She climbed up in her bed tonite and called out, "Mama? Can I have a hug?"
It wasn't my precious 3 year-old. The one who recites the Pledge of Allegiance and can do addition and subtraction through 15 (seriously, she can).
No. It was the 9 year-old. The precious 9 year-old who won first place (with her twin brother) in the Science Fair. Whose artwork was featured tonite at the Taste of SoCo. Who sings "Maybe" as well as Aileen Quinn (imo) and can be the. sweetest. girl.
And then there are the other days. When she makes goo (her latest 'obsession' - thank you Science Fair) and leaves it E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E. For me to clean up. Fortunately that stuff dries out and becomes a powder. All over the counter. Dad's chair. The couch. The table. The deck. The deck furniture. The porch. The porch furniture. The bowls she used to make a miriad of colors of the stuff. Blah blah blah.
*sigh*
Some days it's a lot or work to have one kid.
Let alone four.
And today we were finishing Character Fair projects. And I'm telling you, I'm just not Tiger Mom material.
Oh, it's all good in theory. But put it into practice?
Put it into practice and I agree. It really is much easier to just let your kids get sucked into video games and TV shows and let their brains rot and have them become unproductive members of society.
Wait.
Was that the point?!
The point of Character Fair was to teach the kids about service. Show them the joy that is felt in giving back.
I am so grateful that I have kids who do Character Fair stuff - the fundraising to help feed the birds at the World Bird Sanctuary, the using gift cards given to them to buy books and teddies for kids in the hospital, the shoveling of drive ways and sidewalks so our neighbors can walk their dogs and exercise in spite of record snowfall...I'm so grateful for kids who do all of that when there's no reward beyond the doing of it.
The fact that they made posters and logbooks and all that out of it to display at the Character Fair?
It doesn't even matter.
The point is that they are amazing kids that God created to do His work among His people. The point tonite is that He is having a long talk with me. He is reminding me that what we do is only good when it is done to glorify Him.
It's good to listen to a lecture from a loved one occasionally. (Thank you, God.)
edited to add: I just read the best quote I think I've ever read - at this blog - from her comments to one of her readers: "Hard is good when you look through the right lens." I think that about sums it up!
