Here are some pictures of Caleb, now 1 year old. Once he put down his new ball and figured out that the cake was food, he just picked it up and started digging in. We didn't have a big b-day party for him (I only feel slightly guilty about it) but he didn't seem to care. After all, he got a cake, a couple toys, and even better...a wrapped present. Forget a party and gifts--my next baby will just get empty boxes all wrapped up!

The messy picture I just threw in for kicks. I'm feeling sorry for myself after surviving this morning, so I'm sharing with you so everyone can maybe appreciate their day a bit more, unless you had to clean up messes like this one that happened after your baby had a blow-out diaper and a bath.

Here's the story. I'm thinking Heavenly Father blessed me with this lovely learning experience today, even though I sure didn't (and still don't) want it. Yesterday Savannah sneezed in the car while she was eating dried apple slices. So, chunks of food sprayed all over her and she started bawling because it was so messy. I was laughing, but she didn't think it was very funny. I thought that I'd turn it into a teaching moment that would help mold my daughter into a fabulous person. I told her that sometimes things in life happen (like sneezing apple chunks all over in the car) that can either make you cry or laugh. She was crying because she was angry, but I was laughing because I was choosing to see how funny it was. And, it's a whole lot better to laugh and be happy than choosing to be angry or sad. We practiced choosing to laugh or cry at a couple examples and had a great time.

Then this morning we ran to the bank. Savannah knows that for some random reason banks give suckers to kids (is it that obvious that I've used

this tool before) and she was whining & crying for her sucker. I didn't give it to her because she was acting like a holy terror. She whined & cried the whole way to the store. Until she finally understood that all she needed to do was listen to mom, stop crying & ask nicely. The sucker was gone within seconds and she promptly started crying for a cookie from the bakery (yes, I know I'm a terrible mom--not only do I give her suckers from the bank, but she also gets cookies at the store). This time the answer was NO. She cried while we got the milk and through the checkout line. Our lovely bagger was being friendly and asked her why she was crying. While I was paying the checker, she had decided that she had the cure for my children and was helping me by stopping the tears of my poor, deprived children. Chocolate. Thanks so much. The tears were stopped, but my problems were just starting. We got out to the car and I buckled up the kids and loaded up the groceries. Forgetting that my son still had a lovely piece of chocolate in his hand I filled up the car with gas. As soon as we were headed home, Savannah started laughing and told me that Caleb wasn't eating his chocolate. I knew I was in for it as soon as she said it. And, it was all my fault for not taking it away immediately and saying "No thanks" to my helpful bagger. I took the easy way out of the store by accepting the treat and not taking it away, causing my children to cry and scream in the store again. Too bad my child was now covered in a melted chocolate mess.

So, while Savannah was laughing at Caleb (no doubt, giddy from all the sugar), she could sense that I was NOT happy. The whole way home she kept telling me that it was funny and asking me if I was choosing to be happy yet or not. I was definitely choosing to be angry, but maybe one day I'll look back on this story and not be angry that I had just given him a bath and dressed him in clean clothes (one of the only remaining clean sets because I'm SO NOT doing the laundry right now!), or that I had just cleaned the car and car seats last week, or that I felt like my stupid attempts to not give into my crying children had just failed miserably. Apparently Caleb thought it was funny too, because you can see him smiling in his picture when we got home. Thanks for the lesson, Heavenly Father.