Not easily provoked

As a family we decided that our New Year's Resolution would be to "talk nice."
A very broad goal that I hoped would cover all the varying poor forms of communications that we are trying to improve upon.
Well only 4 days into the New Year and I wasn't doing great on my end. Monday night I sat in bed wondering what I could do to better respond to
fighting, tantrums, crying...
I turned to the scriptures.
One of my favorite Book of Mormon scriptures is Moroni 7:45.
I read it when I need to quickly invite the Spirit into my life and
just BE NICE.

"And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is NOT EASILY PROVOKED, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth and things, and endureth all things."

I have read this verse many times but the words "not easily provoked"
jumped out at me.
There is my answer.
Tomorrow I will pray that I will "not easily be provoked."

Brief overview of the day

Ella Joy woke up screaming for her pink shorts and butterfly shirt.
Calmly found them.

JuJu had an explosive poo.
Calmly took care of that one.

Before 9:00 am Ella Joy had told me that she wanted a new family, wanted to give JuJu to another family, and that I was a really mean Mom.

I kept on smiling.

Noah and his homework.

Made it through without any papers thrown or pencils broken.

Dinner was the true challenge as Ella Joy cried on the floor that she couldn't draw a mermaid. I kindly invited her to help me stir the cornbread mixture, and then the brownie mixture. Then I gave both Noah and Ella Joy the beaters to lick. Ella Joy's chocolate was everywhere-- on her face, her clothes, the floor. She licked it off the floor exclaiming that, "Chocolate is so good!"

Laughed and smiled.

Waited for dinner guests that never showed up.

Not angry

David came home from work late. Very late.

So happy to see him.