Oh, the Stories I'll Tell!

If you haven't heard me say it before, I believe to my core that happiness is a choice. Part of this epiphany was brought about by an amazing little girl named Mia. Another part was an enlightening book at just the right moment, Happiness is a Choice by Barry Neil Kaufman. The final part (which is actually the true core) is Christ's joy inside that doesn't change with circumstances.

If I'm feeling the pressure...I have an internal dialogue of some helpful questions...mainly, "Will being unhappy about this change anything?" Of course, the answer is ALWAYS no. So, I can find myself smiling...and happy.

But it took me a minute (ok, a couple of hours) to make the choice for happiness this morning. I was trying to find an angle to approach the challenges of the day...and having quite a bit of trouble. There was just this ONE THING I wanted to accomplish, and I was being thwarted every two seconds! Anyway, you know what helped me? Quite a mean thought actually, haha! It finally dawned on me how FUN it would be one day to tell Zoe's first boyfriend about her antics this morning...on their first date. (Trust me, I'll have forgotten by then, but it was amusing in the moment!).

So what is the day's story?

Zoe decided the house was too hot, so she took all her clothes off and ran around the house saying, "I no clothes! I no clothes! I hot!" And when I wasn't looking, she decided her diaper was also too hot and ran away. When I found her, she was in the bathroom near a puddle.

"What did you do, Zoe?"

She jumped up and down, "I peed! I peed!"

"Did you pee on the potty?"

She jumped up and down again, "No! I peed floor! Yay! Peepee!"

"Well, I'll give you credit for getting close, but pee goes IN the potty!"

She shook her head and ran to the living room, "I peed IN cup!"

She showed me her sippy cup...and sure enough, on the lid...ZOE GAYLER!!!

Zoe recognizes the look of trouble on my face before it even hits me fully. She had run off into her room, and was dancing around carefree.

I have decided as soon as we move in the new house and unpack the potty chair, we are potty training. If she can get it on the LID of a small cup, I see no reason that she can't get it in a potty!!!!!

Great story, huh?

How about this one...

A little later in the morning, my two monkeys were jumping on the bed while I cleaned the bathroom. (We let them jump on the bed. It's king size. What is the point of having such a big bed if you can't jump on it?!).

Suddenly, I hear Ian fake crying, "Mooooooooom, I need help! Grab my feet and pull me up!" He is dangling half on the bed, wildly kicking his legs in the air.

"Just slide off! I'm finishing this room and then I'll play with you!"

"But Mooooooom, I need help! Help! Help!" he laughed and kicked some more.

From the living room, Zoe comes running in full throttle. "I commiiiiiing, Ian! I coming! I come help you! I save you!"

(Insert Mom's heart melting). SO sweet, right?

Wait for it...wait for it...

She climbed up on the bed as fast as her little arms and legs would lift her. She reached him with a big smile, "I help! I help!"

And with a strong, swift push...she catapulted his feet off the bed and over his head! THUD! The tangle of legs and head that was Ian cried from the other side of the bed.

Zoe clapped her hands and smiled in triumph. "Ha, ha, ha, Ian! I no help! I PUSH! I PUSH!" She resumed jumping up and down on the bed happily while Ian dusted himself off and stood.

"Oh no, Zoe didn't help!"

I barely heard what he said. I had to step behind the door and wipe the happiness off my face. Oh, Zoe, the stories I'll tell... :)