learning from our littles

Yesterday morning was a parenting fail.  A mom's group in town was having me a very sweet baby "sprinkle," which meant I needed to get myself and my two 23-month-olds dressed and out the door at a specific time.  When we go to the park or to get muffins or anywhere for fun, the getting ready ordeal typically runs pretty smoothly.  When we actually need to be somewhere, though, chaos tends to ensue.

With about 20 minutes left before we needed to be in the car driving, I started getting the twins dressed.  Barnes, in typical Barnes fashion, absolutely refused to remove his dinosaur onesie, which he had slept in.  I got an arm out, he screamed like I had actually cut his arm off.  When I finally removed the entire onesie, the screams coming from our kitchen must have scared the neighbors.  I literally used my leg to hold him down and wrestle him into his clothes.  I try my very best to subscribe to peaceful parenting.  No yelling, lots of explanations.  Yesterday morning was not peaceful.  Trust me when I say that mom v. onesie got ugly.  Barnes rode to the sprinkle with his john john on and his onesie draped around his neck...he was not leaving that thing at home.

At the sprinkle, they of course behaved like angels.  Barnes was especially good, playing with other kids and showing some independence.  On the way home, having been told by multiple moms how sweet the twins are, I found some perspective.  Barnes is 23 months old...not even a full two year old.  He loves his pajamas.  Taking them off is sometimes traumatic for him.  Is that so bad?  Should I really expect anything different from my sweet little boy?

The point of this story is not that I'm a terrible mom (though I definitely have my moments).  The point is that, within seconds, Barnes was over the whole thing.  Even as I strapped him into his carseat with his dino onesie draped on his neck, he whispered "wuv u."  No grudges.  No resentment.  No silly disagreement hours later about something completely unrelated because he was still mad about his onesie.  Just love.  And forgiveness.  Without condition.  There's definitely a reason Jesus encouraged us to come to him like little children.