Gracious Kids

While I have been called the Meanest Mom in the World by my children, I have also found them to be incredibly gracious.

Especially tonight.

Allow me to explain.

It all started with some muffins I wanted to make. Morning Glory Muffins - so yummy, but so involved. I used to make them on occasion. But I used to have a food processor that shredded carrots in the blink of an eye.
Well last Sunday when I was making my menu for the week I decided I was going to buy a new food processor this week and I was going to make those muffins. And I thought it was going to be easy.

HA!!!

I bought the food processor Monday and it sat in the box on my counter until tonight - when I planned to make the muffins. Several times through the week I had looked at the box and thought about getting the food processor out, washing it, putting it away, etc. But it never happened. (It isn't always the thought that counts!)
So, tonight as I was getting dinner ready (with a headache...) I opened the box to start shredding carrots for the muffins. At first it looked like figuring out the food processor was going to be too much work so I decided I was going to shred the carrots manually. But when I started doing that, I determined that was too much work (The muffins called for two cups of shredded carrots.) so I went back to putting the food processor together.
Having completed that task, I put a handful of carrots in to shred and - boy, was I ever disappointed. Let me just say, baby carrots and this machine are not meant for one another.
So I grumbled and went for another option. Rather than two cups of shredded carrots, we had somewhere-in-the-neighborhood-of-two-cups of minced carrots. This is where I started to see the graciousness of my children shining through.
I had asked for help in getting dinner ready because I was so frustrated with how long everything was taking, and when I decided to simply mince the carrots Matthew stood by my side and said, "That's OK, Mom. We might need to chew a little more, but I bet it will all taste the same." Can you say, Awwwwww!
With my headache and level of frustration, I had a pretty bad attitude and had snapped more than once at nobody/anybody who was listening. I didn't feel deserving of Matthew's graciousness. But I guess that's the very essence of grace, isn't it? We don't deserve it...
Somehow dinner preparations were completed and we sat together to eat. Everyone gushed about how yummy the muffins were. Good thing - or else I might not make them again. LOL

Fast forward to bedtime.

We were finished with our family prayer time and the kids were about to head to bed, but I asked them to wait just a minute. I told them I needed to apologize to the family for the way I had acted while I was making dinner. I told them I let my headache and frustration take over and I was sorry for my bad attitude and unkind behavior. And the kids? Kind of looked at me in confusion.
Joshua said he was upset when I told him he couldn't play on the computer anymore tonight, but he couldn't remember me being "mean" while I was making dinner.
Matthew and Elizabeth missed it, too.
I made some comment wondering if I had hidden my true feelings more than I knew - because I was sure my heart had been sour. But Brian said he'd seen it. Thanks, Dear!
Regardless of who noticed my attitude, I knew I needed to apologize to everyone. And the grace and hugs that followed were a treasure.

Now everyone is in bed, the extra muffins are in the freezer - to be enjoyed on another day - and I am ready to collapse, too. Good night!

Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. And do not give the devil a foothold.
Ephesians 4:26b-27