redeeming qualities

Although this little girl has been driving us crazy with her sporadic fits and tantrums, she has so many redeeming qualities. And they have been shining through the dark moments the last few days. I took the following three pictures after church yesterday. She would not smile. She refused to look at the camera unless I tricked her, but I got a few funny faces. Matt gave her this sweet dress for Christmas, and while it says it is a 3T, it fits perfectly right now. She looked like such a little lady at church yesterday and acted like one too minus the last 10 minutes. Someday we will make it through a full day at church.

I surprised her.

We were laughing so hard as we worked on our silly faces. This is her grumpy face.

This is her "Mom, you are so weird face." I get this a lot.

This is the picture I snapped of her two minutes ago. This is her sick face. Her 2-year molars are sneaking through the gums, and she is just not up to par. While I don't love wiping boogies all day, I am really enjoying the cuddling time she is giving me. If and when she cuddles, she ONLY cuddles with her dad. I always receive a hand to the face.

To return to the topic I started with, I believe all people have redeeming qualities. We just have to find them. We have to patiently wait for them to sneak through hard exteriors. Mya is a tough and feisty, little cookie. Someone very close to me once told me that when I am happy, others are happy and when I am not, others aren't either. He said my behavior/mood changed the atmosphere of many situations. I have never stopped thinking about his comment. Mya is like me. The world stops when she is upset and is instantly turned on again when her eyes light up again and a smile returns to her face. I love when she smiles and when her golden eyes twinkle with delight. Lately, her mood has been a shade of grayish,black. She hasn't really smiled except on rare occasions.

But those rare occasions have made me smile. Like when she told me she was singing to Jesus. The lyrics--"All the way. All the way. All the way. Not." I have no idea what she meant but it was so cute. Or when Tim asked her for an M&M and she said, "No daddy, They all gone. You can have one tomorrow." She has obviously learned our tricks. Or when she was drawing a picture on my stomach and said, "I colored for the baby." Or when she picks up the broom and says, "Mommy, I brooming. I make it clean." Or when she picks up my purse and keys and heads to the door looking behind her only to say, "I go to work. See you later." Or when she swaddles her baby doll and tells me she is practicing. Or when we make faces at each other. We have similar grumpy faces so we laugh a lot. Or when she tries to do the fishy face, but her cheeks just wont let her. Or when asks us for hugs. Or kisses my face when she thinks I am sleeping. She kisses it all over and says "Nite..nite mommy. Wuv you."

Those are the moments that make the grayish, black moments seem a little brighter. I love my little stinker. She is my greatest miracle.