A Lesson in Obedience and A Lesson in Gravity

Blog posts are sadly lacking.  Sorry!  I’m working on a project in the evenings that has to be done by Monday so after that I’ll get back into the swing of things.  I have lots of pictures and stories to share with you once time permits.  Until then, here’s a little post about a moment in our day yesterday.  I love that this blog allows me to capture the tiny moments that otherwise would get lost in time. 

When it’s time for Hannah to leave daycare we’ve been working on her listening and being ready to go.  Ange and I normally chat at the door for a few minutes and during that time I remind Hannah that it will soon be time to leave.  Unfortunately when this time comes Hannah thinks it hilarious to run away and wants me to run and chase her.  I just can’t do this and I also want her to know that it’s important that she obey me when I ask something of her.  (This is a common lesson we’re working on right now.) 

Anyway, Tuesday she was distraught when I took her little car snack away when she didn’t come when it was time to leave.  I called her - she looked at me and then proceeded to run the other way.  I reminded her that it was time to go and she needed to obey.  She called out ‘no’ and kept running around.  I explained that she would not get her car snack if she didn’t come immediately and she just looked at me and then ran the other way.  Ugh!  Follow through is key so I told her she’d lost her car snack for that night.  That’s when the switch flipped and she came running up saying ‘Sowwy Mommy!  Sowwy!’ and asking for her snack.  I explained that she’d lost her snack for that night and that she could try again the following night. 

Oh the tears!   Big huge alligator tears and many  cries of ‘I’m sowwy mommy’.  We made our way to the car and her snack remained closed on the seat.  She was not impressed to say the least!

Fast forward to the next day.  When I entered the house Hannah came running up and said, ‘I listen mommy!  I’ll put my shoes on.’  Oh yes!  As hard as it was to discipline her and take her snack away, consistency and follow through are key!  We left quickly and Hannah enjoyed her little car snack on the way home.

When we arrived home she had 2 little jelly beans in her hands.  I had begun to unpack my lunch bah when she came running up to me and said that one of her jelly beans was missing.  I asked if she knew where it was and she said, ‘Outside Mommy.’

Outside?  I’d just locked the screen door moments before so how could it possibly be outside?

I asked her to show me and sure enough, outside it was!  I quickly realized what had happened and it made me giggle at my wonderful girl and her adventurous curiosity.

I grabbed the camera and asked her to point to where her jelly bean was.  (Yes, Hannah is tall!!  Many have commented on this and I hear it in person all the time through.  At 2 1/2 years old she is now 37 1/4” tall!)

I looked outside and sure enough, there it was!

Even though I’d quickly figured it out it was cute when Hannah showed me how the jelly bean had made it’s way onto the front porch.

The little culprit was rescued and within moments she was enjoying it….after posing for one last picture.

To most this picture looks like a little girl holding a jelly bean.

To me when I look at this picture I see a little girl who is absolutely amazing!  A little girl who took to heart the lesson we’d talked about Tuesday and applied it Wednesday with a huge smile on her face and a sense of accomplishment.  Oh how I praised her when she came to me, even before I called her!  And tonight?  Tonight Grandma picked her up at daycare and she ran to her too.  Oh yes Hannah, you are amazing and we love you!

And…thank you for obeying!