Sorry.

So, yesterday was not my most awesome day in history.
After writing the last post and leaving work, I basically wrecked my four month old, first ever brand new car (I know Dave Ramsey would shoot me for buying a new car.)
The accident was totally my fault. I wasn't texting, messing with music, or even helping my kids (they weren't in the car)...I just wasn't thinking clearly.
No one was hurt, thank goodness - but, seriously....seriously, could my day have not been worse?

After getting home, I went downstairs and found a little something on my bed.
A handwritten note on a ripped piece of paper that instructed me to "turn over."
I turned it over and found a bag of unopened extra valentine box candy (my favorites) and a simple statement:
"Sorry."

Really, truly...I was stunned - to the point of tears.
My Ab has never, that I remember, ever said sorry (and sincerely meant it).  We breed 'em just a tad bit stubborn around here.
It was just the kind of heart softening I needed to gather my parenting tool bag, and figure out what I can do to help this 8 year old daughter of mine whom I love more than I can imagine.
As an added bonus, she had also cleaned her room and done her reading required for school.

Sometimes, through the midst of all this pain, a simple sorry can mean so much.

Abby and I discussed future consequences and plans for preventing these types of things from happening.  We cried together, and validated ourselves by saying, "yep...you know what? things aren't that awesome right now...but, we love each other and things will get better."  Ab tried her best to lead a debate as to how she feels, as an 8 year old, she and I should have (and I quote) "an equal, 50/50 relationship."
She cracks me up...
I told her,  that until she was 18, that relationship would look a whole lot more like 80/20, although I would always be there to listen.  It took her a moment to get over that, but we survived.
And, we will survive.

PS...My cute Deak made a brand new consonant sound yesterday.  He has been practicing on his hand for the past week or so, and I figured he was trying to pronounce, "B"  All night long, he pursed his lips together, so tightly he spit, and said, "Ba,Ba,Ba,Ba,Ba,Ba."  He was SO, SO proud, and so are we.  We haven't heard a new consonant sound in quite a long time, so it was just so encouraging.  Hooray for communication!!!