Jesus Loves Me at the end of every day

Two has been a hard age for us.  King Diaper is a delight and he wrings out every bit of life from every single day.  While it is wonderful, watching a baby develop into a child isn't always easy. We've spent the last few months experiencing lots of firsts and bursts filled with both laughter and defiance.

I'm still not willing to call this age the "terrible twos".  These are definitely trying days at our home. My husband and I find ourselves pointing out, "He gets that from (whichever one is NOT doing the talking)".  I can assure you that King Diaper has all of his mother's positive traits.  

I'll go ahead and own the fact that I was a strong willed child that defied instruction on many occasions.  Yes, I have found out what happens with a bobby pin in an electrical plug and when one sticks a skate to an electric fence.  I seemed to cover all the bases with electricity.  And while I lived to tell about it all, I don't want him to experience the same trial and error that I did.

Yet, he is climbing onto every surface in our house like a monkey.  He is laughing at my cries to get down as he terrifies me.  He knows no danger or fear.  He has grabbed the age of two by the horns and has wrestled it to the puny ground underneath and is stomping in victory!

As a kindergarten teacher, I would read the story "Love You Forever".  Now, I think about all those little naughty boy scenes from that story and how the momma would rock that baby boy no matter what at the end of the day.  I know that mother all too well.

Bedtime is a big ritual at our house.  It seems to be the hardest part of the day.  Everyone is tired.  I've been traveling much of the time.  My husband is tired from teaching.  Throw in a cranky, strong willed toddler and we all need to be reminded of Jesus.  It is certainly easy to loose your religion in the midst of it all!

After his breathing treatment and books have been read, I turn out the lights for us to sing.  We go through all of the favorites.  "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "The Wheels on the Bus" are always part of the routine.  But before I put him into bed, I always sing "Jesus Loves Me".  It is in those moments that things are still, dark and quiet.

The shrieking screams of a toddler not getting his way fade in the night.  And I'm reminded that Jesus loves us all.  He loves that hard headed, screaming, little monkey pants inside all of us - big and little - Jesus does love us.  And it is enough.