Emancipation

I kicked Caleb out of the house today. I'm not ready for this crap. He isn't even 4 years old. What a brat! Ugh!

It started like a lot of the battles in my house start. One of the boys, Caleb in this anecdote, was bugging Levi till he cried. I put Caleb in his room.
Caleb said he wouldn't do it again. But he'd already done the crime and he knows very well what the penalty is. So, he still had to serve his time. He cried. He screamed. He yelled, "I hate you!!!!"
Yeah.
Hold everything!
a. How does he even know to say that? Kyle and I don't say that kind of thing. I vaguely remember watching a show with them recently where the kid did that. No joke, I even wondered about the influence they were getting.
b. Nice try. I'm the only person on this planet that loves that kid enough to deal with him constantly. I know people might say that's silly, but try dealing with someone else's child for a while and see how unconditional you feel.
I took him outside to the front porch and I told him he can go find a family he likes, because I will not take care of someone that hates me; I shut the door in his face. He cried quite loudly and honestly, I felt like a wonderful trailer park family. Oh well, extreme times, ya know. I told him he could come back and live with us once he apologized. I left him out there another 10 seconds or so and then he said he was sorry. I let him in but sent him to his room. For good measure, I cried and told him he hurt my feelings. Not in a sweet "let's hug it out" way but in a "you can stay in room cause you're mean" way. I know it was totally childish, but sometimes it seems like they understand that better.
I'm pretty tough as a mom and this didn't get under my skin. The crying is, I'm sure, misleading. Trust me, it was just a bit of theatrics.
TBS seems to promote the idea that you aren't a good parent till your kid says they hate you. I must be an awesome parent; most folks have to wait till their kids are teenagers.

Murphy's Law

You know, I have no idea who Murphy is, but I think he must have been kind of a jerk. How else do you explain that the first day Adam wears his white uniform shirt is also the day they use blue paint?
Stupid $12 shirt is now a rag.
Screw you too, Murphy!
Ya jerk...

My kindergardener.

I was surprised at how well I did today. My first child went off to school. I shed no tear and felt no choking up. In fact, I was a little mad at him for getting weepy.
He got his first Father's blessing last night and that made me way more emotional. Maybe I just got it all out so I wouldn't ruin my makeup today. Or maybe I was just so thrilled to get a break from the little hellion that I was pleased to see him start his education.... Who knows?
Side note, I showed up to school at 12 to get him. He was in the principal's office. How come no one told me school ended at 11:40?!?
To be fair, there were 2 kids left in there. Out of all 20 or so students, I am only the 3rd to worst parent. Yay, me! And hahahaha to the two suckers I beat out!
Here's a picture of my sweetness.

Testimony

I don't like to bear my testimony. I never have. Even when I was 13 and at girls' camp I couldn't make myself do it. I've always had a secret fear that it was because I didn't have a testimony. I've always wondered if the right trial would come one day that blew me off course like I was nothing.
As I look at my trials though I realize I'm not doing so bad. Each time the refiner's fire grabs me I count my blessings, I pray, I fast. I do all the things ive been taught and I hold tight to my faith.
I've read a comparison of a testimony to light. For some people the light flicks on and all the darkness disappears. No more doubt or fear. For others a testimony starts small like a candle, building slowly but surely till they've got a raging fire. I figure is why I've wondered previously. I'm a candle kind of a girl. No angels have administered and the spirit has never been physically audible to me. But I've never doubted Heavenly Father's love for me, my testimony of Joseph Smith has always been in tact, and, most importantly, my love of the Savior and gratitude for the Atonement have always been strong. As my lines build and my precepts stack up, I find that the darkness is dissipating and I've got a light every bit as good as those that started with 90 watts.
I have a strong testimony of Heavenly Father's love for me. I know he looks after me and I know He hurts when I hurt. He gives me trials for the experience they provide. If I knew nothing else, this would get me pretty far.
A little bit of my testimony is built upon my marriage. I believe that Heavenly Father led me to Kyle early in my life because He knew that I needed him. He knew without him I'd make a mess of things. Kyle is my perfect match. He has every quality that I lack and though I don't believe in soul mates, I have a hard time thinking we are just two random wanderers who got lucky.
I'm grateful for the temple and for eternal families. The sealing ordinance is a great proof to me of Heavenly Father's love. I couldn't imagine heaven without my sweet family. All of them, Kyle, the boys, my parents, my siblings. I even look forward to seeing grandma Mary Jane again someday.
This was kind of random, I know, but I felt I needed to share my testimony and this is a much better option for me than public speaking.

Does this count?