Bobbing for Toilet Paper

I've said it before but I'm really starting to mean it....if Stuart had been number one, there wouldn't have been numbers two or three. Probably. More than likely. I've also said before that he is the sweetest baby of the three...the most loving....the most snuggly....but he's also the most unpredictable. And not in a good way.

We've had a dog the entire time we've had children. Which means we've had a dog dish with food and water within reach of all children at all times. No one else has ever bothered Poopsie's cuisine beyond the initial curiosity. And then along came Stuart. He ate Kibbles-n-bits before he ate Cheerios. He has dipped his hands/feet/elbows/head in the water dish and laid down in front of it to slurp. He's dumped it upside down and sloshed around in it. He's dumped his blueberries and strawberries into it, creating a nice fruit flavored spritzer for Poopsie to enjoy on a hot day. He's very creative. And thoughtful.

He's also fascinated with toothbrushes. If you can't find your toothbrush around here, chances are Stuart found it first. And there is a real possibility that said toothbrush took a swim in Poopsie's water dish. Or the toilet. The other source of Stuart's amusement.

The other day he was running around the house laughing with a wet head. We knew he had not just been bathed so we naturally checked the dog dish. But all was dry. So we followed him as he took off down the hall laughing, ran straight into the bathroom, dipped his head in the bowl, flung it out sending a shower of (I pray only) water around the bathroom, and darted off to run in circles laughing hysterically.

Not sure I'll survive the "terrible twos" take three....

I'm Finished Now!

It's been a while since there's been any potty talk so here goes....

I'm trying to figure out at what point should my children be potty independent? As in....they no longer feel the need to announce what they are about to do and then sit there after they've done said deed and holler at the top of their lungs over and over..."I'm finished now!!!" And wait for me to come running and complete the job for them?

Not too long ago as one of them...I won't mention any names but he's the oldest....was sitting there hollering at me that he was finished....I walked to the door and told him in no uncertain terms that he was a big boy and I will no longer be assisting him in that area, metaphorically speaking. He threw his head back, let out a tremendously frustrated wail and hollered "Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!"

What in the world??

I didn't ask him to pluck out his eyelashes. To rip off his fingernails. Or even to clean his room. It was just a simple request. To WIPE HIS OWN BUTT!!!! Come on!

I've been changing diapers and wiping butts for nearly SIX years non-stop, people. SIX years. So here's the deal..... If your legs are long enough for your feet to touch the floor when you're sitting on the pot, you're big enough to do the deed yourself in its entirety. Know what I mean?

I thought I'd made progress because this particular nameless individual went into the bathroom without making any public service announcements first, and shortly thereafter I heard a flush and realized that I'd not been beckoned to assist. I was pleased. So I continued cleaning up the kitchen with a proud smile on my face until he ran into the den, buck naked and yelled "Hey Mama....(as he turned around and leaned over)....did I get it all?????"

AAARRGGHHHHH

I'm finished now!!!!!!!!!!

in my next life....

this is all i want to do...
not run through sprinklers.... but take pictures of little folks who do.
and take more pictures of little girls with big blue eyes.

'cause I just can't get enough.

lessons in patience

As I sit here in the recliner recovering from my thyroid surgery, I've had a bit of an epiphany watching...of all spiritual things...Evan Almighty. These past couple of months....dealing with job loss, health issues, uncertainty, insecurity....I've prayed. A lot. Mainly I pray for patience because by nature I'm most impatient. I want what I want when I want it and on my terms. But I've been reminded here lately that this life isn't on my terms. And it's not about what I want. Especially if what I want is different from what God wants for me.

In this silly movie, God (aka Morgan Freeman) asks Evan/Noah's wife:

If someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience? Or does He give them the opportunity to be patient? If they pray for courage do you think God gives them courage or the opportunity to be courageous? If someone prays for a family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings? Or does He give them opportunities to love each other?

Wow.

How many times have I asked God to give me patience...to increase my faith....and look at how he's giving me the opportunity to be patient. And faithful. And depend on Him!

So these are times of opportunity. Not burdens. Opportunities. So today I'm going to thank God for giving me the chance to be patient...to be still...and to know who He is. And wait on Him to do what He will.

And try not to rush Him.