I was originally going to write today’s post about Laela today, and Laela yesterday. She is fevering! It started yesterday evening. It is SUCH a bummer, because her first day of school is later this week and I don’t want her to miss it!!! Prayers for her would be very much appreciated! Even in the midst of her sickness, she is so calm and pleasant and friendly.
She looks SO pretty, and SO sick! Poor dear.
This last year-ish has been tricky for my little miss. Being two and three didn’t phase her, but she’s struggled through being four. Its felt like a solid year of a power struggle between she and I. I’ve ached for our mother-daughter relationship to strengthen but it has seemed to get weaker and weaker as we stretched further apart.
PRAISE THE LORD that in the last couple of weeks, I’ve started to get her back. 💜 I made a few tweaks in the way I was parenting her and talking her through things, and took more time to reassure her how much we loved her. There was one particular day where she got herself all twisted up in anger, and couldn’t seem to pull it together. She just couldn’t wind down, lower her voice, relax her angry brows, etc. Just couldn’t get there. So I walked to her room with her and just snuggled in her bed for a bit with her. She went from being super tense to just resting. We didn’t talk at all. I lay beside her with my arm over her and my face touching her arm. After a good few minutes, she finally reached out and put her hand on my arm. She rubbed my skin and told me how soft it was. Her voice was quiet, and her face was restful. We whispered together for a while, and the conversation turned over to what was making her so mad. We talked about it calmly and in a way that helped both of us understand what was going on.
Folks, this was a kick off.
Since that day, things have been so much better! They’re not perfect, because no one is, thank goodness! Communication has been clearer and calmer. Oftentimes now, Laela comes over to me just to sit on my lap and snuggle. She hasn’t done that in so long. I’ve missed it SO much. I’ve missed HER so much! While I’m positive this won’t be the last time we’ll butt heads (Lol! Buttheads.) it was a good learning experience for both of us.
Today, my feverish little sidekick is napping with her brothers. She was disappointed, but in our quiet little face-to-face chat, she agreed that it was important she let her body rest and heal a little extra so she can for sure get to school on Friday!!! Way to be a grown up, Laela! Feel better soon.