Appreciating MY Children

One of my many bad habits is that I compare myself, my children, my life situation to others. I have pitty parties with myself about how others children and life is better than mine and that IF I just had this one "thing" that had, or could be the type of parent they are or had the type of children they had I'd be SO much happier. Today was a great day for me because I saw my boys, especially Corin in a different light and I realized how much I do appreciate him and what a great little boy he is. I will be the first to admit that he can be a "crazy" child. He is really out going and high energy constantly. BUT his is also a loving little boy. He LOVES to give kisses and says "I Love You Mom (or Mommy)" quite often. He tells me that he wants to be good for me and even when I get all high strung over something he tells me to calm down and take some breaths (my words to him coming back to bite me) Today I was invited by some ladies in my ward to a potluck luncheon. I was excited to go because it was with women I don't know all that well and it was a good opportunity to get to do so. There were other kids there, mainly boys. One of these boys, D, is in Corin's sunbeams class. Most of the time Corin and D butt heads, they just don't get along at all. I know it always goes two ways, but really have come to realize that it is not always Corin's fault as D makes it out to be. Here is an example that happened today and has happened before. Play fighting is not my favorite form of playing, but have come to let it go, a bit, and that it is just the way most boys are. D really likes to play fight and when he's around Corin it is the main form of play. So D will play fight with Corin, actually even punch him so Corin does it back and what does D do, YEP cries! He says that Corin punched him, etc getting Corin in trouble and once I personally watched it happen, I realized that no its not Corin's fault, but Corin doesn't cry when D punches him so D doesn't get in trouble, or talked to. Corin is that way, most of the time, he just brushes things off, he doesn't tell on someone, just lets it go unless it really hurts him in some way. When he's not like this it is mainly with Shane and I and he can be completely dramatic. Another incidence with D today was Corin was talking to his mom about her big tummy and I was explaining to him that she is going to have a baby soon just like when Declan was in Mommy's tummy and D was going to have a little brother. So, Corin says D you're going to have a little brother and D just sticks his tongue out at Corin, for no reason at all. Then when we leave Corin says bye to D and D says "Bye you idiot!" WHAT?? That wasn't called for at all! This is coming from a 4yr old (Corin and D's birthdays are a week apart) I know D's parents, they are good, nice people. They are quiet people and I know that they know what type of kid D is and if his mom would have heard that she would have talked to him (probably not is as stern of a voice like I would with Corin if he did that, but we all have our different parenting styles which relates to what type of people we are) D tells Corin often that he doesn't like him because Corin is mean to him and sometimes I think "well you brought it upon yourself. Look how you treat him" I have now told Corin not to listen to D and to just find a new friend, but I noticed today that the other kids didn't want to sit and play with Corin, they would for a little while then leave him. As I write this now tears well up in my eyes and it hurts me more than it does him because he was fine with finding something to play with by himself. Corin has done such a better job at listening to me lately and not throwing a tantrum at everything. Today Lisa (the friend's house we were at) told Corin and the other kids not to go upstairs into her boys bedrooms and Corin listened and didn't go back up after being told the one time. He asked her if he could go outside and she said fine, but than one of the other moms didn't want her boy to follow and go outside so Lisa told Corin, sorry we can't. He got a bit upset, because he was just told yes, but after we talked just briefly and told him to go in the basement and play with the other kids he was fine. He has is moments of being so dramatic, but really is a constantly happy boy and doesn't let many things from other kids bother him. Even D's mom has commented to me about how Corin is such a happy boy.
Oh, another incidence that happened, probably about a month ago that goes along with all of this. I was at a afternoon baby shower for a friend in my ward. There were lots of kids there and they were playing in Shelley's loft and playground in her back yard. One little girl who is in Corin's Sunbeams class came inside to her mom and said "Corin's being mean" This mom has subbed in Corin's class before and always mentions how happy, cute and sweet he is. I think Corin loves Callie as much as his regular teacher, Cindy. So, Callie's daughter comes in tells her this and Callie says "Oh no he's not. You're fine. Go play nicely" I was SO appreciative of what Callie told her daughter that on Sunday I told her my appreciation for it and started crying. She couldn't even remember the situation, but it meant SO much to me. Most parents say "Go talk to him about it" which is fine, and I do it to, to teach our children to work out there problems, but with this I really felt she was sticking up for Corin.