Determined

This little boy has been learning to stand. I've been amazed at his persistence. The day he finally figured out that he could balance on his two little feet without falling, and that it wasn't scary, he practiced all day. Even when he'd inevitably topple over, he would get right back up and try again. And he never cried. He showed signs of frustration, but that didn't keep him from continuing to try.

I hope I'm that determined. To do my job well. To be a good mother. There are so many distractions that discourage us. Little foibles and faults. I don't know that my encouragement helped my little boy. I have a feeling he'd have been as determined regardless of whether or not I was even in the room. All the same, it made me want to cheer on others better rather than condemn them for their missteps. I don't want to hold that against anyone. Why is it so easy to be critical? We're all learning. I knew that parenting would change my nature, hopefully for the better, but I didn't fully grasp how being a mother would completely alter the way I view the world and the people in it.

"What the world needs now . . ." (this song always reminds me of Ms. Dalrymple's English class . . . )

How Time Flies

Yesterday, I had a moment of frustration and embarrassment. Sure, I can look at it now and laugh, but at the time, it was thoroughly exasperating.

I was already frustrated because we were running a bit late. I got the baby settled in his seat. I picked up my purse, the pump, my diaper bag, and my lunch while Brent started the car. Then I jumped in and we took off.

As we pulled up to work, I started unloading the car and double checking my saddle bags. Uh oh! Something was missing. In my haste to load everything in the car, I had put my planner on top of the car. Now that selfsame planner was lost, likely strewn across the thoroughfare to work.

My sweet husband offered to return and search for it. Desperately, I hoped it would just be in our parking lot. Alas, I was not so fortunate. The planner sat precariously balanced for a surprising distance, but it just couldn't maintain it's hold. Unfortunately for me, I had a bunch of loose papers in it that are now lost to the wind . . . and the canal. Luckily for me, however, the planner survived, largely unscathed. And that's how time flew.