Independence + Strong willed + Curiosity + Spunk =

 What do you get when you combine independence, a strong will, curiosity and a splash of spunk?

SARAH!!

 

 

She has kept me on my toes, laughing & shaking my head all at the same time ever since she was mobile. Sadly as the years have gone by my laughter has often turned to scolding, my shaking head has turned to frustration, and I exchanged in my ballet pointe shoes for steel toed combat boots.  Somewhere over the last 8 years I grew into a very tired mommy who no longer found the curios exploration or energetic spunk, sweet, cute or part of the learning process. I began to view the antics of my blued eyed little girl as defiant, disobedient, and down right naughty at times. 

 

I can't put my finger on why things changed, but after a few different incidents recently I realized that deep down buried under the grey hair & stern taskmaster that I have become I still am able to laugh at & be understanding of Sarah's need to explore the world from a hands on approach.

 

Last week I had taken Sarah & Jacob to the doctor for a check up. The nurse had come in at the end of the long appointment to give the kiddos their flu shots (well, Sarah the shot & Jacob the mist). I was busy discussing something about Jacob with the doctor and the nurse had set the syringe full of vaccine on the patient table next to Sarah. Next thing I know I hear the nurse saying something in an alarming voice. I look over to see the white paper splattered in wet spots & Sarah sheepishly laying down the syringe.

 

Two thoughts went through my head,

Are you kidding me?!?!?!

Well . . . that is what you get for setting a syringe down next to Sarah.

 

Mind you I feel a little bad for that poor nurse who I am sure had no idea that the 8 year old who chose to have the shot because she likes them would ever completely empty the vaccine all over the table. Although to say that the nurse was upset/annoyed about having to draw up a new dose would be an understatement. I don't think Sarah will be doing that again anytime soon.

 

Then over the weekend I was chatting with Paul in Elizabeth & Rachel's newly painted room. The painting things hadn't been completely put away yet and as we were talking Sarah had come in and decided to "pretend" she was painting. She picked up the roller (with no soft roller on it) attached to the long pole and proceeded to pain the walls. Thankfully the walls were dry & they didn't get all marked up from the wire frame of the bare roller.  Seriously!?!?!?!

 

Yet again . . . yesterday I had taken Sarah to the eye doctor to pick up a new set of frames. (Her other ones got bent when she walked into a pole while at school one day. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how that happened. Thankfully they were still barely under warranty.)  The quick appointment turned into a longer one when we realized that she has grown & her frames fit very snuggly. She definitely would not be able to wear them for another year so we decided to have her pick out new frames. After I vetoed the hideous crushed shell/popcorn looking ones she honestly didn't care what they looked like as long as they were pink or purple.

 

Her boredom at the process was evident in her spinning in the patient chair (seriously people why do they put spinney chairs in offices if you don't want people (children) to spin in them), twirling the table mount mirror - (why do you have a swivel mirror if it shouldn't be touched), and fondling anything else she could manage to get her hands on. Mind you the optician was very patient, kind & professional during our visit, but I would not be surprised if there is discussion after we left about how that momma has her hands full. Thankfully John & Jacob, miracle of miracles, were playing nicely & quietly with the toys at the kids table.

 

These incidents have reminded me that sometimes a child's behavior has nothing to do with their upbringing. That sometimes kiddos who look to be misbehaving are filled with so much curiosity that they just can't contain or restrain it any longer and it comes oozing out of them at the least opportune moments.  They just want to discover how the world works & better understand the principle of cause & effect.

 

I think it is time that I recycled my steel toed combat boots & donned my pointe shoes again. I think it is time I let go of the frustration & loosened the old neck muscles. And it is definitely time to put away the angry eyes & laugh more. Because after all I am not attempting to raise a boring old piece of wood; I am attempting to raise a child who feels loved & valued as she discovers & develops the God given gifts & talents that she has been blessed with.