Anna has been pushing my buttons lately. She isn't following through at school with some things she needs to do with reading, her math isn't where it could be, and her attitude is super strong. It isn't that she doesn't know the math or that she isn't reading the books, she just doesn't seem to care and it feels like the harder I push the harder she pushes back. So I revamped my strategy today (again). Instead of focusing on school when she got home, we discussed it briefly (and she had a really good day, passed the reading tested and jumped up two letters in math) then I let it go.
I also focused on her, she colored my hair, and in the process I got an instant tan because it was all over my ears and upper back and forehead, but she seemed to really enjoy it. Then she went off to play while I started dinner. She is extremely creative and uses her imagination to play in her room for hours, her room is a disaster almost always because she is so busy creating she doesn't notice the clutter around her. She took a cardboard box and turned it into a sofa, and then redid to make it a very plush cozy bed for her American Girl Doll. Next thing I new she'd found an old baby book that was hers but had no pictures in it and she started putting all Owen's info in it next to hers. She took great joy in writing down his birthdate and weight so I let her go. Maybe he will actually have a baby book because his big sister will take care of it. Owen was uncooperative while I was cooking dinner so Anna came and helped cook dinner, she made the minute rice. She also held Owen while I worked with the hot pans...she thinks it is great that she can hold him standing up now even though it isn't often she gets to do that. She loves being in the kitchen and after dinner was made she ran and put on her apron and whipped up an instant bread and put it in the oven. We almost forgot it but pulled it out just in time. Then we looked for fun math games on the computer, we found a princess one that she really liked. She also had CCD tonight for her first reconciliation coming up on Dec. 4th.
It was a busy fun afternoon and evening with her. She frustrates me so much, but I love having a daughter. She is so cute to watch cooking in the kitchen, or brushing her hair in front of the mirror, or whispering to her baby brother. I'm sure I have many many days of frustration with her, but I also know there will be many many more moments of joy that she brings me in watching the simple things in life giving her such pleasure.
Anna is making me be a better woman because I want to show her by example. I know I fail in my patience with her and I don't always know the best way to relate to her, but through forgiveness and love we will both learn as we grow.
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