letting them eat cake, and loving them for it

Warning….not so pretty pictures ahead…           
                                         




My eight year old now knows how to bake and frost cakes all by herself!  Since I love chocolate cake, I was more than happy for her to volunteer to bake one yesterday (and enlist the help of her brother to frost and decorate it.)   That is until I remembered what happens when we bake cakes...



We (myself included) eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and snacks in between.  I clean up crumbs, and then I clean up crumbs, and then I clean up crumbs again.  But, today, I'm learning to love the crumbs.   I'm learning to love the people behind the crumbs.  I'm learning to love them when they forget to put the milk away, and leave it out all night long.  I love them when their bedrooms are messy, and they forget to brush their teeth.  I love them when they accidentally dump the rest of the sprinkles out, or drip syrup on the floor.  (I even love them when they change the laptop cursor into a banana and I can't  figure out how to change it back.)

But most of all, I love them when they hug me and kiss me, and tell me that they love me.  I love them when they try to do their best.  I love them when they forgive me when I'm not kind.  I love them for their laughter and for their tears.  I love them for who they are, and I thank my Heavenly Father for loaning them to me, and giving me the honor of  being their mother.

Happy Valentines Day...