Chasing Cheerios...

Today was an amazing day, full of activities that are pretty much "normal" for us, but somehow combined to make today special. I love how being at home with my kids allows even day-to-day routines grow into special adventures sometimes.

But first I have to write about this morning. It started out as a challenge, a really big challenge. Both Ian AND Zoe decided that they would "gang up" on me and cry about every 2 minutes over especially frustrating details. For example, Zoe cries because she dropped her block, Ian wants to be nice and picks the block up for her...but Zoe wants to be picked up so she throws the block back on the floor. Ian cries because Zoe didn't want his help. Hooray, both of them are crying again.

After almost an hour of constant crying, I felt the frustration and irritation leaping up inside of my chest. This sudden surge of emotion first clenched my jaw, and then began to ball my fists up (so I didn't yank my own hair out!). Honestly, I don't remember what I even asked God...it might have been along the lines of, "Why me?" But I received a supernatural zapping of patience. (Thanks, Erica for giving me this terminology, it explains times like these perfectly). I say it's supernatural, because it certainly was not anything of my own doing. We have had mornings like this before, and they turn into days like...Well, I'm sure you can relate.

Anyway, I know that I also thought to myself that I had the choice to get irritated that my kids were crying and in less-than-fun moods, OR I could just find it funny. After all, when played out with the right lighting and music...this COULD be a scene from a sitcom, or a funny movie. It certainly was not drama or tragedy material. (It wasn't even scary-movie material. Really! No knives, and they are much too cute to scare anyone). Yes, these kids and their antics were definitely straight out of a comedy.

So with my new found resolve at happiness, I smiled and picked up the smallest screaming child and hugged the other child with my free arm. Aw, how sweet. A few pats on the back and order would be restored.

Oh, but my children did not share in my epiphany. Order wasn't really changed at all, just my attitude. I was on cloud nine for about 10 minutes until they were both screaming again...

We went through a couple bouts of this (frustrated, deep breath, calm, frustrated...), and I felt my anger level starting to rise again. A changed attitude is great, but it doesn't do anything for the noise level or the headache. Or the inability to get even the simplest tasks completed. Sigh.

Really, it was a challenge because it tested my commitment. Was I really going to let a bad start and some tears change MY mood from upbeat to depressed? (Every 10 minutes even). Would I let outside influences dictate my actions in a negative way? Other days the balance has fallen far over to the side of negativity! I know if you are a mom, you can relate to this feeling. Sometimes, the drama of your children is a powerful vortex of doom. (They do have those in some comedies).

I battled within my thoughts at each new bout of screaming. Then it was time to get ready for the day's activities.

I gently set screaming Zoe in the crib with a few books to read. I firmly sat screaming Ian down on the bath mat in the bathroom with a magazine. I took a 15 minute shower in blissful PEACE. It turns out that apart from each other, everyone was able to calm down and enjoy themselves!

After the shower, Ian stood up and said, "I'm ready to be nice now." (And I didn't even ask him anything OR tell him anything either before I sat him down or after I got out of the shower!) You know I didn't have to work at THAT smile!

I had to REALLY work at my happiness this morning. I think I do work at it a lot, but I often give up at some point. But not today. I guess that's why I'm blogging about the whole psychology behind it: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 was a victory for me. I conquered a huge battle with negativity!

It really wouldn't have mattered if Ian had miraculously changed his attitude or not, but maybe this is proof that a truly determined-for-the-best attitude CAN be contagious...even to the littlest people.

So, here's my first happy dance of the day. :)

I won't get into really boring details about all the rest of the days activities (maybe you're already half asleep reading about my "Battle Against the Preschool Mom's Vortex of Doom." (No, I will not hold my breath for movie rights or syndication). But, I hope you enjoy some memorable highlights of the day:

*At the MOPS Meeting, Ian clearly had a little "crush" on one of the little girls. Ian has played with other little girls his age, but seeing him look up with his head cocked to the side with such a smirk of admiration was SO cute!

*We treated the car to a automatic car wash. I highly recommend this "field trip" to any mom! Ian was transfixed and asked one million and three questions about each part of the wash. Zoe's head lifted ALL the way out of the car seat and she looked like an owl as she followed the sprayers going towards the front of the car and back again. I was highly amused by their reactions, and remembered the first time I took Ian to the car wash. Cheap thrills!

*Getting stuck in traffic waiting for the tree cutting crew to clear branches from the electric lines, we had a front row seat to yet another cheap thrill. Ian was bright eyed and happy as can be to watch the little man in the bucket truck going up and down. Getting lost and going down the wrong back road has its advantages.

*The library will always be my favorite place. I can only hope the excited smiles of my kids as we walked through the doors today are a foreshadowing of how much they will love the world of books as they grow. Ian melts my heart because he chooses one book at a time and savors each one, turning each page totally engrossed. He would happily sit in the library for hours, I'm sure. Zoe cracked me up with her "little old lady" walk, speeding up and down the aisles of books squealing and pulling books down (waddling with her butt sticking out behind her). She too loves to flip the pages back and forth, but was really enjoying shelves and shelves to pull apart. I remember Ian doing the same thing. Oh wait, he still does...only now he'll at least read every one he pulls down. :)

*At the grocery store, Ian and Zoe sat together in the little car cart (the kind that is underneath the shopping basket). It made me so happy to watch the backs of their little heads and hear their happy noises as we were shopping. Ian even SHARED HIS SNACK with his little sister (putting it in her mouth, as it was little crunchy pieces of cereal). They only lasted 10 minutes together before they drove each other nuts, but hey...gotta start somewhere!

*Speaking of driving each other nuts...on the way home, Ian was complaining, "MOOOOOOMY, Zoe 'AAAAHing' me!!!" Here we go! The cliche brother and sister whining has already started! I'm sorry Ian, but at this stage it's still pretty humorous. Better start practicing your "ignore" skills NOW!

*Zoe has her first pair of shoes! She wants to walk around everywhere we go now, and floors are gross. We got the flexible sole kind that is really like a pair of thick socks. The transition from socks to foot wear was highly amusing! Zoe first stared at her feet while taking a few steps. Then, she "cruised" between two stable objects a few times, watching her feet as she walked, as if testing her ability to walk again. Next, she got down on all fours, and shook her feet behind her alternately (think, dog/cat stepping in something and trying to shake it off). I hope she will repeat this performance again, because it needs to have video!

*I got the title for today's blog because the last two stops, both kids were eating Cheerios and I realized we were leaving trails wherever we went. Raising these wee ones really is chasing down cheerios a lot of the time. :)

I guess that's about it for now, it's time to do the nightly routine...but first, one final happy dance for the day. WE NOW OWN BOTH OF OUR CARS! Today marked the very last payment on my car (Matt's car was paid off last May). I'm so proud of Matt and I for achieving this milestone and can't wait for the next step on our way to being debt free. It's really exciting!

I'm so thankful God gives us the ability to choose happiness, and didn't program a bunch of robots. Robots would never be this good at chasing cheerios anyway. :)