I WANT ORANGE!

Claire is obsessed with the color orange as of late. She only wants to eat with orange cups and plates. She loves orange clothes and crayons. We do our best to go along with her orange needs. If an orange plate or cup is available, I always give one to her. She usually doesn't say anything in the direction of gratitude for my remembering that she prefers orange; I guess she just expects it.

On occasion there is nothing orange available, and she is presented with another color. This often results in her letting us know "But I wanted ORANGE!" Sometimes the orange plate is even obviously headed her direction and she starts to holler "I want orange!" a little panicked that it may somehow go to Kyle.

It's made me think. How often does God present us with the things we want/need and we offer little gratitude, just expect it. And as soon as we don't get what we feel we're entitled to we start into the whole disappointed, "But I wanted..." How often does he plan wonderful things for us, only for us to constantly remind Him that we somehow innately deserve that gift and more? I try to be grateful, but I think I need to be a little more grateful and a little less demanding.

This also comes into play when Claire asks for things. Sometimes it's inconvenient (get up and get stuff for her knowing that my dinner will not be warm upon return or my cereal will be soggy), sometimes it doesn't make sense (Not THAT cup! and I have to dump her milk into another cup, adding to my dishwasher workload). When these requests come and my first response is to say "No" or "Later" I remind myself of all the ridiculous things I ask Heavenly Father for, and then I get up and fulfill the request, hoping to add Karma to my Heavenly requests.

Weird how parenting is such a great way to learn about God.