Sweet Justice

It happened. 

It FINALLY HAPPENED.

I was in a store the other day, swimsuit shopping with my daughters, ages fifteen and almost thirteen, when we all heard the most horrific screaming. The kind of shrill, migraine-inducing sound that can only be produced by a toddler who isn't getting their way.

I refrained from commenting at first, because I'm a mom, and every mom, at least once during their parenting of a toddler (or in my case - daily for three years) has had to endure a major and extremely public meltdown by their offspring.

After about seven to eight minutes of having to listen to this strong-willed kid, Megan broke and whisper-yelled to me, "UGH!!! That is SOOOOO ANNOYING!!!"

OH REALLY????

As I stood there and realized that the day I'd been awaiting for at least nine years had actually arrived, I savored the moment as I replied with a smirk and perfect degree of sarcasm, "What's the matter, Meg? Is that screaming bothering you? Is that crying too loud for you? Hmmm?" Megan quickly looked back at me with an all knowing eye-roll and responded, "I'M SORRY, OKAY???   I WAS YOUNG!!!   I DIDN'T HAVE A BRAIN BACK THEN!!   I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING!!!"

I said, "Well NOW you KNOW."

I swear, the only day that might possibly trump this one, will be if she calls me to say that her own toddler reenacted her tantrum as a 3 year old, and screamed bloody murder while being carried in a death grip through Macy's.

Take heart mothers of young ones! Justice WILL be yours someday, and it will be SO very sweet!!

Parents versus Google

Christmas is thirteen days away, and the number one item on Megan's wish list is a hamster.

My husband and I both know what it's like to care for (or neglect) one of these rodents, and are less than eager to purposely welcome one into our home. Nevertheless, Meg is determined to get her wish.

A couple of weeks ago she reminded me that a hamster was at the top of her list. I assured her that I was aware of this, but didn't think it was going to happen.

MEGAN:  Fine. I'll just Google 'how to convince your parents to get you a hamster!'

ME:  Go ahead. Knock yourself out.

Later that evening she called me back to her room, which is next to the bathroom she and her sister share.

ME:  Yes?

MEGAN:  Have you looked at the bathroom lately?

ME:  No, why?

MEGAN:  Go look.

I walked over and turned on the bathroom light, expecting to see the post tornado disaster it usually is, but was shocked to see it clean and tidy.

ME:  Wow, Meg. Did you do that?

MEGAN:  Yes, I did, withOUT being asked.

ME:  Very nice, thank you.

MEGAN:  Step one - do your chores without being asked.

ME:  What?

MEGAN:  Step one on how to convince your parents to get you a hamster.

ME:  Oh.

MEGAN:  I'll be cleaning my room next, withOUT being asked.

ME:  Great.

The next day ...

MEGAN:  Mom?

ME:  Yeah?

MEGAN:  What is it about hamsters that you don't like?

ME:  The cages are a pain to clean.

MEGAN:  I helped my friend clean her hamster's cage, and it was super easy. What else?

ME:  They stink.

MEGAN:  Did you know that there's lavender scented hamster bedding now that really helps with that?

ME:  No, I did not.

MEGAN leaning in close:  Step two - research.

A few days later, I was sitting on the couch when she sat down next to me with her school laptop.

MEGAN:  Do you have a few minutes?

ME:  Sure.

MEGAN:  Good, because I've prepared a PowerPoint presentation.

ME:  You've GOT to be kidding.

MEGAN:  Nope. Step three - PowerPoint.

She proceeded to show me 5-7 slides, complete with pictures, displaying all the reasons why she should get a hamster!!

You guys. It was all, and I mean ALL, I could do to not take her to Pet Smart ON THE SPOT. I mean, COME ON. A freaking PowerPoint presentation?! Seriously, Google? That's hitting below the belt. What parent could resist such creative tenacity???

I'll tell you who, her father. 

There's a saying, "If it's not Dutch, it's not much." I have found this to be quite true when it comes to my Dutch husband holding his ground. So when I relayed all of this hamster harassment to him, he got a chuckle out of it, but was not swayed in the least. 

And so, it looks like Google may have lost this round, but with Christmas right around the corner, I shutter to think what might be coming next.

And no, I'm NOT gonna Google it!

Take THAT, Devil.

I may have mentioned once or twice that I work at the Christian school my girls attend. One discipline that our school instills in its students is the memorization of Bible verses. I LOVE this, among other things.

At Back to School night, the junior high Bible teacher told us that she found a method to help the students not only memorize scripture, but remember it. While I believed her, it was hard to imagine 7th and 8th graders being able to recall so many words! You see, the first week they memorize a passage of scripture and say it in front of their class. The second week, they repeat the first week's verse and add a new one to it. The third week, they repeat the verse from week two plus the new one from week three, and so on, so that each week they're reciting two passages. THEN at the end of the semester, they write out ALL the scriptures they've memorized since the first week. WOW.

This week my 7th grader, Megan, was memorizing Romans 12:1-2:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

As she and I were working on it the other night, she was a little frustrated because all of the 8th graders in her Bible class already knew this long passage from having memorized it the year before. Right about then her older sister, a 9th grader, walked into the room and started quoting it verbatim.

Now while this recitation from her sister only increased Meg's frustration, it absolutely thrilled ME!! To know that these verses are not just being crammed into their short term memory for a test, but actually being stored in the deep recesses of their minds, so they are able to recall them when needed? PRICELESS.

This morning Megan asked if she could practice saying her verse to me while we walked from our car to the school buildings. I agreed, of course. As she began reciting the scripture to me, I envisioned other students on the campus speaking God's Word aloud throughout the day, and I got so excited! I mean, how could scriptures, spoken out loud not have a positive effect on a school campus let alone the students who are reciting them?! 

Megan finished as we approached my office, kissed me goodbye, and as she walked away I said under my breath, "Take THAT, Devil." 

My girls, and so many other kids in our school, are hiding God's Word in their hearts, and that's something NO ONE will EVER be able to take away from them.