Coralie's Footsteps

Coralie has recently discovered that there is nothing keeping her in bed. For a little over a year, that chick never got out of bed without our permission. A year! CORALIE! The same girl who pushes every limit of her independence didn't once question this limit. We couldn't believe what good parents we were.

Well, she started coming into our room on her own after waking from her afternoon nap. "No problem," we said, "it saves us a trip down the hall to her room to get her ourselves! We would have wanted her to do this anyway; we just hadn't thought of it yet."

(Don't mind our carpal tunnel from patting ourselves on the back. We hear that goes away with time.)

Then Coralie started coming into our room and climbing in bed with us upon waking in the morning. We said, "Again, no problem! This is actually working out swimmingly since we don't have to get out of bed until we're ready!" We tried not to notice as the morning wake times got earlier and earlier and the quiet in-bed snuggling virtually disappeared.

This morning, for example, she shuffled in, blue sock in hand, and climbed up in bed with me. She then commenced playing some sort of kicking and pushing game with her feet and my knees. When that didn't rouse me, she turned her sweet morning breath on me and tried to engage me in conversation. "What's Daddy doing?" (I didn't respond.) A few minutes later: "Is Daddy sleeping, Mommy?" (Nothing.) Then: "Daddy's your husband." (Nothing, though I was fighting a grin.) Finally: "Mommy, can I have some fruit leather?"

"Ok, sweetie, let's get up and get you some fruit leather."

Well, this popping out of bed has started happening in the evenings. I don't know if she isn't tired enough to sleep when we put her down or what, but I swear that kid hops out of bed half a dozen times before finally settling in for the night. Each time, we tell her to get back in bed. We even resort to our Stern, Furrowed-Brow Look and mutely put her back in bed ourselves. But then we giggle to each other about how cute she is and how much she just wants to be with us instead of in bed.

She's being disobedient, I know, but it's sweet. She loves us and wants to be with us. I love that.

I want to think that the Father feels this same way sometimes. That He sees our good even when we disobey and that He understands our conflicts in obeying.

I love hearing Coralie's footsteps in the evening. I want her to obey me, but I find such satisfaction in knowing she loves us and wants to be with us. Maybe that's her sacrifice instead of obedience. But I never once stop loving her through it. And I don't think God stops loving us either.