Life's Little Challenges

A few weeks ago, I took Emma to the dentist for the first time as required for registering for school in the Fall. The dentist told Emma that she should be flossing her teeth every day (well, that I should be flossing her teeth every day). Emma, being one who is very respectful of authority figures, really took it to heart. So, in order to encourage myself to do it for her more often, I included it on her responsibility chart. We aren't perfect at it, but at least we do it more often than we used to (which was never). Of course, I made Arianna's chart the same as Emma's so she thinks she needs to floss her teeth every day as well. It really is a 'mommy job', but they climb up and get a hold of the floss by themselves occasionally. In the past, Emma has just ripped off a little piece and goofed around with it, no problem. Well, the other day, Arianna brings me this:
And with it she says, "Mommy, I tried to get a little piece, but there was only one big piece in there!"

Oh child! I had to laugh.

Have you ever noticed how things always take longer than they are supposed to or that you planned? One afternoon, the girls wanted to pick an activity to do out of a book we have. They looked through the book and chose to catch bugs in jars. Joy. I do not like bugs. I never have. But there I was, outside catching spiders for the girls to look at in their jars. Emma got startled as she was watching her spiders and dropped the glass jar which shattered all over the back patio. So, our short activity turned into a long activity which involved the thorough cleaning of the entire patio. But, they were happy as clams observing the remaining 3 spiders- Viktor, Jacob and Sarah- in Arianna's jar for the rest of the afternoon. Yes, they named them. They said a fond farewell, by name, later that evening as we let them go. They roped Kenneth into doing the same thing the next day. Luckily, no jars were broken the second time around.
Here they are just a couple of minutes before the jar shattered.

Of course these challenges I shared today are definitely very small challenges. And the time it took for me to take care of these 'problems' was no big deal. But, some days all the little challenges seem to add up and weigh me down. That is when I am grateful when I come across quotes like this one:
"You will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make".
-Gordon B. Hinckley