The unimaginable has happened... You will not believe this. Are you ready? Cause I'm still trying to digest it myself...
It turns out... that... Laila Grace is not perfect.
I think I just felt all the oxygen being sucked out of North America as we gasp in utter amazement. I know. The horror.
I am sorry to tell you this but Laila is A Pincher. Now, whether you pronounce it p-ih-nch or p-ee-nch doesn't really make a difference. Cause, either way, it's unacceptable. It hurts. AND it's just plain RUDE! Did I just call my daughter rude? Why, yes, I did. The truth hurts, people. The truth hurts.
It all started yesterday at her family birthday party when her cousin Madeline did something that irritated her. I'm not sure whether M stole the toy from L or if it was that M had the audacity to not allow L steal a toy from her or what. All I know is that I heard a commotion, looked over and my mom mouthed to me "She punched her".
"Madeline PUNCHED Laila??!?!" I said, missing the "discreet" memo entirely and, clearly, assuming that Laila Grace was 100% innocent.
"No, Laila PINCHED Madeline!" my mom clarified.
WHAT??!! I felt as though I'd been punched in the throat. (I don't actually know what that feels like but it can't feel good.) MY BABY?! Pinched someone?! NO WAY!
But THEN, today, she pinched her little friend Ellie. Twice!
And THEN she pinched ME when I wouldn't put her down this afternoon!! Well, after all this pinching, you can bet that she and I sat down and had a serious conversation. I told Laila Grace that it is okay to get angry when something doesn't go how we want it to and that it is okay to be frustrated but that it is NOT okay to be unkind to our friends when we're angry.
"In your anger, do not sin" I said.
To my one year old.
While she zerberted my leg.
I'm sure it really sank in.
Here's the thing: When I was in Kindergarten, there were these kids, Hannah and Luke. Twins. And they were pinchers. Big Time. Like, these pinches drew blood. I can still remember Hannah's scrunched up little face as she sank her fingernails into my flesh and gritted her teeth to make it as excruciating as possible. I used to wonder what made them so angry, so unkind, so RUDE.
And, now, light years later, I have a pincher on my hands.
But mark my words, my friends. By the grace of God, we will overcome this pinching problem. It will not identify us. We will not give in to it. We will have victory.
LOVE will overcome.
I'll report back on how it goes.
:)
Oh, and Hannah and Luke, if you're out there, I forgive you... I think.
