Its not been our smoothest day around here. You know how everyone is saying that their kids are feeling the end of the school year? And how they’re all struggling a bit with their attitudes? And everyone is exhausted? I think I’m right there with them on these things. I can just tell. Waking up is WAY harder, and keeping my grumpies in check is a challenge, too. I woke up with the beginnings of a cold, and a super sore throat. Wasn’t my best kick off.
So with me not firing on all cylinders, we’ve all struggled a little. I told the kids straight up how I was feeling and they all tried to be pretty sensitive to it. Laela was a rockstar helper, and kept saying things like “You don’t have to do anything today” and “I’ll take care of you when I’m older, too.” She even told me she’d bring her kids along. What a lovely mental picture for me. She worked hard, but it was still a pretty difficult morning. I was counting down the minutes to nap time about two hours too soon, but it did come!
Once everyone was down, Laela came over to me and whispered something about picking colors, and that she wouldn’t wake Wavy.
“What are you talking about?” I inquired.
“You said we could paint nails, right?”
Yes. I had said that. She had told me earlier than she would like her nails painted today. She rarely asks for it, and if I ever kind of push for it, she usually wants me to remove it right after. She ONLY wants them when she WANTS them. And today, she wanted them. And as crappy as I felt, she earned them. Easily.
So we painted nails. Fingers and toes. Pink and purple. She chose.
Once she was fully decked out in her two coats of two colors, she turned it on me and asked me which color I wanted on my toes! And then she just decided, haha!
We needed to match.
I know, its all so small, but I’m SO glad we painted nails today. I love the relationship I’m growing with my daughter. While sitting on the floor and using my voice didn’t help my body feel better, we were able to talk about big stuff! About people who need help and love and Jesus, and what we can do for them. We talked about how much Laela wants to have kids someday. We talked about girly things and serious things.
One day, these precious conversations will happen over coffee, but currently, they happen over painted nails. And for that – for her – I am SO grateful.