My Patience Meter

I have recerntly discovered that I have a Patience Meter. There are situations that quickly crank it up to the red zone, like having to tell my 2-year old to stay out of the street for the 15th time or having to put her in time out for the 6th time in 10 minutes. But, there are also situations that diffuse the meter to the green level--time works really well for this.

Take today, for example...I took the girls out to run errands this afternoon. We first went to the naturopath's office to pick up more supplements. Kallie was all over the place--even after I asked her to sit in a chair--and my patience meter started to climb. When we left the office, Kallie decided that she didn't want to come get in the car, but instead wanted to stand by a tree and listen for the ducks that she saw last time we were there. By the time we drove away, the meter was right in the middle of yellow.

After the 7-minute drive to Costco, the meter was comfortably back in the green zone. And, I have to say, both of my girls did really well while we shopped. Kallie did, however, ask for her "picture" about 200 times. (She has been carrying around a tiny picture of her cousins all day today.) She thought she lost the picture, even though I assured her it was probably in the car. By the time we finished shopping, my patience meter was hovering between green and yellow.

I got both girls strapped into their car seats and hopped in the front seat just in time for Kallie to ask about her picture for the 201st time. I glanced to the back seat and saw that it had fallen in the space between car seats...and knowing that my patience meter was only going to crank up if I had to listen to the question 500 more times, I hopped out, grabbed the picture, and gave it to Kallie. As we drove off, she did the smartest thing she could have ever done...she said, "Thanks, mommy! You're the BEST!" And, she repeated, "You're the BEST!" about 60 times.

Now, I realize that she probably doesn't really know what that means. But, that cranked my patience meter down to the bottom of the green. Even hauling two kids in a double stroller though the Columbus Sale at Joann's could not crank up my patience meter after that. Even having to put her in time out literally 4 times within 15 minutes when we got home couldn't make it budge. It's amazing what a few simple words from a 2-year old can do for a mom!