Rain, glorious rain

Who knew that when I posted about how awful and hot, and dry and just yucky it is, that the very next night we would get rain?!  How exciting it is, and how desperately needed.  Of course it didn't rain enough to get us out of the extreme drought conditions we are in, but it was enough to get everyone excited about it.

I have been working at putting Sierra and Ella to bed at a decent hour (yes I know 3 and 4 year olds should already be on a schedule, don't get me started on this subject or we will be here for a looooong time), and by themselves.  Normally the way our night goes is kinda like this. 

10:00pm - Me: "girls, it's bedtime, lets get your pj's on and start getting ready for bed!!"
                 Sierra and Ella: *poof* nowhere to be found
10:30pm - Me: "girls, come on, it is time for bed!"
                Sierra and Ella: acquire the ability to become invisible
11:00pm - Me: "IT IS BEDTIME, GET IN YOUR ROOM NOW!!!!!!!!" find girls, drag them kicking and screaming to their room, read bedtime story after fighting over who's turn it is to read a story and which story to read, read story, decide if they want their blankets covering them or around them, turn on fan, turn off light, I sit on floor of room with my iPad/iPhone watching something on Netflix or playing a game while they go to sleep.

12:30am/1:00am - girls are finally asleep so I can take care of whatever last minute thing I have to take care of and at about 2:00am I drag myself to bed and depending on the day I am either up at 6:00am to take Haley to school, or 9:30ish when the girls decide they are going to be wide awake and ready to run circles around me and our day begins.

So with that being said, 2 nights ago, I decided it was time to transition to them going to sleep in their rooms by themselves, Haley needed help with her homework that was due at midnight that night (college class), I couldn't do it with the girls running around I needed to concentrate.  So I put them to bed, explained that it was time to go to sleep, I had to take care of some things and I would be in the kitchen. IT WORKED!!!!  They went to sleep by themselves without so much as a peep!!!!!  The next night, I did the same thing, and it worked again!  I feel like a pro at this now, no screaming, no fits, no coming out of the room a million times asking for something!  I got this down!!!

WRONG!!!  This absolutely wonderful beautiful storm, destroyed my work...The thunder terrified Sierra, it was to bright with the lightening and the thunder was to loud for Ella (who hates anything louder than someone talking).  They did not want to go to sleep.  My poor babies were scared and it took everything in me not to go back to sitting in their room until they fell asleep because I don't like when my babies are scared.  So I did the next best thing.  I sat down with them and explained how God made the rain, and God only makes good things right?  He made them and me, and then they start getting excited to name off all of the things God makes (including their toys and clothes and pets).  I then explained in a way that only God could have told me to explain it, why it rains, why we shouldn't be scared, how important it is, how the sound of thunder sounds like God clapping or going bowling.  But I didn't explain it away.  I didn't explain how the thunder was God bowling, I didn't take away from what was happening, I just explained it in a way that I have never done before and could never do again.  Before I explained it to them, they were scared of the thunder, afraid of the storm, but when I took that 5 minutes to really explain what was happening and why it was ok, why it was good and why it was important that it was happening, they went right to sleep and weren't afraid anymore.

Leave it to God to teach a lesson using the rain.  A lesson not only to a 3 and 4 year old, but to me as well.  A lesson about how sometimes it is ok to be afraid, and sometimes you can't explain away your fear by making something up, but by holding onto the truth that is so much stronger than the pretty dolled up explanation like "the thunder is God bowling, or the lightening is God taking pictures"  Sometimes, the answer is just that simple, "The thunder sounds like God bowling, and the lightening looks like God taking pictures, but it really isn't.  God made the raid to help the plants grow, they were so thirsty that God made it rain so they wouldn't be thirsty anymore.  The rain is so good, and God only makes good things right?"