April Showers?

What's he doing? *C* and *N* (not pictured because he was hiding from the camera in shame and rightly so) are cleaning mud off of the fence and the patio furniture. Mud they were flinging around.

Are you wondering why? The Husband was too. Apparently they thought it would be cool to see how it looked? Really? These are my straight "A", "pleasure to have in class" children? Really? And these little brain trusts were surprised when the Husband sent them inside for a bucket and cloths to clean up their mess!

What were they thinking? They weren't thinking, they were outside playing and they just decided to try something new and different. Impulse control isn't fully developed yet. That's a shocker. Not! Now, you might think these boys are destructive, but they're not. They just don't always anticipate the consequences, another developmental hurdle to climb.

What's a mother who wants to live in a house without mud splattered all over, without walls dinged from Bey Blades, without socks strewn all over her living room to do? She waits and prays and repeats the same lessons over and over because they will hear her eventually...and God hears her prayers right away. Her prayers help her to stop and respond appropriately, to respond with patient correction, to share the love God has shown her with her children.

Gracious Lord, I am so thankful for April showers that bring May flowers. I am also thankful for the mud (yes, I am). The mud taught my boys a lesson about cleaning up after themselves. Thank you for growing me in patience through this interesting opportunities I would miss out on if I did not have such energetic and spunky children.

-Peace