Parenting 505 - My Boys

Sometimes when I think about my boys, I am reminded of my favourite talk from Conference this year given by Lynn G Robbins.   

This quote in particular always helps to put things in perspective:

"A sweet and obedient child will enroll a father or mother only in Parenting 101. If you are blessed with a child who tests your patience to the nth degree, you will be enrolled in Parenting 505. Rather than wonder what you might have done wrong in the premortal life to be so deserving, you might consider the more challenging child a blessing and opportunity to become more godlike yourself. With which child will your patience, long-suffering, and other Christlike virtues most likely be tested, developed, and refined? Could it be possible that you need this child as much as this child needs you?"

With that in mind- let me tell you about Sam:

********

A couple of weeks ago John and I took the kids over to Jewel's house to watch General Conference with them and my Brother's family. The morning was going great. The kids were off playing somewhere, and us adults where all comfortable sleeping...ahem...I mean listening to the talks when I realized it had gotten much too quiet. So naturally I went searching for Sam, confident that I'd find him up to no good.

Sure enough, I found him in his cousins room perched at the top of their bunk bed. I couldn't help but notice that he had a skipping rope tied around him with the other end of the rope tied around the top wrung of the bed. As I walked in the room, Sam clearly saw the look of alarm on my face and he instantly tried to reassure me:

Sam: "I know. I know. I was going to do it (as in jump) but then I decided that it was a bad idea so I didn't."

I replied: (somewhat relieved but still wanting to warn him against this in the future): "Oh Sam no. Kids have died that way before. That could have been very dangerous!"

Sam shrugged his shoulders and simply said matter of factly: "Well?.... it's a good thing I decided  not to do it then isn't it."

Heaven help this kid. 

***********

One thing that I love about this time of year, is that we get to enjoy beautiful morning sun rises. As we wake up each day the sunlight pours into our front window and I can't help but adore the effect it has on anyone who basks in the rays.   Doesn't Nate look delicious?

 For one brief second - all is calm and right in my day.

But moments like this never last very long.


 By mid day Nate has usually managed to tear through our house creating one mess or another. John and I sometimes refer to this destruction simply as a Nathan Tornado. He rarely ever stays in one place long enough for us to catch him in the act-but messes like this have his name written all over it.

On top of his new found love of destruction, he also gets kicks out of grabbing fist fulls of his sisters hair and refusing to let go until a) they cry for mercy, or b) he collects enough strands of hair to make him feel as though his efforts were worth it.

And to think that he used to be my favorite child!   

(kidding)


They are teaching me something important, these boys.   At least, that's what I will keep telling myself!