Because I'm Having a Hard Time Savoring the "Brownness"

Like most of you, I've gotten into Facebook. I like reading my friends' statuses and looking at their pictures. I sometimes try to post witty little status updates, though I'm sure they're never as clever as I'd like to think they might be.

Today however, I posted a status update to get some sympathy. Truthfully, I did the same last night as well.

My run in with the "brownness" started last night as I pulled a load of laundry from the dryer. I was going to fold it as I watched that show with a couple of parents, a set of twins, and sextuplets. (Yes, I've been sucked into that as well.)

I was a bit surprised to find that every single article of clothing but one was covered in something brown. It looked like chocolate which meant it also looked an awful lot like something else. I went through the entire load desperately hoping that I hadn't accidentally tossed a dirty diaper in with the wash. (Trust me, that could totally happen around here.)

I didn't come up with a dirty diaper, but I did find a brown crayon wrapper. Apparently the warm/cold cycle was just enough to melt the crayon so that it bled all over the clothes, but didn't actually wash out of them. Fun.

So, I posted about that on Facebook. It felt good to know I wasn't the only one who had had a laundry mishap.

Today when I posted about something brown, it was, unfortunately, in regard to the stinky brown stuff.

I'll spare you the details except to say that there was poo on my couch. Yuck. I'd like to say I reacted well when I saw what happened. But, I'll be honest and say that my voice got a bit too loud with my son and I'm pretty sure I made him feel horrible, which of course, made me fell horrible. (At least it did a bit after the fact once everything was a bit cleaner and better smelling.)

Anyways, a friend of mine commented on my status that she has had all kinds of things grace her couch. Since she went on to say how thankful she is for Resolve, I'm pretty sure she wasn't talking about lovely things. She then added that perhaps when the kids are grown and on their own, we'll have clean houses. "Until then," she wrote, "savor the brownness."

You see, that is the problem. I'm not savoring the "brownness" right now. Instead, I'm dreading it and resenting it. I'm into this parenting thing when all is going well and we're all cheerful and being kind. But then we all wake up in the morning and don't always make the best choices. The fighting, fussing, and mess-making just gets old.

It makes me tired. I let it make me cranky. It isn't really a pleasant way to to share my days with my little ones.

Honestly, it is probably why my blog has been a bit quiet these past few weeks and perhaps even months. I'm having a hard time savoring those annoying moments. I'm even having a hard time at least appreciating that I can turn them into silly little blog posts. (Gasp!)

I was thinking about that this afternoon and remembering a billboard I once saw. It said something about little kids making big stinky (I added that word on my own) messes. Then, it encouraged the reader to "parent with patience."

It's so easy to say and so hard to do. I'm so glad I've got a Helper. I know with Him, I'll somehow learn to "savor the brownness." Even the stinky kind. Even when it seems impossible.