and playing wiht their little brother at the game.  What I did not expect was getting to hold my 4 year old in my arms for an entire period while he slept peacefully despite the excited fans cheering around him.

• A couple of weeks ago, my brother and sister-in-law came into town.  We had a ton of stuff going on that weekend, but we ended up being able to go to dinner with them and my parents on Saturday night.  My mom was so excited to see the kids, she convinced us to let her take Audrey and Barrett for the night.  As if all of that wasn't unexpected enough (and all planned on the fly while we were having dessert), I also ended up driving to Greenville after church on Sunday to pick up the kids while Billy worked on some things in the basement.  It was while I was in Greenville that God used all of those last minute plans to touch my heart.  My grandparents came over to my parents house for a bit, and my grandmother was delighted to see Fletcher.  She was always very structured and somewhat strict when I was growing up.  She clearly loved us, and I knew it, but she wasn't exactly the soft and gentle type of grandma.  That day in Greenville, I got to see her softer side as she played with Fletcher.  He smiled at her, and I could see how it touched her heart and almost brought her to tears.  Her reaction, in turn, touched me and softened my heart as well.

• Daylight savings time has become sort of a bad word in our house the past couple of weeks.  Since the fall switch, my children all wake up way too early, and no one is on a really consistent sleeping schedule.  Barrett has always been an early riser, but now he usually wakes up before me.  So, while I am getting ready, he comes in the bathroom with me and plays while I put on my makeup and do my hair.  His new "play" consists of organizing all of the drawers in my bathroom vanity, and getting mad at me when I don't put everything back just the way he put it.  While it has become sort of a routine, the first few days it was wholly unexpected.  It made me realize just how much all of my children watch and learn from me.  It is more obvious with Audrey, because she is a girl.  But it is so clear that, even though Barrett is like a mini-Billy in many ways, he is also a lot like me.  Good or bad, he has my same love of sleep, organization, and focus on doing a good job. 

• Barrett has also noticed that with the construction going on in the basement, there is often a trail of dust between the front door and the basement door.  So, he enjoys getting out the swiffer duster and cleaning the house for me.  It is still a form of play for him, but I think the reason he really enjoys it is because he feels like he is helping.  When I compliment his efforts, he has such a look of pride on his face.  It's just amazing how big his heart is and it makes me want to make my heart bigger too. 
• Audrey and Barrett fight like brother and sister...I wonder why!  They can play togthether nicely when they want to, but there is a lot of arguing and general meanness that transpires as well.  Audrey is particularly unkind and bossy with Barrett, and even though he often reacts with anger, it's clear that his feelings really get hurt.  The other day, Audrey made a card for her brother.  It wasn't for any reason in particular other than that she wanted to tell him that she loves him and is glad he's her brother.