Leavings and Epiphanies

Like my new picture? It was taken during DNSN week. This would be what Sweet Girl left at the table after breakfast, snack and lunch. I broke and made her clear it off before dinner. When she saw the picture in iphoto the other night she said, "Huh? Why did you take that picture? Are you going to show it to Vicki?" That girl knows me so well.

These leavings are pretty typical at our house. Most eating is done in the kitchen. I don't like food all over the house. It makes a mess and makes me crazy. Plus we have mice in the basement. I don't think they'd mind going all over the house looking for food and it send shivers up my spin just thinking about it. Both of the girls are capable of clearing there own places and loading the dishwasher. More often then not they don't. Of course, I do remind them so they don't have to remember. But when I leave it and another meal comes around they tend to just move the old bowls off their space (ie, into my and Webby's space) to make room for new dishes. When that doesn't fly, Sweetie Heart grumps but clears, Sweet Girls whines and says it's "too hard and there is too much stuff." I'd have to agree. But she does end up doing it.

On to my epiphany. I spelled that correctly without the help of spell check! (thank you very much!) We went to spend the evening with some friends of ours. All of their children are grown, the youngest is 21 and is the only one living at home. She and I were talking about parenting. One of the things she said to me was that her parents were always yelling. When she was little she went to see Mary Poppins in the theatre. When she left she decided that she wanted to be like Mary Poppins when she was a mom. Huh. It dawned on me, that I too, want to be like Mary Poppins. Think about that for a minute. Maybe you should watch it again and see what I mean.

Another epiphany. They has a friend's two small children staying with them for the weekend. She said she just loved it when people brought their small children over for them to watch. She just loves the little ones so much. She always spoke the the children respectfully, even when they were going against the rules. She would just remind them of the rule and guide them to have it done. Then she commented that when she raised her voice just a little the children always responded to her. They took her seriously. She wasn't sure why that was because they didn't with there own parents. To which I responded that it was probably because she didn't raise her voice very often, so when she did they paid attention and knew it was important.

DUH! No wonder my kids blow me off when I raise my voice. I raise my voice quite often. I nag and remind all the time. So when it's important they just think it's just the same old, same old. They don't realize it's important. My friends, that is dangerous. Whether I'm telling them to hurry up or don't go in the street because a car is coming, it sounds the same.

Much to think about!