Sometimes someone can give you a compliment that can change the way you deal with things ie change your life. I read an article about a woman who kept finding mice in her house. The exterminator said to her: "My, you're a brave woman!" She kept running this phrase through her head and everytime she felt like freaking out, she'd say to herself, "A brave woman wouldn't act like that"... and it changed the way she viewed mice. I have the biggest mousephobia in history btw. I'm trying to mentally prepare myself that one day, I WILL see a mouse here. But BH not yet. There are traps everywhere, but what should I expect? It's a really old huge house.
Y'know, it just goes to show, we should actually believe in bitachon. When I was in Seattle and knew a mouse was living in our house in the last few months that we were living there, I would daven really hard that I should never have the experience of seeing it. And looking back, I never did. I knew it was there because our poison collection was emptied out (which freaked me out for months) and one night I heard a scurry (which my brain will never be able to silence again). But look at that - I never did see one. If only I believed in my own prayers when I asked not to have to see it, I could've gotten rid of a lot of mouse anxiety. A LOT OF IT.
So recently someone very dear to me told me that I never yell at my kids. This is someone that sees me often. And I said, "Are you sure?" Because I definitely get to that breaking point. But this person said no, they have never heard me yell. No, I'm not perfect - I probably take it out in other ways that yellers wouldn't even dream of doing. But, now - when things get tough, and all 4 kids are screaming at the same time - I remember this line - "You never yell" and somehow I am able to pull through on the calm side. It's amazing what one compliment can do to a person. Next time you see something you don't like in someone, tell them that they are the opposite! See how quickly they change! (Menucha, you are such a good taster of new foods...) (For my sister's 4 year old: "You are just so good at controlling and holding in when you need to use the bathroom, I'm so impressed!")
Remember that good advice that people give? Here's another one that came from Seminary Girl. MAKE it a good night. Isn't that strong? When the kids come home from camp, the day can either go one way or the other. Either it can be lots of whining, headache Mom and we struggle to get through the day and count down the hours until bedtime OR I can MAKE it a good evening. Turn on music, we can dance together and sing, we can smilingly get dinner ready together and everyone can laugh their way to bed. Instead of waiting to see what day occurs, get up off your tushy and MAKE it the day that you want.
(I don't get to blog often. So I take notes about things I feel like writing about, that's why there are a few random topics in here!)
Penina is such a good communicator BH. Over Tisha B'av when I got a lot of time to rest and read, and she played around me, I realized what a good baby she is BH BH BH POO POO POO. (That's Jewish for superstition, knock on wood type of things.) BH I can get a lot of things done around her. When she wants me, she looks at me with those big delicious eyes and I immediately know what she wants. She lays down nicely when I put her to bed, and if she can't fall asleep, she yells for me. When I come into the room, she looks at me with those big eyes and the eyes are saying, "Hold me. I can't sleep. I need some love." I can practically hear everything she says, because she looks at me so intently.
Then I had this thought -- if my 10 month old can communicate - ISN'T EVERYBODY COMMUNICATING?! duh. So that child that sits on my couch in wet clothes, and picks at her booboos until she makes a hole in her skin, and rubs my bathroom soap all over the sink, and leaves wet tissues in the sink drain, and uses up all the new lotion in one day and pokes holes in the plate before dinner is also communicating????? Maybe I need to think about those huge eyes and realize that they all are communicating, just in very different ways.
Two more days of camp............. then Camp Mommy for 4 weeks (with a break to visit Monsey in the middle IYH). I'm prepared, I think. I have schedules and some new paint, birdseed and a new sprinkler. But, am I really prepared? I know I can do this, because Hashem knows it. I think I can, I think I can.... I hope I make it!
Sara
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