Never expect anyone (especially your husband) to adequately complete a task up to your standards. No one can do a better job for you, than you lol.
With that said, I asked my husband to get me a few things from the store while he was out-
- New broom
- Toddler (2T) tighty whities
I required a new broom because he and my brother-in-law attempted to catch/kill a mouse with my beloved kitchen broom that I use at least 150 times a day. It now, in my mind, could never be used to sweep my kitchen floor unless I properly cleaned & disinfected it (for my peace of mind). Which I don’t mind doing, but I figured this was a great opportunity to get a new broom, as we needed to retire our old broom to an outdoor/garage broom anyway (she has served us very well & it shows).
My husband agreed to get me a new broom while he was running his errands & comes home with (what I’m convinced is) the smallest broom he could find. He might as well have brought home a paint brush lol. It now takes me 50 hours to sweep our tiny kitchen.
So I came up with a clever plan to teach my husband a lesson in broom picking.
I will give the kids both a muffin this weekend & let my husband sweep up the bajillion crumps that they will assuredly fling across the entire kitchen. My husband will then spend 50+ hours sweeping said crumbs with said paint brush & realize that not all brooms are created equal. Foolproof!
I also asked him to pick up a pack of tighty whities so I could continue “potty training” Jefferson. The next attempt err I mean phase of the training (or lack thereof) is to just put tighty whities on him and hope that the discomfort of peeing all over himself will encourage him to go on the potty. Again, foolproof! lol
I excitedly opened the Walmart sack to get the tighty whities. Even though the broom was a flop, at least I can get going on potty tra……5T???????
“do you know what size our son wears?”
“uhh yeah? 2T!?”
“Oh! Cool! So why did you get 5T?”
“I didn’t get 5T!”
*he snatches the pack of 5T tighty whities to disprove that they are 5T tighty whities but discovers they are indeed 5T tighty whities*
“well, I had 2T in my hand”
“I didn’t know you had magical size changing powers”
*he looks at me with an emotionless piercing glare*
“I had picked up the 5T & the 2T & must have accidently put down the 2T instead of the 5T, I’ll take them back.”
“No, no, no, I’ve failed at potty training for far too long. He can just have baggy tighty whities”
& so, dads mistake became a cherished family memory. We’ve nearly busted our guts laughing at Jefferson running around with baggy undies.
It’s safe to say, we will never forget potty training our 2T son in 5T baggie tighty whities.
[I am happy to report that Jefferson is successfully using his training potty after peeing in his 5T undies only a few times. All children are so different & I am no potty-training advocate selling you the best way to potty train (I am actually very uneducated on the subject) this is just what happened to work for us & with all the information being thrown at us from the internet, sometimes it’s best, & easier, & less stressful to just try something that you feel might work for your child. Nobody, not even google, knows your child better than you do. I feel like we are told a billion & one things to do or try or say when it comes to raising our kids. The number one thing I feel is of utmost importance is to pray for discernment & guidance in all areas of motherhood. The Holy Spirit will guide you in all the things (I’m talking things as minuscule as what kind of soap to bathe your kids in!). Before running to google, run to God.]
The more miserable, the more memorable.
-My Mom
Even though watching Jefferson walk around with baggy undies hasn’t been miserable, I was pretty frustrated at Tyler for not getting the right broom or size tighty whities that day. I’ve come to realize, in general, there is a lot of truth to my mom’s famous saying!
Bad things tend to stick in our memory more than happy little everyday things. For instance, today, my day consisted of *attempting* to meal prep & burning Cauliflower (the whole house stinks), potty training, mopping up pee & macaroni, an unplanned mid-day bath after macaroni food fight, a grocery delivery that was missing half the items I purchased, & looking in the mirror every bathroom “break” thinking “wow, you look terrible & puffy & tired & old.
But now that I am sitting here thinking back on the day…it also consisted of hugs & kisses, giggles, smiles, yummy food, reading, writing, taking pictures, a kitchen dance party, sunshine, safety, a desperately needed grocery delivery nonetheless, & a toddler free “date night” to our bible study group.
The good always outweighs the bad, but the bad always stands out more in our memory than the good.
I want to start journaling the good & train my mind to focus on that rather than the inconveniences & negative points of my day. For me, it sort of deletes the bad & I’m left remembering the good & happy moments.
But I think we can also find a lot of joy in the little “inconveniences” like these. With the right mindset they can end up being the happiest & most memorable moments of our lives. & besides, if everything went perfect all the time, we wouldn’t have funny stories to tell!
I want to delight in the little inconveniences & give more thought & attention to the happy little daily stuff like each hug, kiss, “I love you”, smile, giggle, meal, kitchen dance party, encounter, & breath.
because after all, our every moment is part of a greater picture/plan that is beyond our comprehension. So, when things don’t go perfectly as hoped or planed, I take comfort in that.
15 Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], 16 [b]making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is. 18 Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him. 19 [c]Speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, [offering praise by] singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Ephesians 5:15-21
