Some days it truly seems hard to be a parent. It also boggles my mind that these little beings don't listen when we want them to! In the previous holiday months of 2011 (November and December), Ella experienced some challenging times with following directions and making good choices at home. As all parents do, I wanted her to be on her best behavior so that Santa would be able to follow through with his tradition: Naughty=no gifts but coal, Nice= What you wish for.
Come Thanksgiving weekend, our Elf on the Shelf arrived; Jingles is his name. I thought "whew, now we won't have to deal with over the top trouble!" Well, I was wrong and we had several struggles through the first couple of weeks. I would say, "Ella, Jingles is watching you" and "Jingles is going to tell Santa what you are doing." It didn't seem to help. Now, mind you, her behavior wasn't ALL that awful, but there was one night in particular....
Jingles didn't come back from the North Pole! Ella wasn't devastated, but she wasn't happy. I think she took a little time to process the event while at school the next day. When she came home she asked if Jingles came back. Of course he did not, as he only travels while she is sleeping. I proceeded to give her some advice.
I told my dear daughter that when she goes to bed she better "PRAY" that Jingles comes back or for her it meant that Santa wasn't going to come. Of course, she asks, "what's pray?" I explained to Ella that sometimes we have to whisper in our heads a wish or hope that we would like to happen. That we have to ask "someone up above" for a little help to make it happen. There are times when things are out of our control, but if we "pray" that maybe what we are looking for will happen after all. (All of the explaining is a little difficult for me to do, because am not 100% sold on the concept---although I try.)
So arrives the next morning. Jingles didn't (mostly because mommy and daddy forgot about him yet AGAIN!). Ella comes down the stairs...she says her good mornings and hellos to the dogs. All of a sudden she says to me, "MOM, I forgot to do that thing you told me to do!" I asked her what that was, as I wasn't quite sure what she was talking about. "You know, that thing you told me to do!" Still, not sure, as I think I must tell her to do quite a bit and often. She, somewhat frustrated, "YOU KNOW, that THING....you told me to do....last night." I am thinking oh boy, this is going to turn into something bad. Ella proceeds to say, "You know, like when I talk to people in my head." Laughing out loud now....but she doesn't think its funny, because I still can't figure her "code" out. "MOM, you told me to do that THING when I went to bed last night so Jingles would come back"
Oh, my....Ella you mean "PRAY?"
Ella replies, in disappointment, "yes, PRAY; you told me to PRAY so Jingles would come back, and I forgot!"
I, of course, tell her that she can pray at her bedtime that night. I explain to her that she can do it anytime of the day and just that she forgot doesn't mean that what she would like to have happen or wish for may not happen, it just means that it may not happen right away. Jingles didn't come back that day anyway (again, mostly to the fault of mommy and daddy, as we didn't realize she DIDN'T do that THING I told her to do). She had another chance.
I am not aware of how much Ella actually prays, as we don't make it a family event. As I mentioned before, I am not sure myself of the power of prayer. I do believe that for ME during the November and December time frame, I did a lot of praying and hoping for some things to change and they did. :)
Recently, I think Ella may be a believer in prayer. We were in the car and I had hoped out loud for green lights all the way to swimming lessons. Ella tells me, "MOM, I am going to PRAY for green lights all the way." To my amazement....we had green lights all the way! She of course, was smiling in the back seat!
