Little Victories with Little People

 Today I went to the grocery store with my littles. I take these things very seriously with an extensive amount of mind preparation beforehand. Of course the normal person's preparation includes things like lists, reusable grocery bags, maybe a pre shopping meal to avoid impulse junk food buying.

 Then there's us. Parents of littles. 

We conquer the grocery store like a well trained marathon runner. We have every trick in the bag- extra snacks, technology (thank God for smart phones), and various "pit stops" along the way. Today's adventures including stopping at the crab tanks, opening a juice box mid aisle (don't worry, I paid for it eventually), and finally, a cookie from the bakery rounding into home base- the checkout line. If I could give an acceptance speech for my successful grocery endeavors, it would include the friendly checker and bagger, whose small interactions with my kiddos bought me 30 seconds to swipe my card and enter my pin. 

Needless to say, I walked out of that store feeling like a million bucks. As I drove away I did a mini victory dance (that was ever so sweetly appreciated by my toddler who yelled "go mama, go mama!" from the back seat.) 

It got me thinking. Little victories. 

I rememberly fondly the first victory of parenthood in the hospital. It sticks out because it's not something anyone but a parent would get- Haden's first poop. Seriously, that thing brought us so much joy. We knew we were going to be ok because of that dirty diaper. We knew this tiny little pink screaming human being would flourish and grow because of that one little poop. It was a sign of hope. A little victory. 

In the span of babyhood, toddlerhood, preschoolhood- days are long and things change ever so slowly. It's easy to caught up in the hustle and bustle of every day life as a parent. But focusing on the little victories makes all the difference. Celebrating each moment for what it's worth can make or break a somewhat monotonous day.

Today I choose to celebrate the little victories. They make me do my happy dance.

What was your little victory today?