Tuesday, August 31, 2010

My Relationship with Weeds

Here’s an understatement for you: Our yard needs work!  We’ve got mostly dead grass in the front and whatever is green is a weed.  We have a sea of weeds everywhere up to Desmond’s armpits as well as moss, uneven ground and lots of rocky soil.  I’ve been working on the weeds off and on for about seven weeks, and I’ve finally finished pulling all the ones out front.  Hey, now we don’t need to mow there anymore!  I’ve pulled some in the back yard, and now I need to tackle the sides.  As I pull, Desmond finds the white tops and blows fresh seeds everywhere.  I really like gardening so it will be fun to slowly transform our yard… over the next five years or so.  My deep thought as I weed: Tackle the weeds in your life early on and make sure to get the roots.  When ignored weeds take over everything, but with patient diligence your life can be a beautiful, peaceful garden again.

  

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

10 Year College Reunion

grouppic1 How can it be ten years since college?  Well, I guess for me it's been eight since graduation, but Multnomah put on a ten year reunion for students there between the years of '98 and '02.  The best part of it was Destiny got to sing again!  There is nothing else that ministers to my soul like singing with these people.  I didn't realize how much I missed them until we were back together again.  Friday afternoon we met up to rehearse,heneverfailedmeyet went out to dinner, and then joined the class reunion for dessert.  Saturday was a full day of practice and then we put on a concert that evening for the rest of the reunion folks.  It was so much fun, but it was way too short!  I didn't get a chance to talk to everyone for as long as I wanted to, but still it was a sweet time and so great to hear testimonies of God's continued faithfulness through the years.

Desmond was juggled between friends and family and stayed up way too late both nights.  He had a lot of fun, but we had a very cranky boy on our hands by the end.  I think we're getting back on track now.

Monday, August 23, 2010

A Note about Potty Training

It is hard work when the toddler doesn't want to do it! I worked at it for about 6 days and then back to diapers we went. Desmond was holding it in as long as he could so then things started to get really messy. He just wasn't motivated in the least to tell me when it was time to go. He knows when he needs to go and he can definitely communicate with me, but he's in a willful stage where "No!" seems to come out more than anything else. We'll give it a rest for now and try again later when I have fresh energy and new ideas for motivating him. It's not worth it to me to be locked in a battle of wills over poop right now.

Sunday, August 08, 2010

Potty Training – Day 4

This morning was rough!  Desmond stayed dry at his night time potty trips but woke up wet even though I was right there waiting to take him to the bathroom.  (I think the first thing he does before sitting up is pee.)  We stayed home from church and Davin went in to work.  Desmond then proceeded to have three accidents in a row, protesting loudly at being taken to the bathroom, and the third time I was ready to give up.  I told him we could put him in a diaper or his big boy underwear.  He chose the underwear, but I told him it was the last time.  “If you wet again without telling me you need to go potty I’ll put you in a diaper.”  This is NOT abiding by the 3 Day Potty Training Method, but I was feeling frustrated… which also is a no-no for this method to work.  The next two times he wet again but he ran to me telling me he needed to go potty.  That’s a start.  Throughout the rest of the day the only accident we had was during naptime.  Hmmm.  Maybe we’re on to something.  He also loves the new stickers Daddy brought home which is helping him want to go.  I don’t want to throw away the four days of work I’ve put into this, but I don’t want a daily battle on my hands either or having to pack around half a dozen extra sets of clothes everywhere we go.  We’ll try another day and maybe venture out into the world tomorrow to see what happens.

Saturday, August 07, 2010

Potty Training – Day 3

Today was the magical day three of our potty training journey. Desmond was wet at his early morning potty time but woke up dry after that and actually slept in until eight o’clock. Six is normal so the extra two hours of sleep were glorious!

The morning went well with only 1 accident and 5 successful trips to the potty. He woke up wet from his nap and then the afternoon consisted of 3 accidents and 3 times of making it to the potty dry. We had company over for dinner to celebrate Davin’s upcoming birthday so that was a huge distraction, and 2 of his 3 accidents happened then. Des actually initiated the last potty trip on his own with no prompting. Could we be getting somewhere?

Running score: Day 1 had 13 accidents with 2 successful trips, Day 2 had 9 accidents and 7 successful trips, Day 3 had 4 accidents and 8 successful trips. I’m glad I’m writing this down so I can see the improvement.

I think it really helped this morning to have Davin around to help and add his fresh energy and praise to the mix. Still Desmond complains nearly every time we go to the bathroom. I am getting tired of trying to stay enthusiastic and never being able to leave the house or do anything that takes more than a minute or two. We’re making headway but it’s slow and it still hasn’t “clicked” yet. Maybe this is due to not waiting the 30 days to reset his potty training mindset from before. We’ll give it one more day and then see where we’re at. Davin has to work tomorrow so again I’m doing this solo.

Friday, August 06, 2010

Potty Training – Day 2

During the night I woke Desmond up twice to go to the potty. He was dry both times, peed on the potty, and went right back to bed. Yay! I slept the last couple hours in his room so I could know exactly when he woke up to get him on the potty again. Well, before I could even tell him “Good morning!” he had peed in the bed. Hmmm. I started off my day tired and with a bad headache.

Mid-day: I feel much better after taking something for my headache. We had 4 successful trips to the potty initiated by Desmond (after I reminded him to tell me when he had to go). And we’ve had 7 accidents including 2 poops. Yuck. I’m on my break while he naps.

Evening: Desmond woke up from his nap wet. We only had 2 other accidents this afternoon including another poop and 3 successful trips. Davin’s on the early morning shift so we can see if Des can stay dry tonight. I don't like poopy undies!

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Potty Training - Day 1

So today I decided to start the 3 Day Potty Training Method. I've had several friends have success with this method, and now that the dust is settling from our move I figured now was as good a time as any. Desmond has been using the potty on a regular basis for over a year. He never tells me when he needs to go so we have a few set times we'll put him on and he'll do his business. But just this week he started pooping in his diaper and refusing to do it on the potty. I have my doubts about this working with Desmond's new found stubbornness. Also this may take a bit longer than three days since I don't feel like waiting the recommended 30 days to un-program him from our previous potty stuff.

Here's how day one went: I followed him around from the moment he woke up until the moment he went to sleep waiting to catch him peeing and reminding him over and over to let me know when he had to go. We had 13 accidents and 2 times where he actually told me he needed to go but then complained loudly as I took him to the potty. He complained for all but two of the potty trips we took today although I was heaping on the praise and trying to make running to the potty as fun as possible. I feel a bit drained. We'll do this all again tomorrow. So far no sign of him getting it, but maybe there will be a glimmer of hope tomorrow. We'll see!