The Daily Hailey

I have pretty helpful, loving children. I’m very fortunate that way. This morning hasn’t been altogether smooth, but it had a very sweet moment that I want to remember.

I’ll preface the story by saying our night was quite broken up. Rowan has been giving us a run for our money recently, and was up harassing everyone WAY later than he should’ve been. He did finally give in to sleep, but Wavy was up a couple of times in the night, as well. She’s working on teeth, and added a cold on top of everything just overnight. This morning, shortly after Brady left for work, she woke up very sad. 5:30am ish. I got her a bottle, but she was so stuffed up, she couldn’t drink very well. I got some of it into her, and put her back to bed. She was SO trashed. She talked in her bed and scratched at the sides of it for a bit before falling back to sleep. It was well after 6:00am at that point but I was SO tired, I figured I’d try for just a few minutes more of sleep.

I feel like I had just dozed off when I woke up to my en suite door squeaking. It would not be the norm for a kid to be using my bathroom before I’m up for the day. Going with our usual theme these days, I immediately assumed who it was.

“Rowan, please go back to bed.”

“Well… its Dekker, mom.”

Sure enough, my oldest son was coming out of my bathroom. I asked him what he was doing in my bathroom, and he had been looking for me. Apparently I was well tucked in and he couldn’t see me in my bed.

“Mom, Rowan peed on the floor.”

*Sigh*

In my sleepy stupor, I asked what he needed from me.

“Nothing,” he replied. “I just thought you’d need to know.”

I thanked him and said I’d clean it up later 🙈 I have NEVER left pee on the floor (at least not pee I’m aware of!) so I was clearly in a daze. Dekker left.

I lay in bed, feeling sorry for myself for being woken up when I was still so tired, but the longer I lay there, the more clear the situation became. There was pee on my floor. Somewhere. And a wet kid in my house. Somewhere. Clearly this couldn’t just wait while I dozed in bed for another half hour or so. So I got up.

I made my way down to the bathroom to see the damage done, and lo and behold –

There were my three oldest kids. On the floor, a pee soaked towel nearby, wiping the floor with Lysol wipes.

❤️

My heart, you guys. MY HEART!

They saw me coming, and smiled up at me. They reassured me that they had it all taken care of. I gathered up the towel to put it in the laundry, but that was all they wanted from me.

“Are you sure?” I asked. “This is a pretty grown up job. I can help you!”

But they insisted. They told me to go rest for a little bit longer. I reminded them to wash their hands once they were done their job, and they promised they would. So up to my room I went!

I admit, I didn’t rest anymore. I creepily watched them out the crack of my door. I couldn’t see them directly for most of it, but I listened to them work together and encourage each other. I was able to see some of their efforts, as they carried the garbage can back into the kitchen and put the wipes container away.

It is SO important for me to record these little anecdotes. I find them so heart warming, but also reassuring that the lessons I’m teaching my little people are sinking in, ever so slowly. I feel like, lately, I’m working hard to drill into my kids the importance of showing love to each other and treating their siblings how they want to be treated. Sometimes it feels like an uphill battle, like many other lessons we teach. But that one time that it happens so beautifully and seamlessly proves to me that its working! Its in there! They do know the lesson! It just takes practice, and reminding, and consistency on my part. It encourages me and my heart that my efforts are paying off.

I’m not a mean mom, but a very intentional one. We’re all allowed to be intentional about different things, with kids or totally unrelated things, and I think we can all understand the victory in seeing something we’ve worked hard for pan out!!

So THANK YOU, my big kids, for jumping in and helping Rowan clean up a dirty, embarrassing mess. You were not responsible for it, but you took initiative and helped him anyway. That is AWESOME! What amazing people you are!