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It seems this month is the month for internal battling in our family. Mercy has started fighting her own temptations, but my favorite part is that she does it verbally. For example...
This morning, I had to get my grocery list off the computer before we could go shopping. Mercy Jane impatiently stood next to me, commanding me to "Hurry up, Mommy!" She leaned closer and closer to my left arm, first patting it, and then more aggressively hitting. Finally she got very quiet, and in a firm voice said, "No! I do NOT want to bite your arm, Mommy."
I stopped what I was doing to look at her. "What?"
Her face registered determination and peace with the decision she had made. "I do NOT want to bite your arm anymore, Mommy."
"Well...I'm glad for that! Good decision, Mercy Jane!" I encouraged her.
She smiled up at me, but I still moved my arm a safe distance from her teeth.
Later at the grocery store, she told me in that same determined voice, "I do NOT want to open the raisins, Mommy."
I glanced down at her and noticed that she was staring at the box intently. "That's a great decision, Mercy!" I praised her. "Let's move that box so you can do right easier, okay?"
"Okay, thanks, Mommy!" she said happily.
I had to laugh to myself.
Then just now, I got her up from her nap. She stared at the button on my shirt that she had been playing with all day (and had been being told NOT to play with all day), and she said, "Mommy, I do NOT want to unbutton your shirt anymore."
I had forgotten her previous temptation fighting statements, so I questioned in puzzlement, "You don't?"
"No. I do NOT want to unbutton your shirt!" she said with vehemence. "Not. At. All."
I cracked up inside, but decided that was just the encouragement I needed to make my own right choices. I don't have a clue what's going on with her to cause all these serious decisions, but I'm all for it! And I'm so glad I get to hear it!
This morning, I had to get my grocery list off the computer before we could go shopping. Mercy Jane impatiently stood next to me, commanding me to "Hurry up, Mommy!" She leaned closer and closer to my left arm, first patting it, and then more aggressively hitting. Finally she got very quiet, and in a firm voice said, "No! I do NOT want to bite your arm, Mommy."
I stopped what I was doing to look at her. "What?"
Her face registered determination and peace with the decision she had made. "I do NOT want to bite your arm anymore, Mommy."
"Well...I'm glad for that! Good decision, Mercy Jane!" I encouraged her.
She smiled up at me, but I still moved my arm a safe distance from her teeth.
Later at the grocery store, she told me in that same determined voice, "I do NOT want to open the raisins, Mommy."
I glanced down at her and noticed that she was staring at the box intently. "That's a great decision, Mercy!" I praised her. "Let's move that box so you can do right easier, okay?"
"Okay, thanks, Mommy!" she said happily.
I had to laugh to myself.
Then just now, I got her up from her nap. She stared at the button on my shirt that she had been playing with all day (and had been being told NOT to play with all day), and she said, "Mommy, I do NOT want to unbutton your shirt anymore."
I had forgotten her previous temptation fighting statements, so I questioned in puzzlement, "You don't?"
"No. I do NOT want to unbutton your shirt!" she said with vehemence. "Not. At. All."
I cracked up inside, but decided that was just the encouragement I needed to make my own right choices. I don't have a clue what's going on with her to cause all these serious decisions, but I'm all for it! And I'm so glad I get to hear it!