Forced to Listen

It's been five whole days of no playing outdoors. The three caged gorillas and I have filled our time with indoor fun, while struggling to stay warm in our leaky, uninsulated house that has no fireplace and only a few space heaters. South Louisiana just isn't supposed to be this cold.

But despite my yearnings to escape the indoor blizzard of chaos each time I glance out into the silent, still backyard, God has given me a lot to laugh about this week.

I've learned the good thing about being unable to go outdoors is that I have had to actually listen to my children.

Ok, so that's really a good and a bad thing.

Listening is bad because Wyatt has mastered the annoying sound of the incessant "Why?" question. Even worse, he is in a stubborn, "do it self" phase and says things like "No! I do it!" and "I have no pee pee" each and every time he's told to use the potty. On Sunday when my husband picked him up to take him to the car, he screamed, "I walk!!" When my husband put Wyatt down, he turned around, walked back to the spot he was picked up from, and then walked out to the car!!

But listening is also good because my husband and I get a lot of joy seeing life from our three-year-old's point of view.

• On Monday, Wyatt felt so bad, he said, "I have two fevers."
• Later, when my hubby asked how to spell "Thomas," Wyatt said in a sing-song voice, "B-I-N-G-O."
• On Tuesday, he drew a picture of a sleeping bag (looked like another dinosaur to me), which he told me was "for dreaming." When I asked what he dreamed about, he said, "Flowers. And Percy and Thomas...and dancing." He then did a donkey kick in his chair.
  
• That same day, he kept saying a word I couldn't understand. Frustrated with my failed attempt at the enunciation game, he finally gave a mommy-style exasperated sigh and said, "No! You're saying the wrong word. It's _____ like I already told you."
  
• Finally, when I asked him what he would do if Amelia wasn't happy, he responded, "I say, 'Peek-boo 'Melia.'" And so he does to keep his sister happy.

Listening. It's easy to miss the joy when words are scattered to the winds or are not spoken at all as little ones play in the wide expanse of our farm.

I'll never be a fan of this bitter cold. But I can still be thankful my Father sent it to once again give me a lesson about listening--to my children...to Him.

Photo: Wyatt-the-Green-Knight "kills" the nearly-deflated Thomas balloon from his birthday party a few weeks ago.