Pick Your Battles

Baseball games are long. They are not entertaining for a 15 month old. Everything that happens at a baseball game besides the game is what entertains Madison. She doesn't want to sit and watch like her Dad and I do, she wants to walk around. She says 'Hi' to everyone 15 times a minute and tries to catch boys on scooters. She asks for 'more' of what everyone else is eating and thinks everyone came to watch her. She is pretty much the cutest thing you'll ever see at a baseball game.

Madi with Daddy at her first Big League Game

Remember my first sentence. Moment of silence please.

 As it was my turn to watch Madi at the last game, she found an area where the snack bar had dumped out some ice on the concrete. It was hot out and she got right down in it. She was smearing her hands in it and putting the ice in her mouth, rubbing her binki in it and just loving life. Now this is where I have to weigh my decision. My first instinct was 'that is so discusting', then I was thinking about how it must feel nice to get all wet in this heat and really what harm is she doing. (OK, honestly, it looked a little fun) Then someone walked by and I heard them say, "look at that baby, that's so gross."  This is one of those battles that I'm not sure if I want to take on or not. Its a gray battle for me.

Some of them are easy: Last Sunday, Mike let me sleep in and got up with Madi. (Isn't he awesome!) Anyway, when I got up, they were like perfect little greeters in the living room each with a bowl of cereal and a big smile when they saw me. I woke up in heaven, looking at my 2 favorite people. Then when Mike went to take a shower, Madi looked at me with a challenging look and dumped out her cereal. Back to reality. This is definitely a battle I am taking on. She learned the hard way that that behavior will not fly. And I learned the hard way that teaching her a lesson is just if not more taxing on me!  Her stink eye is fierce!

Example of stink eye

I do not always pick the right battles and sometimes my parenting backfires. I have to admit that I have no idea what I am doing most of the time. But I have learned that when I pick a battle I have to be consistent with it. It took 10 mins for Madi to pick up all her cereal with all the pouting and fit throwing, but I knew that since I picked it, I had to see it through. It was rough and I felt like I was beating my head against the wall. I need daily wisdom in my parenting and its something I pray for every single day.

"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you." James 1:5

"Who are those who fear the Lord? He will show them the path they should choose." Psalm 25:12

When I look at her with God's eyes, I see the amazing woman of God she will become. Her personality is huge and I have the important job of helping mold her into that woman. My calling is to teach her how to act without breaking her sweet spirit.  I need help knowing when to curb Madi's behavior and when to, as my husband says, let it ride. How great is it that we have a heavenly father who is eager to help us when we don't know what to do!