Little Dutch Girl

Last night I cried my 2 month old daughter to sleep.

Yes, you read that right.  I cried my daughter to sleep because...

• the kitchen sink was full of dirty dishes and I couldn't give her a bath for the third night in a row.
• my son watched 90 minutes of cartoons instead of the "no more than 1 hour" that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends.
• toddlers and babies who watch TV have decreased standing long jump performance when they are 4-years old.
• there were three baskets of overflowing laundry in need of either being put away or folded.
• the only meaningful contribution I've made to my husband's ministry this month is baking the perfect chocolate chip cookie.
• I eat too many chocolate chip cookies and I'm going to get fat and develop Type 2 Diabetes.
• someday Mini Mange will find out that the vultures in Disney's The Jungle Book are not really singing about friendship.  He'll be heartbroken.
• Missy Moo's poop is more orange than it used to be.  I think it's the cookies.
• the last five of Mini Mange's poopy diapers smelled worse than they did last week.  Like, vomit-in-my-mouth-take-this-to-the-dumpster-right-now-and-grab-the-air-freshener-on-your-way-back-in worse.
• I don't drink enough water.
• Missy Moo sleeps great during the day but won't go to bed until midnight or later.
• we haven't been outside to play for at least four days.
• the only places I go are church and the grocery store.
• Mini Mange won't be a professional athlete because he won't jump very far as a 4-year old.
• there are two pictures on the floor that need to be put back on the wall.  They've been on the floor since May.
• it's been 13 months since my last hair cut.
• I'm afraid that Mini Mange isn't having fun with his mommy anymore.
• I'm afraid that I spend too much time telling my kid what NOT to do and that I'm creating a defeated little boy.
• every other mom on the face of the planet is better at this than I am.
• there are babies whose parents leave them in their cribs or in front of the TV all day and they DON'T feel any remorse.
• there are babies and toddlers and children in hospital beds whose parents would give anything to simply worry about giving their child too much TV time and barfy-smelling diapers.
• there are parents without any babies at all.
• there are babies without parents.
• I want my children to know Jesus.
• I was crying.

I know that this kind of thing happens after you have a baby but it didn't hit as hard with Mini Mange.  With Mini Mange I joked to my friends that I was only "leaking hormones."  But Missy Moo pulled her tiny little finger out of the dike and those hormones went everywhere, taking all rational thought with them.

But today we're okay.  Mini Mange still watched two episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and his two poopy diapers almost sent me running to the hills.  Missy Moo took two 2.5-hour naps and one 1-hour nap which is only weird because it's completely opposite from what I experienced with her brother.  But we played and wrestled and laughed.  Big brother gave his sister kisses and hugs, modeled his blue rain hat for her and made sure she had plenty of toys with her in her wiggle chair.  Mini Mange thanks God for Daddy, Mommy, "Ah-son" (Allison), cows, frog, and boys (other kids) when we pray before nap and bedtime.  Daddy is the Tickle Monster, Mommy is the Kissy Monster and to chase them both away, our sweet little boy becomes the Hug Monster.
 

I encourage you to follow along in the 30-Days to Enjoying Your Children More series over at fiveintow.com.  I've already gotten a lot out of the first six days and been encouraged to know (more like be reminded) that I'm not the only mom who struggles with this stuff.  I also recommend reading her quote wall.  But not if it's 1:20 am and you needed to be in bed 30 minutes ago.  Like me.