Parenting Win

There are plenty of days that I feel like a total failure at parenting.  Have you had those days?  Of course you have?!?  (Please tell me you have!)  Then there are days like today.  Days when your kids make great decisions and prove that they are listening and you aren't a total failure.  Days when you raise your hands and praise the Lord (while doing a happy dance) because they got it!  It may have been one tiny little thing, but they got it!  It's that glimmer of hope that you are raising someone who will be a compassionate, considerate, and upstanding member of society.   

Most days I wonder if my children will ever be able to be productive members of society because they seem to lose their minds when we go out in public.  Every time is like the very first time.  This morning we had family pictures made and, of course, an unnamed child had a meltdown in the car as the photographer was pulling in.  After the photo session, we went to breakfast at one of our regular spots.  One child was throwing crayons and menus, sneaking things from the apron of every waitress that walked by, and licking the table.  (I'll let you guess which child.)  

In the car, we told Reese about the plan to take him to the Furman Soccer game tonight.  He has become interested in soccer and we thought it would be a fun (and cheap*) outing for a dad date.  When we got home we sat down with his spending bank.  We settled up a debt he was responsible for and started talking about the soccer game.  Bryan agreed that he would buy dinner but Reese was responsible for the tickets to the game and anything extra at the game.  The tickets were $4 each and we told him to expect a drink to be $2-$3.  I asked him how much money he wanted me to take out of the bank and he said $6. We thought he misunderstood and explained that the tickets would be $8.  He said, "I know, I want $6 extra. Daddy will need a drink too."  

He's ready in his Furman purple!

Despite the days he tells me, "you are the meanest mom in the history of mean moms," days like today remind me that he does have a precious tender heart.  It reminds me that the Lord is in control and is molding his heart to be like His. The days he asks to take extra money so that he can treat me to a snow cone show me that he loves this meanest of mean moms. We must be doing something right!

As I was typing this came through on my phone:

We are clueless about soccer, but Dad is smiling and letting him enjoy!

*Side note: Furman has athletic teams in most popular sports and the tickets are incredibly cheap.  Many don't charge for kids under 12 at all and only $4-$20 for adults.  It's a great way to introduce kids to college sports.  We love to make a day of it and picnic and walk on the trails around the lake.