A little bit of Thanks

This afternoon I bravely went without a desperately needed afternoon nap and ventured into Walmart for some equally desperate diapers, wipes, and eggs. The boys did fantastic the whole way through the store, I'm very proud of them. Oren even escorted Nathan to the bathroom, where they spent less than 10 minutes! Way to go! William left his shoes on, and nobody screamed in the middle of the aisle or disappeared into the clothing racks. A pretty good trip to the store....

At the checkout, I awarded the boys with permission to play in the small arcade area directly across from our lane. Nathan ran up asking for money for a gumball, and I said no. He ran up again asking for money for the dollar machine. I said no. After the 3rd time of whiningly asking me for money, I got down to his level and explained in my "knock it off" voice that he will not be getting money for the machine and he will stop asking..... now. It was an effective moment, and he agreed that it was wise to stop bugging mommy, that he understood the consequences of asking again, and quietly went back to pretending to drive the arcade car.

The lady behind me in the checkout line leaned over and said "Thank you." She told me that it was great to see a mom correct their child, especially in public, and to see the child respond to it well. She said I was doing a great job, and that I should be proud of my boys and how they are growing up.

It's amazing how something so small made me feel so good. Somebody out there thinks I am doing a good job. Someone thinks I am raising respectful, curteous children. Somebody thanked me for a job well done shaping the next generation. I didn't mind missing my nap so much after that...... and I gave my boys a big hug, thanking them for their great behavior in the store. Even though it often seems as if nothing is getting through, I am doing alright!