4 DAYS!!!!!!

The plan was to write every day and talk about the ups and downs, but it's summer and summer at our house means super busy!  But, I have to report that I have gone 4 whole days with no yelling!  I can feel the Lord helping me and strengthening me.  When I was praying about all of the things in my life that I need to do and change I had a strong feeling that this one needs to be at the top of the list.  He is helping me do it!  Over the past month I have tried a little here and there to have a no yelling day, but I would literally forget.  How is that possible?!?  Well, it is and then I would also forget to try and start over.  This time is different.  I feel His power and his little reminders and I am not yelling.

Day 2 was going to be my hard day.  That day I had to get the house clean because we were having people over that night for a BBQ, but I managed that with some built up frustration, but no major incidents.  Actually, I take that back.  I need to Toot my Rhino Horn here for a minute!  #2 daughter, as I have mentioned before is my hardest child for me.  She was not listening and cleaning up like I had asked.  The room wasn't that bad and it would have taken her maybe 3 minutes.  She is a "You can't make me" child.  And she's right.  I have learned I can't make her do anything.  Nothing.  She has to be willing and decide she wants to do something, or she just won't.  Period.  So, I have to find ways to make her want to do what I ask.  And sometimes that means getting mean.  She just had a birthday and was wearing her new outfit.  I (with much struggle) took off her new sweater she was wearing (she had a shirt on under, no worries) and informed her that she could have it back as soon as she finished that room.  And so began the tantrum.  She is so good that these!  She's better than any 2 year old you'd ever see.  She is loud and strong and can turn on the water works like she just won an Oscar!  I stayed calm and tried to ignore her the best I could as I reminded her how to get it back.  I ended up having to put said sweater up above the refrigerator in the far back of the cupboard where I could barely reach it.  She got the stool and tried to reach.  Then got 3 pillows to put on top of the stool to try and reach.  This went on for 10 minutes or so and finally it dawned on me.  I'm staying calm and when you think about it, this is kinda funny!  So, what did I do?  I took a picture!  She was so caught off guard that she couldn't hold back a smile as she stuck her tongue out and it diffused the situation!  It diffused the situation!  This little girl is capable of going on for hours!  She has fallen asleep during a tirade and woken up an hour later and continued to scream.  I reminded her that she just needed to pick up a few things and she could have it back right away.  She picked it all up and got her sweater back.  I DIDN'T yell!  Usually by that point I would have been screaming "Stop it right now!  Knock it off!  Just do what I say and you can have it back!" So, there you have it.  Day 2 a success!

Day 3 ended being my hardest day.  I didn't feel well and my head hurt.  My kids were being loud and didn't listen to me pretty much the entire day.  One of my kids accidentally hit me in the head with a water bottle and I about lost it.  I felt my blood pressure and frustration on the edge of bursting all day, but all I said was ouch, very loudly and caught my emotions with tears instead of yells.

I was most excited with day 4 because I experienced something that I've never really felt before and I liked it!  My kids were on my bed playing with my iPad.  Playing turned into fighting (of course) and I screamed, "Hey!" trying to get their attention.  I scared myself!  Haha!  I was so caught off guard by my reaction that I was able to stop and regain control of my emotions and talk to them nicely about the rules of the iPad.  So, I yelled, yes, but it was still under the #4 rule of yelling (see HERE for the 1-7 scale of yelling.)  That's when I knew the Lord in on my side and that I can do this!  Of course I know I will fail at some point, but I am doing my best and hope it's not any time soon!  I need this and my kids need me to do this!