I had a cookie date in the kitchen with the youngest last night.  I'm eating up the last hours with them before school steals them away on Monday.  Girl time. Everything was perfect; that is until Rylie dunked her Oreo in my milk.

My once pure milk was now disgraced by crumbs.

 

Kids do that you know.

 

I'm warning those of you who think you know your kid, only to be surprised when they slam dunk in your milk.

For you young mothers or mothers of the future, you may not have experienced this disappointment yet (husbands, though are also known for spoiling the milk). You work so hard to train them to be just like you, then find yourself swallowing a few soggy crumbs.

Crumbs in your milk

You give your to heart to inspiring kids to read and your kids use their Kindle for the purpose of iTunes and Temple Run.

Despite their intelligence and friendly personality (inherited no doubt), they have no interest in student council and "forget" every time there's a tryout for UIL.

They show you where they want their first tattoo even though you made them promise when they were three that they wouldn't get one.

They frown and roll their eyes at the cute pair of deck shoes you hold up only to point you to some oversized, flourescent-colored, clown-looking high tops.  And they don't even play basketball.

Or according to your perception of their talents and nature, you carefully choose their future career and life path only to find out your daughter wants to be a rapper.

And get ready.  You may invite your first-born to have cookies and milk with you, but he's too busy now with friends.

This is going to happen.  Just a few tips to remember:

They won't like everything you like.  That's ok.  The world doesn't need two you's.  Your horizons may just be expanded.  (This doesn't mean you have to like rap).

They may not be interested or even involved in curricular/extracurricular activities of your choosing.  Be more interested in building character than busy schedules. Listen to them and learn about them instead of using every breath to teach them.

Help dress them in the armor of God and worry less about those tacky shoes they wear that won't even fit in six months.

Enjoy them while they're in your grasp.

Crumbs are inevitable.  Hug your crumb-makers.  Teach them.  Love them.  Pray for those cookie- dunkers.  Cherish them, crumbs and all. They make life sweet.

Dedicated to the World's Greatest Cookies-Hayden, Hallie and Rylie