Sometimes God is but a whisper

This morning I decided to take the girls on a walk with their Kookie dogs and strollers.  We started down the cul-de-sac and I decided to venture up to the other cul-de-sac just for a change of scenery.  Every time we go out on a walk I think, "Maybe today is the day I will actually be able to get a good walk in."  Not the case with a two and four year old whose thinking is that every walk is a treasure walk.  What small, big, shiny, not shiny, alive, not alive, green thing, blue thing, little flower, big flower can I find and take home to put into a treasure bucket.

Well, today was no different.  One was speeding ahead while the other lagged behind.  Depending on where we were in the walk determined who was speeding and who was lagging.  So, we are coming back from the cul-de-sac and Rebecca decides that she doesn't want to wear her sunglasses.  She wants to hook them on to her shirt like Daddy does.  Well, of course being two gives her the motto that she wants to do it herself.  No amount of offers of help were good enough because she wanted to do it herself.  She was not able to do it and therefore the sunglasses got thrown across the driveway.  Whenever Rebecca throws something one of two things happen, depending on the circumstances.  Either I take it away from her and she can't have it for a set period of time or it lays on the ground because it was thrown out of anger and frustration.  After offering my help one more time and her refusing it I told her that her sunglasses would remain there and I started walking away.

Emma was very patient with Rebecca as she usually is.  She and I started walking away, which Rebecca did not care for at all.  She turned picked up her sunglasses and ran for us.  In the process she fell and skinned her hands.  After several hugs and kisses and a little lecture on why she shouldn't throw things we headed for home to take care of her hands.

I told her I would carry her stroller.  Somehow, as we all know, I ended up carrying both strollers.  The thought of a nice leisurely stroll with my two little girls was turning into a crying, fit throwing episode.  However, just as I was questioning why I continue to set myslef up for these frustrations I hear in the following:

Small voice of a 2 year old saying to her 4 year old sister, "Emma please pick me up and carry me home."  

Emma: Oh Rebecca you are too big for me to carry all the way home, but how about I put my arm around you like this and we can walk home together?"

Rebecca:  OK

Rebecca:  Emma, will you clean my boo-boo when we get home?

Emma:  Sure I can.  I know just how to do it because I just had a big one on my leg.  Do you want to pick out the band-aid or should I?

Rebecca:  I will.

Through all the frustrations of being a stay-at-home Mom come these little glimmers of pure joy that melt all the bad things away and make me so thankful I am home with them to see it.  All too soon they will be in school and these wonderful moments won't happen in my presence so often.

My prayer is that God continues to open my eyes to the wonderful things that are happening around me each and every day.