31-ish days of Parker: Singular moments

Parker turns 3 in exactly 31 days! For the month of August I wanted to try to write a small post about him everyday. Talk about how he's changed so much and how amazing of a child he is. Now, on to the first post.

I was riding on the bus heading to a doctor appointment and I noticed a father getting on the bus with his four boys. The youngest looked about 2 and the oldest maybe 7 or 8. Each of them clean and nicely dressed(other than the press-on tattoos all over their arms.) They sat down quietly, talked and giggled amongst each other. A couple of stops before my stop, they all politely got off the bus, each thanking the bus driver on their way out. I was seriously mesmerized and I couldn't help, but be insanely jealous that this gentlemen had four of the best behaved boys I have ever met! I had a flashback of all the times Parker misbehaved while we were out and I was at a loss as to what I was doing wrong as a mom and what I could do to get my child to behave the same way!

I got off at my stop and I had a little time before my appointment. The doctor's office is located in the same building where my husband works so he met me and we talked to pass the time. I told him about the father and the well behaved boys that I saw on the bus, and I brought up my frustrations about how we could get Parker to behave like that. My husband reminded me that Parker is a very well mannered boy and reminded me of all the times we've received compliments about his good behavior. He said, "You only witnessed a small glimpse, a single moment, of those boys. Sure they were being good at that time, but most likely they aren't that way all the time."

My husband was right! It made me feel so much better to think about it that way. Parker IS a wonderful child. He's polite and has great manners. He is silly, smart, imaginative and he is very loving. The moments he is being defiant and challenging are few and far in between. It's just something I will have to actively remind myself every time I'm in a situation like this. And when Parker wants to go in public wearing giant red car shoes, no shirt and dirty pants...I should be okay with it because he will only be this age for a small time.

I love you my little Prince....