Words of wisdom...from Papa

Caedon: Hey Papa...you wanna play baseball with me?
Papa: Sure, I'll throw a couple.








(while in the backyard)

Caedon: I wanna go in front of the house.
Me: No, buddy, let's stay back here.
Papa: Yeah...the cars will hit you out front.






The truth, spoken only as Papa knows how. :o)

Potty-training Corner-turning

Newsflash to all bloggy readers out there: We may have turned a corner in the little man's potty training!




Unbe-stinkin'-lievable!



Sometime last week, while I was changing Caedon's diaper (pooped, by the way), we had a little conversation that went like this:


Caedon: Mommy, are you using baby wipes on me?
Me: Why, yes, I am!
Caedon: But I'm not a baby, I'm a big boy.
Me: The first step is admitting it, man.



Maybe it was my biting sarcasm. Or that Caedon suddenly has a desire to enjoy life as a "big boy". Or maybe it was God whispering in his ear, "Hey man...get your act together, ditch the diapers, and listen to your mama and daddy."



Any which way it was, I believe we are making some progress! He has been wearing his Spiderman underwear (courtesy of Nana and Papa) :) for a few days in a row. And while Spiderman's face does experience a flood of pee from time to time, the little man is definitely keeping those undies dry for a good part of the day. We just needed to convince him to take play breaks and get to the toilet in time. Yes, it was more so that WE were the ones trained to take him to the potty, not vice versa. For some reason, playing with Matchbox cars and dinosaurs and teasing his big sister and crashing into things is waaay more important than aiming for the potty at this age. Huh...you don't say! ;o)



But today...well, today was the real kicker! My little boy stayed dry ALL.DAY.LONG. In underwear. At our babysitter/friend/neighbor's house! And (get this!) he was the one who said he needed to use the potty, instead of being told every hour that he needs to make the trip to the porcelain throne!


We've definitely turned some sort of corner!


And while I am excited that my Caedon is becoming a little boy and I think he's stinkin' cute in little boy undies, there's a part of me that feels a little sad to hit this milestone with my last baby. I'll be grateful for a reduced Wal-Mart bill, (well, it will be until he hits puberty and starts eating like an animal), but it's hard realizing that these years go by so fast and you don't get them back. The saying that "time flies" totally rings true in those first few years with your kiddos!




Anywho, I'll be sure to share more tales from Caedon's potty-training adventures in the coming weeks!

Days like today...and I told you I'm a list-maker

It's days like today...



- when I wake up oh-so-tired after a night of restless sleep...

- when work is so beyond stressful that I just feel like leaving my desk and taking a little trip across the street to Quips...

- when I feel like I can't get it right and wonder why God has me at the job I'm at...

- when yet another earthquake hits an already hurting Japan and you wonder what effects this one will have...

- when the tied-up traffic almost doubles the commute time home...

- when that guy just cut me off on purpose...

- when I get a great "potty report" from the babysitter, only for my son to pee in his pants and rain boots the second we step foot on our property...

- when I come back into the bathroom with fresh clothes for said little boy, only to find poop on the floor, on his foot, and possibly on his hands (to which he confessed only after he touched me)...

- when my impatient responses are not what they should be...

- when I feel lonely and friendless...

- when Hubby's truck has to go baaack to the mechanic because it's still giving him problems...

- when the worries of life seem to outnumber the joys of my heart...



...it's times like this that God usually provides a song that serves as a gentle reminder to me. It came on the radio while I was lost in thought and getting dinner ready:

In Christ ALONE, my hope is found
HE is my light, my strength, my song

This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

He always seems to remind me, usually through music, that I'm not living this life for myself, for my bosses, for my children, for my husband, for my friends or family. I'm We're supposed to be living for HIM and putting our hopes, worries, regrets, and anxieties in HIM, not in this world or in others. And I say "we" because it not only applies to me, but also to YOU!


This means:

* remembering that He has me at this job for a purpose.

* working as if I were working for the Lord.

* fulfilling my roles in this life with a cheerful heart, not one that is burdened and focused on myself.

* always loving the "unlovable", no matter what.

* if I ask God to give me more patience (especially with the little people in my house!), then I better wake up and realize the opportunities are there.

* TRUSTING in His plan (even if that means Caedon will still be wearing diapers in middle school). ;o)

* remembering that He always loves and we are not alone.



(I've always said I love lists. Can't ya tell?) ;o)