be happy...

If you REALLY know me, you will know that I don't always see the positive. I tend to be more negative and pessimistic. My family has a fun story that they ALWAYS love to share about me looking at the glass half empty or half full. But once I get into these kind of downer moods it is hard to let go of it and see the positive, and 'make my frown turn upside down'. :)

Since having children though and realizing what an impact and influence I can have on them, I have tried to change my ways. But sometimes it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. I don't want my children feeling that gloom, and negativity, and almost hatred at times that I do. And here is a little story to show how little children can be so young, but can be an amazing teacher.

The other day, I packed Livy and Jaedon up in the car to hurry and run to the grocery store just down the road to get some things for dinner that we didn't have on hand. This particular grocery store has little shopping carts for the kids, and so I let Jaedon push it since we would only be putting a few things in there. WELL, Livy has to do everything that Jaedon does, so she is trying to get a cart, but will just crash into everything. So I pull her away as she is throwing a fit. Which she continues to throw into the store and through the moving glass doors. Well, she decides to stop right in the middle of the doors, which in turn does not recognize or see her there, and she is almost smooshed into two! So she finally lets me carry her, and kind of calms down a little bit. We wonder around aimlessly for about 5 minutes because I do not normally shop at this store, and am not sure exactly where I need to go to find what I need. All the while Livy is trying to jump out of my arms, but I won't let her, so she is screaming. Jaedon is being good, but keeps ramming me with the cart in the back of my heels, which KILLS!! Finally I take Livy in a football hold, grab the little cart and push it myself, to save my Achilles tendons. But then everyone calms down and we are at the self check out stand. Jaedon finally lets Livy have some sort of control over the cart now and Livy is a mad woman with the thing, banging into everything. I finally pay and try to direct Livy to put the cart back, but again she throws a massive fit! SO, all the way to the car she is screaming, and Jaedon is being a peach and staying right by my side.

When we get into the car I have some words for Livy. But as we are driving away my sweet little Jaedon pipes up and says, "Mom, be happy...kay." WOW!! I am not being a good example. So I try to explain to Jaedon that Livy was not behaving and blah, blah, blah. But then I asked him if he was happy and without missing a beat he says. "Yeah, I happy! Livy not happy, huh?" Which I then asked if he would make silly faces at her to see if that would make her happy. Which he didn't even hesitate to do. And sure enough, we were then back to a happy family!

I am so blessed to have the children I have. And what an example THEY are to me, even at such a young age!!