Itty Bitty Blessings
by Dawnelle Breum

Some days I feel like packing my kids off to school. I love baking cookies with my two boys, and listening to my daughter practice piano. Reading stacks of picture books from the library is a treat for everyone. And I enjoy the flexibility. But some days just don?t go as planned.

For example, the other day I envisioned myself getting up and fixing a hot breakfast, then cleaning up while the kids played companionably together in the playroom. The house would be fresh and clean, and I would be eager to face the day. But this is what really happened.

“Mom! Jake is squirting something from a bottle, and it’s all over the place!” My daughter yelled from the family room. I paused and looked at the eggs scrambling in the pan. Grabbing a towel, I ran through the hall, hurdling over toys and books along the way.

Slightly out of breath as I entered the living room, I assessed the situation and realized my youngest son, Jake, had found my new bottle of conditioner and had squirted it all over the living room. It was squeezed in neat little swirls all over the couch, carpet and coffee table. For a brief moment the neat swirls gave me a sense of relief. After all, at least he had squirted neatly! Then my frugal side surfaced. Should I attempt to save the conditioner? I thought better of it and started wiping.

I glanced at my other son, Tyler, who was sitting on the couch. His arms, shirt and jeans were covered with swirls of conditioner.

“Why didn’t you say something?” I asked him while I wiped off his now- silky-smooth arms.

“I was reading,” he replied absentmindedly.

Stopping to stare at him in disbelief, I suddenly thought, “Where was my youngest son, anyway?”

“Mom! Jake’s in the refrigerator! And he’s not using a spoon! He’s not using good manners!” My daughter shrieked from the kitchen.
Good manners?

I raced towards the kitchen, again leaping over the toys and books like a pursued deer in the forest. I entered the kitchen out of breath, and immediately saw vanilla yogurt on the floor, the refrigerator door, and of course, all over Jake’s face.

“How is it possible he can look even remotely cute at this moment?” I wondered as I tossed the dirty towel across the room. I should have played basketball, I thought as it swished into the sink. All net! A smile flickered across my face.

That was precisely when I smelled the eggs burning. I glanced at the pan, then back at my yogurt-lathered son. “Yo-yo, mama?” Jake asked in his sweet voice, holding up the half-empty carton to me like a peace offering.

I grabbed another towel from my abundant supply and turned off the stove. He smiled and kissed me on the cheek as I attempted to clean him up.

“Love you, Mama,” he said.

I looked into his huge brown eyes and smiled again. I could have scrambled eggs anytime.

My morning didn’t go as I had planned. In fact, it was a big mess, despite of having the best of intentions.

But I?m so blessed to be a mother to three amazing children. And at some
point during the course of each day, even those messy, disorganized days, I realize I have itty-bitty blessings that pop up in the most unexpected places. Like baby voices that say “Love you, Mama,” when I’m least expecting it.

I won’t pack them off to school. No, I’m going to try and take things in stride, relax, and embrace each itty-bitty blessing that comes my way.

About the author:
Dawnelle Breum is a former first-grade teacher who writes for children and adults from her home in Ontario, Canada. Look for her upcoming work about homeschooling preschool-aged children in "Homeschooling Today" magazine this fall.