The squeeky wheel...or he who barks "last"

ANNIE...tips for parenting

What a cute, fluffy cuddly little plush "toy" she was....
What a bundle of energy she has been for her older "sister" Katie, and big "brother" Roo

Farm funnies mom has been down the past week with a "bug" .
Translation: not much going "down" on the farm, walks,work or anything past bare necessities...
feeding,bare bone critter clean up, fresh water. So what is a dog to do?

Aha figure out new ways to get "sis" and big "brother" into trouble...fun ,fun ,fun...

I have been aware of Annie's "bugging" qualities, and correct them somewhat, but today
realized how much they correlated to another time, which seems long but again not long ago...umm same place.. in fact the very same room...

This post is especially for moms and dads with more than one child...or like me "now" more than one 4 footed "kid"...

Perhaps the parallel dawned on me, while searching for an important piece of paper..I know, it will be the last place I look, so why not look there first you ask..And miss all the reminiscing while I am sick and want a mommie myself? ( yes my mom is ok and in fact lives close and we have a good relationship, BUT I am "grown" so shouldn't "need" a mom, while sick, but the kid in me sometimes misses that).

Here I am "sifting" through boxes of saved papers, and "seeing" my children's childhood years
in a different light. I can "see" the changes in their lives even in the drawings they made.
I wonder about how, what I did or didn't do , impacted them. I can see, if I had only had a better understanding or perception ...just a little from me at the right time could have perhaps prevented or made a difference for the better.

For you with young children, be very careful how you answer their questions, stop look and listen to their tender hearts.
Learn from someone who wished she had always seen the real question
in tender hearts, especially the "key" ones. ( I did try, despite my failings, we have wonderful kids, so if you've already blundered, don't be disheartened. Do like me pray a lot . God will work with what you've done, or not done. With Him there is always hope.

Here is an example of one of my biggest parenting mistakes. When one of our children wanting to know about "life" came to me and asked about being born, and if this child was "planned" for.

Little did I know that the real question was : Did you want me.

Of course this child happened to be an unexpected pregnancy...did I have enough sense to explain that I wanted at least 4 kids but only got 3, of course this kid was wanted. At the time I was on a be "real" with your kids bend...and since not actually "planned" ,
I said as much while trying to explain why. I made the answer worse ,since I was fearful of not having enough love for this child( or any additional child,by the way, I mean when your heart is full of love for your first one and you're young , ignorant, perhaps blinded by that love, it doesn't seem possible to have as much for another one. I knew I didn't want to give less to any further children,or have favorites (even though 2 of my kids are sure I did play favorites, again, blind sided, as Annie will "show", as soon as this child was placed in my arms I had the answer, Love expands) . Ignorant like, I added something along the line of being afraid of not having enough love or something probable even less brillant....not a good thing, especially after hearing what Dad had said, in response to the same question. I placed coals upon my head when he expressed what damage he thought I had caused, completely undoing his correct and much wiser answer.
To this day I wish that day could be a do over, especially when I hear my own kids respond with wiser answers to questions raised by our grandchildren ..unfortunely I've blundered worse, over the years.

Moral: Stop and Listen to the hearts question/s ...even if it/they are simple ones.
Remember the truth can always be expressed in a better "package".

Now then the ground is laid for today's ,TaDa : Annie's "lesson"

This week, I can see , better.
Where our kids got the idea there was "favoritism" during their childhood...
Annie , Kate and Roo, this past week have been demonstrating what I missed it with my kids...
Now you don't have to miss it with yours..

Roo is taking a nap, Kate is warming herself in front of the fire with her "dolly"
Mom, trying to get over the "bug"..and really not capable of much except sipping som diet pop
Annie, bored, restless, "bipps" Roo, he growls. Mom , not looking, hollers: Roo that's enough be quiet, be nice to your little sister (who comes over and gives a silly grin)
Annie, a shade later, then goes to Kate, takes her dolly, or chews on Kates ears, Kate gets up and moves around, Annie follows, quietly pestering her...Lights ,ACTION, stage set...
Mom: Katie, settle down, that's enough pacing..

Annie comes over and puts a cute nose on mom and licks her...
Oh no.. I'm missed it again...
So now I'm working hard not to correct Roo and Kate, when "it" is not their fault and correcting the little instigator , when it is hers : as another day dawns..

How about you?
Today is a new day, what heart question will you hear?
Who's action will you really "catch"
Be aware of the RIPPLE EFFECT...don't correct the "edge" when it's the first "stone" that needs "catching"
(and no the youngest child isn't/wasn't always the instigator, I just happened to miss some of the key "times" of such in our family, thus fostering the favoritism concept, perhaps now you won't)

Now hug your kids, and give the dogs a bone...
( well ,it better be a bone each or you'll create a new problem.
At farm funnies even with a bone each , the question arises : who does mom love best, who got the BEST bone...
oh I need another nap....
Tomorrow is a day away , I SHALL be back on all cylinders I SHALL....
where is my diet pop.... ANNIE-E-E stop pestering..,bring back Kate's Dol-l-i-e-e-e-e