Maybe you could compare parenting to a hurricane.

In preparation for Hurricane Ike, I took Hannah (and Nathan) to the library to get an armload of books to pass the hours. Our lines are under ground but Ben says the substation close to the house could loose power and the bigger above ground lines connected to ours could get knocked out too. One of the 8 books we came home with had a CD that tells the story, a little variation from Mom's version if you will. Hannah went straight to her room, put the CD in and I didn't hear from her for at least 45 minutes. That particular story was about a little pig whose little sister pig wanted to do everything he was trying to do, only couldn't because she was too little.

So tonight, after reading and playing and teeth brushing and tickling, Hannah wanted to listen to the CD story.
"Mommy, why does Amanda want to do everything?" (talking about the pig siblings)
"well, Hannah, you know how Nathan wants to do everything you do? He likes to imitate you and be like you. You're his best friend. That's why Amanda tries to do everything her older brother does."
"Well, he's MY best friend too, but I want him(nathan)to be himself." (Is that not SO insightful for a 4 year old?? I've never had a 4 year old before but it never ceases to amaze me what she says)

"well, I do too but he learns from you."
"Oh...Uh Oh!" (I laughed out loud on that one! )

I'm also amazed at how fast she is learning. We checked out library books several times in MS but I never explained the borrowing /lending relationship held with the library until this summer. So a few weeks ago, I thought maybe it would be good to begin to explain that we have to return the books to be able to get more,etc. Here again, i've never had a four year old, and I had no idea how terribly this learning experience would go. We drove up to the book drop, much like the mail drop box that she loves to put letters in, even after some protests and many more explanations that we could go get other books. I thought once we got to the drop box, she would be distracted by the fun of putting in books. How wrong I was. She absolutely melted down. I don't mean having a fit. It was like her dog(we don't have a dog, but you know) died or that I was asking her to throw away her beloved "soft blankie". It was traumatic. And I seriously questioned the value of that "teachable moment" as we drove away, drowned in sobs and wails.

But today, only weeks after that incident, was entirely different. She gladly consented to relinquishing the books, of course we had an armful of new books but still.... She even explained to me, as if I didn't know, that "we were just borrowing those other books." That was one of those moments you just inwardly roll your eyes and sigh, saying thanks to Jesus but also asking for more help in the gigantic hurricane of parenthood.