The Wildebeest Part III - Unexpected Blessings

One of my favorite bloggers is Gennon Melton, of Momastery. She has three truths she uses to center her life and in the way she blogs:

• We can do hard things
• Love wins +
• We belong to each other

http://momastery.com/blog/

In the midst of the Wildebeest adventures of our week, I experienced all three in full measure as friends extended themselves in love during a trying (albeit normal and not life-altering) time.

A lovely young friend stopped by with a cute rhyme about a "having a bad time and needing some wine" and a delicious red and some dark chocolate covered pomegranates. What love! 

Another friend has checked in via text frequently over the last few weeks as I've expressed my frustration with daily struggles. Today she graciously ran to grab lunch for my family after our mom's group meeting (that I missed, more on that later). As Glennon would say, she is a Monkee of truest colors and I am so thankful. We most certainly belong to each other.

And when I couldn't make it to that mom's group meeting, a sweetheart willingly stopped by my house on her way to the meeting to pick up the devotion I had prepared (no easy task, I know, since I am NEVER early and always running late to our meetings). So willing to do the hard thing to help another.

And finally, another amazing Monkee who texted to see if I wanted her to stop by and pick up Nicolas to take him to preschool when she dropped off her daughter. More love.

It is so amazing what happens when we extend ourselves in love to one another, and I am SO thankful to have amazing, loving friends that surround me.

So, our day ...

It started more normally. Analise woke and wanted to go downstairs for breakfast. She displayed her usual morning crankies, but minus the wildebeest-like screech that had been the hallmark of our two days prior.

After breakfast Mommy introduced the diaper change. And Analise refused. I won't take you through the whole hairy ordeal (again). Suffice it to say, she didn't want it off, and she wanted nothing back on. 

I coaxed, I bribed, I cuddled and I disciplined, all to no avail. While the mind-numbing shrill scream and utter terror was absent, her resistance was clear. And I did not have the desire to fight it. I wanted to just spend the day at home and not force her to go anywhere. I was tired of the fight. Tired of trying so hard to get her to comply.

So we just hung out. She refused to put on diaper or underwear, so we stayed upstairs. The one time she tried to go downstairs Nicolas came up yelling that he didn't "Want to sit next to a naked girl!" 

Oh, sweet child.

She had her moments .... like when she threw her nuggets and fries onto the floor .... but overall it was such an improvement from the days prior.

I still had to call Daddy to have him pick up the boys from school. She made her little body so stiff there was no way I could get her into her car seat. However in the evening when it came time to go to big brothers' 1st grade concert, she was more than happy to jump into her seat so she could go with her family.

I'm not sure where this journey will take us. My baby girl is struggling with a few things these days, least of which is the cold which started oozing out her nose today along with her terrible little cough. 

She's on the verge of potty training .... trying SO hard, wanting SO much to be done with the pull-ups but so afraid she will have accidents that the minute you start putting on the requested underwear she starts screaming, "NO, No, no!" But she doesn't want the pull-up either because she wants to be a big girl. It breaks my hear to watch her struggle so. 

And then there's this little three year old girl struggling to become an independent individual, apart from her daddy and her mommy. Just herself. Analise with all her choices and the consequences and the joys.

God help us all.

P.S.
Check out Glennon's book, Carry On Warrior!