Loving our now.

Over the last few years I've had some interesting experiences with my children. From dealing with ASD tantrums in public, to advocating for my kids needs, to being starred at, to being told (by a teenager of all people!) how well behaved they are. Being a special needs mommy is so adventurous. I shared about an experience I had in a grocery store a little over a year ago in this post. But today, this experience was entirely different from the experience that I wrote about previously. Everyday since that day over a year ago, has been an entirely different experience, in fact.

Today's experience went something like this. 

Put Lisette in Ergo carrier. Grab wallet and head into store from car. Get stopped twice on the way into the store by an old man, and then a younger woman, who both stopped me to ogle over my sweety pie. She flashed them her cheesy smile, which includes two top toofies that are slowly making their way in on her top gums. So cute. They wanted to keep talking, but I had groceries to get and had been out and was generally tired of being in the car, so I smiled and wished them a happy day. On with shopping! 

I headed into the store and grabbed a shopping cart and pulled out my list, just in time to have another person stop and start chatting up a storm with my sweety pie. Seriously. I'm not making this up. 

Never, in all my 12 years of parenting, have I been stopped so often as I am with my little Lisette. She is like the Sun: everywhere we go, she draws people in like a magnet. Honestly, I love that she makes so many people happy and that so many people see her as a blessing and tell me how lucky I am.

 

 

I wouldn't have it any other way, in fact. It was a little strange at first when people talk about wanting to take her home with them. It happens at least once a day, though, and I totally get what they are saying. She's got joy, and she's innocent, and everything is just the way you see it-- no ulterior motives. 

I continued on with my shopping, and wandered a little bit to avoid standing in a long line. Thankfully, Lisette is super mellow and lets me do that. My other kids, not so much! But I'm sure Lisette will get to a point where she wants to run around pulling everything she wants off the shelves, too. Oh, I can't wait. She's doing a great job of wanting to keep up with siblings and friends. I see it happening in the not to far off future. 

We made our way to the register, and of course the lovely lady wanted to talk with us as she scanned our items as well. As I finished paying she, like so many others before her, reminded me of how blessed I am to have such a precious little one as my own.

 I agree. She's pretty great!
I'd like to put something out there, though. But before I say that, I want to point out that I LOVE OUR NOW. I love her, just like I love my other kids. Everything that she brings to my day-to-day is perfect, even with it's imperfections.

I'd also like to say....she can drive me bonkers just like my other kids. She pulls everything out of drawers and cupboards. She screams at the top of her lungs to get my attention because she doesn't have words yet. She can have some pretty good little tantrums. Yes, we're at the toddler-tantrum stage! She's a person, just like you and I, and she has her off days just like anyone else. Life isn't always rainbows and butterflies. That's not to say it still isn't great, but it does mean that she is human just like you and I. No, she's not an angel like some people like to call her.
Let me follow that up with...even when she is throwing a tantrum, she's pretty darn cute. Darn it. It's those darn toofies--she keeps flashing them at me.
I surrender. I love it.  She's got me wrapped around her pinky.

Part of me has started to think that maybe God's plan for me is to just be present and advocate for her while she sets the world on fire. I'm fascinated to see what the future holds. Whatever it is, I'm on board.