For anyone who has ever had a conversation with my toddler, even if only for a brief minute, knows of her love for the song "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands." She doesn't just love it, she's obsesssed with it. Beyond obsessed with it. I love(d) this song, but if I'm being totally honest, the mention of it now makes me cringe. I am just not one of those "play songs on repeat" kinda people.
To be fair, I set her up for it. I used to sing her to sleep with this song during the super little season. Before she could talk, or soothe herself back to sleep, she needed my singing, and I needed to not sing the same words for two hours. Therefore, I started using this song as a means of praying for all of the people we love and care about. I love multitasking. I would fill in "the whole word" lyric with people's names - i.e. "He's got Lolly and Pop, in his hands..." Usually by the time we got through all of our family, extended family, friends, loved ones in Heaven, and community group members, she'd be out.
Now, as she's about to turn two [what?!], she has an extremely high vocabulary and an extremely big heart for...everything. Nick and I get asked multiple times a day "Whole world, Mommy? Whole world, Daddy?" When we start to sing, she calls the shots on who we're filling into the blanks. It's always fun to see who she thinks about. Most of the time it's her Lolly and Pop, Yaya and BobBob, her aunts, uncles...Mia and Stella... Sometimes we get "hairbrush," "jacket," "cow," "bird," "flower"...I mean... she's not technically wrong (Matthew 6:26, Luke 12:28) Lately, I've been trying to bring the lyrics to the song a little more full circle...asking her who has the whole world and all of these people in His hands. She can now answer that 'Jesus' has everyone in His hands. I continue with 'And where does Jesus live?' -- 'With Cookie Monster.' Noted.
Hold that thought.
We've been weening off of the paci for about two weeks now. Daycare, because they're 'extra' [if I'm even using that word right], has weened her off completely during naptime. However, we've also always let her have it in the car, and at night, selfishly for our sanity. Car rides are miserable without our Papi. Like, as loud as I can turn up the music without causing damage to our ears doesn't drown out the trantrums [I'm guessing... :)] So we're working on it. Anyway, long story short, we've been managing. She's done well, but when she's about to lose it, she has a list of demands to focus her attention elsewhere... snacks, books, blanket, snacks, phone [what?!], "sing Whole World", pictures, sing "Jesus" [aka Jesus loves me], snacks, snacks, snacks... you get the idea. We usually, if possible, give her what she asks for, because we know the No-Papi-Tantrum (NPT) is close. Choosing battles.
Yesterday was no exception. No papi on the ride home, but tons of requests. The whining started...and for any fellow mamas reading this, can I get an amen for how weary even a 2-minute car-tantrum can make you? There are no words, but it has, on a number of occassions, brought me to my knees in tears of frustration and defeat. So after raisins didn't satisfy, Brown Bear Brown Bear got boring, the "phone" [which is a Fisher Price remote control] got chunked toward the window, the Larabar didn't taste good, she requested "CAAAANNYYY." Aka - Candy. Buh. We rarely give this child candy, but that one time at the doctor after handling shots well changed her life forever. I get it, chocolate changed my life and it probably only took one taste for me to decide I needed it to soothe my rough days, too.
I gently told Reaves that we didn't have any candy [even if I did, her having it in the car terrifies me], so I told her if she was really good, she could have a sucker when we got home. I'm sure this goes against everything we learned in the parenting class at church on Establishing Authority. She almost went NPT on me. She argued a bit, repeated her request for candy several more times. I just kept repeating back to her my compromise [WHY am I compromising with a toddler? Battles]. So I'm speeding home, waiting for the NPT that inevitably is about to come, small tears, pitiful...sad tears, not angry tears..and she, of course, asks "Whole World, Mommy?" Because I feel bad that she isn't screaming, but is genuinely sad she doesn't have candy [I'm the sucker, here], I comply and start singing the song.
I wait for her to tell me who Jesus has in His hands, and with the sweetest, quivering, tearful voice, she said "Reaves' candy." It's comical to me that candy is up on her scale with the whole world. But again, chocolate. I get it. It was a hilarious reminder that Jesus does have all of the cares of our heart in His hands...however little they may seem. So sure, Jesus has your candy in His hands, sweet one. Why not.
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