Working on Patience

I'm working on my patience this year as one of my New Year's Resoultions, and as of February, I've had plenty of opportunities to practice. Some being successful, and some not so much. I guess that serves me right. We all know what happens when we pray for patience right? 

Boston must know I'm working on my patience because he sure is giving me plenty of opportunities to practice, especially this past week. 

Remember my pretty Valentine flowers that I posted about a few days ago? Boston thought it would be fun to see if they could fly. Do you see his guilty little chubby toes in the background? He was at the table eating breakfast yesterday morning and I was about two feet away loading the dishwasher. My head was down trying to figure out how to get as many dishes as possible in before I started the dishwasher, so I didn't notice Boston climb on top of the table and spin the lazy susan that the flowers were on as fast as he could. 

I heard a loud crash and looked up to see glass, flowers, and water everywhere. I gasped and stood there with my mouth open and huge eyes. My first reaction was to yell at Boston, but luckily the shock of the whole thing made me pause long enough to see the look of guilt and fear on his face. He knew he had done something wrong, but it was an accident. He didn't know spinning the lazy susan would make the flowers fly. I did tell him that what he did was a big no no, and I knew he understood that.  (Looking back I wish I would have still put him in time out, but I was distracted by getting the mess cleaned up.) It's hard to find a balance between not being patient enough, and being too lenient! Anyway, after I cleaned up the mess I noticed that my blood wasn't boiling on the inside like it usually does when Boston does stuff like this. It felt good to realize that I am making a little bit of progress in the patience area, especially since the day before this happened wasn't quite as successful in the patience arena. (That story is next.)

Here's what's left of my Valentine flowers. When I told Scott that Boston broke the vase later that night, he just said, "It's ok. It was the wrong size vase anyway. It was too short." If I can learn patience from anyone, It's Scott. I swear nothing ever irks him to the point of losing it. It's not fair, and it makes me look extra un-patient. I guess I'll just keep practicing.

This was the text I sent Scott the day before the flower incident. I was having a really hard time that day keeping my calm on the inside. Boston was doing so well with potty training, but he had to go on antibiotics last week for an ear infection, and now he's having a major relapse. Anyone with kids knows what those dang antibiotics do to the digestive system. I'm giving him acidophilis to help, but he still has to "go" a lot more frequently. Nothing makes my blood boil more than cleaning poop out of underwear. By the third time that day around 3:30PM, I wanted to cry (or dry heave). My blood was definitely boiling. I shut myself in my room and sent Scott this text. I stayed in my room for about an hour and let Boston play in his room with the door closed since he was supposed to be taking a nap. Later that night Boston pulled out the last straw of my patience practice for the day. Scott was home now, thank goodness, and Boston used the toilet, thank goodness again, but he ran out and sat on Scott's leg and then our bed before he had been wiped. Not only was I not calm on the inside, but I wasn't calm on the outside anymore either. I yelled at Boston, and then I felt bad. Scott didn't even yell at Boston, and he was the one that Boston sat on. Anyway, I know this was way too much information than any of you wanted to hear, but it's my journal. Gotta write about the good times and the bad because life isn't always flowers, celebrations, and laughing. 

I will end on a good note though and say that I was so happy Boston didn't have any accidents yesterday. He must have figured breaking the flower vase was enough for one day. :)