Learning Lessons

Monday was "one of those days" when all seemed to go hay-wire.

To preface a bit, right now I'm working quite a bit.  Sometimes close to 40 hours or more in a week, which, as a stay-at-home mom - that means I'm a little maxed right now.

BUT, it is good.  We prayed for a job for me for 2 years and the Lord has blessed me with Simply Edits so that I can own my own business and have tons of work to keep me busy.

So, back to Monday...I worked all day and still felt like I had tons more to do but I stopped to get to Caroline's ballet pictures.  This will be her only year to dance as she has enjoyed it a bit but is not loving it. So, I was just going to purchase one picture of her in her ballet costume, skipping the group picture and jazz picture.

Well, somehow, I had failed to get the necessary black leotard to go under her jazz outfit so we were going to RUSH to the store to get it beforehand.  Of course, this is the day Jason couldn't get away from work in time and arrived home 5 minutes before I had to be at the dance studio (with the black leotard in hand).  I was sitting in the van with both girls and ran to hand him Mary Anna so I could rush away.

We are stopped by each and every stop light going down 41...I'm stressed, can't seem to find a way to get to the dance store in time and realize that I was off in my timing and we were actually supposed to be dressed and ready 10 minutes earlier than I realized.  I get to the dance store and it is blank...gone out of business.  Oh my goodness.

Then, waiting at the stoplight in front of the dance studio I reached in the bag to get things ready to rush in and get her dressed and realized that I had forgotten her ballet shoes on the table AT HOME.
Oh my.

I knew what I needed to do and, thankfully, we have options...

I looked back at Caroline and proposed an alternate plan of having a special time at home to take pictures of her in her ballet costume and saving those as our special memory because Mommy had messed up in several different areas getting ready for these pictures that afternoon.

Caroline's response was one of complete grace and understanding and she didn't even blink...no drama, no crying, no making me feel even more guilty.

We then went to a different dance store to find the elusive black leotard that she had to wear one time at the dance recital.  I wasn't thrilled about paying $19 for this one item.  When we walked in the store I found a used clothing rack that had one, a bit faded, but still black for $7!  It was a smaller size than normal but Caroline, again, was agreeable that we could finagle it to work just fine so as not to spend so much on a one time item.

After the evening was over I realized that I learned much from my daughter that evening.

She showed me grace, understanding, and it was such a perfect example of letting me off the hook for being too busy and not getting everything done that I had promised (which is bound to happen again).

What a gift she is...