What do you do when your almost 2 year old has mastered two 4-6 year old letter games on the Ipad? Perhaps Austin and I should start putting pennies in his Harvard jar. Letters and numbers...we live to hear the ABCs and numbers 1-10...with the occasional 11 thrown in there. Ranger also spelled out and READ his first word today. Get excited, people. He read "GOD" off my book this morning. He said, "Mommy, G...O...D. Gggg--o-D." Incredible. I was blown away. I can only imagine the smile on God's face this morning as he looked down and gently whispered, "You see that? I created that. He is my handiwork, my beautiful creation. And I tried to tell you I gave him a brain!" Lord, I believe you.
Yes, our little boy is growing fast. It hasn't been smooth sailing these past few weeks, but he hasn't slowed down the learning at all. The terrible twos have been made official in our household. At first we blamed an earache...but the doctor nixed that idea. Ranger is demonstrating original sin in its purest form! There is blatant disobedience, screaming fits, and rolling on the floor involved. Usually its over as quick as it started, but those seconds to minutes of tantrum can drain the loving parent right out of you. Of course, the "Forry, Momma" brings me right back again. I've added, "That makes Jesus sad..." to our post-tantrum talks. I say "Bologna" to the bloggers and writers who say your child won't understand a lecture after a tantrum, so don't even try. Ranger serves his time out, sometimes receives a spanking depending on the offense, and then enjoys a talk from Mom or Dad. And you know what?...he listens. He hears. He understands the majority of it. "A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom, but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother." Proverbs 29:15. Discipline may not always feel great to me or Ranger. But I have to remind myself that I am helping prepare him for the future.
Have you ever watched a hungry dog gobble his kibble as fast as he can and then beg for more? Ranger must be taking lessons from my parents' chihuahua. The kid is eating us out of house and home! Greps (grapes), oraaaaanges, bannanananas, fwaffles, eeeeggs, topatos (potatos), c-ril (cereal), MEAT, cheeesse, acaado (avocado), and my favorite...gulk! (milk). You name it, he eats it. Is he picky about his veggies...yes. But he loves the odd ones, like mushrooms. As I was complaining about his eating habits the other day, I stopped to think..."Thank God we live in a place where I can feed him this much." Its definitely things like this that I take for granted far too often. What a privilege to live in a nation as wealthy and healthy as ours is. How am I supposed to raise Ranger to be grateful for things like this, if I constantly complain about my simplistic issues?
Oh to be the perfect mom. To raise my son according to our faith and belief system. To raise him in a society that does not agree with Christianity any longer. To raise him to love people, but not their sin. To raise him with an understanding of who God is and why we were created in the first place. My biggest prayer has to be that Ranger accept Christ as his Savior and choose to live his life giving glory to God.---Oh to be a good mom. To exemplify Christ in my parenting. To teach Ranger Scripture that is so precious to us. To bring him up in a household that puts God at the center of everything that we do. To teach my son to turn the other cheek and pray for the people who say or do hurtful things to us.---Oh to be a mom. To balance work and home in the most delicate way possible. To remember not to sweat the small stuff, because my boy just needs to be loved.
"Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother." -- Lin Yutang
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