A Groundhog's Day Epiphany

And no, it wasn't that spring would be six more weeks away, LOL. Darn that scaredy-cat groundhog!

As school started up this morning, I was reading aloud on the couch while Jeffrey and Batty colored at the end table next to us. Loudly. Batty does everything loudly. Add Jeffrey and his incessant "Uuuuuuh!!! Aaaaaaaahhhh!!" and I was having trouble being heard over the ruckus, especially with a case of laryngitis forming.

This is a very common scene here (ummm, like daily?), which usually ends in me shout-reading, and getting increasingly more fed up and snappish. Well, today a thought passed through my mind as I was struggling to read: "You are thankful for Batty. She is precious, and joyous, and behaving appropriately for her age. Smile and enjoy the ruckus."

Wow. Smile and enjoy. What a novel idea! So I continued reading, and kept "I am thankful for Batty and her ruckus," in the forefront of my mind. After all, no one else was having trouble with it. Let me tell you, it made such a difference to my mental state and the whole mood of our reading time. Yes I was still reading LOUDLY to be heard, but it was with a certain joy and not an exasperation. Because I am SO LUCKY to have Batty and all my children.

Thank you, God. One step closer to being a thermostat and not a thermometer.