Celebrating....Lesson's Learned, a weekly debrief

I fell in love with this adorable photography blog when a friend of ours (Charlotte) had family pictures done through her last winter.  She is an expat wife who happens to also be living on this side of the pond and is an artsy crafty extraordinaire.  I became obsessed with stalking her blog began following her story more closely as her and her husband adopted their first child this spring.  Since Steve and I feel the Lord may be leading us to adopt as we expand our family, it is always an interesting topic and something close to our hearts.  We read a lot about it and hearing real-life stories are always inspiring.

Each week, as she has been adjusting to mama-hood, she has been doing a "lessons learned" blog post and inviting others to link up.  I've been sitting on the silent sidelines too long and have decided to join the fun in "Celebrating...Lessons Learned." As I've said before on this blog, it is absolutely incredible what BIG lessons such tiny (inexperienced, and often wordless) little beings can teach.  And I love her take on "Celebrating" the lessons ('oft hard learned) along the way.  Too many times I find myself regretting, lamenting, or desparing over my mistakes.  Celebrating my growing and maturing and learning sounds like a lot more fun. 

And besides, a little bit of humor goes a long way, as my lessons this week will attest:

Lessons Learned August 21:

- Toddlers aren't the only ones who can throw tempter tantrums.  Adults are just much better at making them look socially acceptable and pretty on the outside, while raging the all-out-on-the-floor-kicking-and-screaming-and-having-a-pity-party on the inside. It can get ugly, folks, and it is incredible how young we all are at heart, isn't it?

- It is good to remember to stop and distinguish between childishness (ie being a child, by nature a mini scientist curious about all things WORLD) and being outright disobedient.  Disobedience is not okay, but childishness doesn't always need to go punished (Sheperding a Child's Heart talks about this).  In fact, sometimes instead of getting frustrated, joining in the fun can go a long ways:

Case in point:  When I discover my floor and a certain 18 month old covered in stickers.

I started to get frustrated, then this sweet, confused look stopped me, reminding me how fun sticking stickers all over must have seemed and reminding me that I never actually told him not to put them on the floor or on himself and that's what stickers are for, right? To stick.

So we decorated my feet, snapped some pictures, giggled and had a talk about putting stickers on paper and never on the floor, walls, highchair etc.

And my biggest lesson this week?

-  Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER (and can I just repeat NEVER one more time for emphasis?) put your toddler to bed without a onesie on.  Even if you live in Korea and it is hot and humid.  And you don't have an air conditioner.  And you have a tender moment of compassion and think it might be nice to nap in just a diaper.  Don't do it.  Be heartless. And selfish.  Just this once.

Unless, of course, you enjoy spending your afternoon cleaning up smeared toddler poop from every surface of your crib and toddler. 

At least he didn't eat it, right? 

 Lessons learned.