Oh, Elijah...

Elijah is a handful these days. He is a little ball of energy, he is VERY opinionated, and he likes to get things done HIS way. He is learning and growing a ton and it is very fun to watch and be a part of. However, with the growing comes some growing pains. I have told many of my friends lately that I seriously underestimated the difficulty of disciplining a child. I have had a taste of what my parents must've felt when they encountered my strong will, I have laughed and cried in the midst of it, and I have even had to humble myself to say "I'm sorry" to Elijah for losing my cool a few times. I will tell you this much: NEVER again will I judge a parent at Target, the park, the mall...wherever, really...that is trying to contain a screaming child. I will just nod and smile knowingly. We discipline him because we love him, but let me tell you, friends, it is not easy. It is tempting to give up. But I have a God who doesn't give up on me. He keeps after me. He teaches me. And He loves me the same...no matter what. So, we press on. We endure. We (at least I) will probably cry many more tears over it.

So anyway, to give you a taste of a day in the life of Elijah...here are a few snapsots.

When I went in to get Elijah after his nap yesterday, this is what I encountered. Naked child.

And when I went to get him out, he wanted to just lay down and hang out for a while. Naked.

He INSISTS on feeding himself. I used to think Elijah could just tolerate a mess. Now I think he actually enjoys making them and basking in them.

Also from yesterday: he stuck a pencil up his nose and it proceeded to bleed in massive amounts for 15 minutes straight.

Yup, this is my life now. Help us, Lord.