Growing Pains and Perks

So, Easter came and went around the Durham household. I am thankful for Ann Voskamp's blog, or I might have unfortunately never reflected on the true meaning of Easter. Between her and my little sis, I was reminded daily of the sacrifice our Lord made just so we could spend eternity in His presence. Oh, how He loves us so! Even in the passing of Easter, I continue to find myself meditating on His goodness and grace and holiness.

And of course, in the midst of the spiritual there was also the fun. Dyeing Easter eggs was always a favorite of mine growing up, so I decided to give it a whirl this year with Savannah, and I have to say, Joey and I both agree this might be the most fun we've had as a family to date. Props to me for doing this outside and in one of Joey's old T-shirts after completely stripping her down because the dye did soak through and even her belly was Easter egg colored =)(Yes, the color faded off her hands by Sunday, and no, Weston didn't exactly no what to make of Daddy with his big camera in his face.)

We took Savannah to two different Easter egg hunts, but unlike last year, where she couldn't gather enough eggs fast enough, this year she literally wanted nothing to do with the entire process. She literally walked out into the middle of all the eggs and just stood there, head bent in solemn defiance to what she was obviously expected to do. Sigh. I must say, this is a perfect example of exactly what I've been dealing with on a daily basis where she is concerned.

I love my daughter dearly. She is the spark of life and living breathing joy when all is well. But when all is not well in her little two-year-old world, she will make it known. We have struggled daily for months now with unending crying fits over what seems to me nothing at all--invisible boo boos on fingers and toes, missing her "daddy at the store," complaints about her "teeth are hurting,"(which she did cut her two year molars, but that was like two months ago--still she complains)--and the list could go on and on. Just uncontrollable crying, which gets her no attention at all because more often than not she gets sent to her room until she can calm down, then she's allowed to come out. She comes out. She's fine. Life is good, until some inexplicable, minute thing sets her off again. Sigh. Between this, and her never-ending fascination with testing me to see if she will get in trouble just one more time for the same offense, I think I am slowly losing my grip on reality. My solution at this point--to get out of the house as often as possible because she is content, happy, obedient, and entertained if she doesn't have to be confined within the four walls of home. I know, this is simply a band-aid for a gaping wound of a problem at this point, and quite frankly, it's exhausting me, but there are just too many days around the house where I'm coming to my wits end by noon. "Lord, please give me wisdom and insight I need into the heart and mind of my child, so that we don't drive each other insane." If this is just a phase...if this is truly what the meaning of the "terrible twos" is...please leave me a comment and let me know it gets better...encouragement is as good as gold these days=)

However, in my never-ending efforts to focus on the positive, I will say she has found a new love for the companionship of her brother. It tickles me to no end to watch them wrestle and roll around on the floor! Yes, I know Weston's only 8 months old, but there's only an 8 pound difference between them, and to hear him giggle from the tip of his toes to the top of his little round head is the sound of everything that is good and right in this world. I am careful to keep an eye on them, but so far, it takes a pretty good whoppin' for this kid to break into to tears. Lately, he's been more likely to get red-faced and weep alligator tears of dropping his toy than getting squished by his sister. If anything, he puts her in tears already just by getting two fist-fulls of her hair, all the while smiling from ear to ear. They also both enjoy playing on our newly erected swing set in the backyard. I have found that if I put Weston in his walker next to the sandbox, Savannah will play for a good 45 minutes uninterrupted. Yes, I must remind her to give Weston his toys back and to stop throwing sand on him, but he doesn't seem to mind all that much, and they are both happy as a lark, so I take full advantage of this new found playtime as much as possible.

Weston has simply become a little rolly boy overnight it seems. Thanks to some Zantac the doctors finally gave us, he no longer spews constantly all over everything all the time. Now it's simply smaller portions less often, which is a blessing considering he rolls from one end of a room to another, never staying on the blanket, which means our carpets are now in even more desperate need of replacement. But, he's oh so happy, and I do believe he might be crawling sooner than I anticipated. He just really likes being able to get around. Another first, he finally cut his two bottom teeth the Saturday before Easter, which was no surprise, but a relief in hopes that it will help clear up the double-ear infection he's had for six weeks now. He sits up on his own in carts and high chairs now, and we've been practicing his balance sitting on the floor. He really is the smiliest kid I've ever seen. Now that he's finally getting past his winter sickness, I think I'm starting to see more and more of his little personality coming out. He definitely has a temper....Joey and I sat in amazement as he worked himself into a red-faced screaming fit at lunch today at Subway....all because he dropped his toy on the floor, and we weren't retrieving it fast enough. There was nothing I could really do except to remind my son, quietly, that in six more months we would be heading to the car for some one-on-one discipline if he kept this up. Yet, the downside of his little temper is far outweighed by the upside of his typically sunny personality. He loves everyone and everything all the time, and he is so good to go with the flow on a daily basis.

(His Granddaddy can always make him smile...I'm pretty sure Daddy was the first one to get him to belly laugh.)

My children are such a blessing. Through the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, the knowns and unknowns that lay ahead, I can't help but feel eternally blessed and gratefully humbled that God would entrust me with their little lives and hearts. "Lord, may I be a good steward of what you've so graciously given. May my children still see You even in my flaws and mistakes and shortcomings. May they always love each other and grow to love You more each day."

(I'll have you know, we were only able to get Savannah to smile like this for the pictures because we told her that Weston was smiling better than her...sigh...I hate sibling rivalry, but just this once won't hurt...I hope. =) )

I Am Eternally Grateful For:

11. a Savior who loved and still loves me enough to suffer an unspeakable death just so I could have the priviledge and gift of asking for forgiveness and being able to soak in His presence.

12. Spring sunshine and the opportunity to get back into my yard and flowers with both hands on bent knees, soaking in the smell and warmth of the soil.

13. the chance to learn new things like how to parent a child so different from yourself. God keeps life interesting by keeping things challenging.

14. Chick-fil-A=) Should have posted this at the end of my last blog, but I'm putting it in the count now. =)