I wish.........

Recently parenting has not been easy for this momma for a variety of reasons.  During those times I am especially thankful for the listening ear of my mom.  She provides me so much encouragement.  I have been quite a handful lately which just proves that the job of a parent is never really finished.  I've been allowing too much self defeating behavior lately and I found myself wishing the other day....wishing my kids didn't fidget as much as others, wishing Nick could just keep his hands to himself, wishing school just came easier for both of them and wishing this parenting thing was just a wee bit easier.  Now I know this "wishing" is wrong.  I know parenting is down right hard and I'm deep in the trenches right now.  Sometimes I feel like a punching bag.  I get punched, I get back up, only to get punched again.  But getting back to the wishing part I quickly realized that for as much as I wish sometimes (knowing full well it's wrong) some other parent may be looking at me thinking they wished their kids had as much energy as mine do or talk as much as Nick does or love the outdoors as much as Jay does, not to mention their overall health.  I took Nick to the dentist today to have two baby teeth pulled out and he didn't so much as flinch.  I knew he wouldn't and then it occurred to me, this is one thing I never have to wish for: to have a kid who doesn't get worked up during a surgical procedure.  I know it sounds silly but I've never had to leave a doctor's office drenched in sweat from holding down a child.  I've never had to bribe my kids to get a shot and I've never had to chase them through a doctor's office.  Now that is something to be thankful for.  I know this season of my life will pass.  I need to be thankful and today I am thankful for my 7 year old who went to the dentist and as he would get his teeth pulled the dentist would ask him how he was doing and he'd quickly give a Phil Robertson thumbs up!  I'll take that attitude any day.