Chronicles of Potty Training vol1

When I first learned I was pregnant with my first child the very first though I had was "I am going to have to potty train this child!" and I was literally terrified. My first attempt at potty training was a disaster, it took a full year to get him peeing and pooping on the potty and controlling himself through the day and the night. My second try was much better, however not because of anything I did. God blessed me with a child who potty trained himself in less than a two weeks; he was not even three yet and was staying dry both day and night and completely potty trained all on his own. Then I had to start all over, my daughter is very strong willed and was determined not to let the potty training be easy, but finally after a year of struggling she was potty trained. Now here I am again, fourth time around and still no clue!

Aaden's surgery was a tremendous success and he healed exceptionally quickly, as is a family trait, and he has expressed a desire in using the potty. His exact words were "big boy, potty now" he then jumped up ran to his room grabbed his Lightning McQueen underwear and went to sit on the potty. Nothing happened. He sat on the potty five more times that night, wore his big boy underwear around the house, and just before bedtime...had an accident. "That's okay," I said "Potty goes in the potty, not on Lightning." I put him in a diaper and put him to bed.

We are now three days into our potty training adventure and he has spent a great deal of time sitting on the potty and peeing in his underwear. I am going to have to put this one in God's hands. I have no clue what I am doing and I have done this before, I have read the books, I know most of the methods inside and out, I have exhausted them on the other kids. I still have no idea how to get this task accomplished.

I guess I will have to take this one day at atime. Besisdes no one goes to kindergarten in diapers... right???????????

Lessons form The Little House

Recently my children and I have enjoyed watching re-runs of Little House on the Prairie, a show I missed out on as a child but I loved reading the books. My younger ones lose interest pretty quickly but RJ and Jakob really love it. I wish there were still shows on TV worth watching as much as this one is (however I must admit I enjoy watching some shows I know are not worth my time) My favorite thing about the show is the portrayal of the family the way God intended and it makes me long for this family structure not only on TV but in every household. The marriage is strong, the father is the head of the family, the children are obedient and hard working, but most importantly the family is centered and founded in God, faith, and the Bible.

As much as I love the Ingalls and now the Wilders I have to admit that we have learned the most form the Oelson's. Yes I have made it a requirement for my children to answer me with a yes ma'am and I am working on their respect for all adults; we are all learning much stronger lessons from the Oelsons. These are the what not to do lessons. My children get very upset at the way Mrs. Oelson treats her husband so I have begun to become very aware of how I treat and respond to my husband. I have been learning to respect him more even when I don't feel like it, because it is important for me to follow God's Word and it is equally important for my kids to see me following God's Word. My children are learning why they don't get everything they want, why they get punished and why they treat people in a kind loving respectful way. Noone wants to be a Nellie or a Nancy Oelson!

It is refreshing to see such great programing was at one time allowed on TV with a real reverence for the Lord and His Teachings, but I pray for this kind of family to become the norm throught America and the world!

Surgery

I must start out with an apology to my readers, I realize it has been a very long time since my last post and I apologize for that. I have been having severe joint pain and stiffness in my fingers and wrists making it rather difficult to blog regularly.

Yesterday was a big first for me as a mom, my two year old had surgery. Granted it was a minor out-patient procedure I have known was coming since his birth, yet it was still an experience for me. My mom and I drove him down to the Children's Hospital in Aurora early in the morning; he was still rather sleepy and although I had told him he was going to have surgery I know he had no idea what was coming. After being stuck in stand-still traffic on I-25, we arrived 30 minutes late and still they got us right back to pre-op with no wait. God had blessed us with a cancellation in the surgery schedule so we got through the check-in and pre-op process in less than 45 minutes, we had planned on a two hour wait between check in at 8:15 and surgery at 10:15. The surgeon came in to talk to us about the procedure, followed by the LPN, three Anesthesiologists, and the nurse who would be assisting and we were off; my mom and I put on our lovely white paper suits, blue hats and masks and my little man walked right into the OR with no hesitation or fear. He looked so samll to me laying there on that table. He didn't even fight the anesthetic mask, he laid there holding my hand took a few breaths and drifted off. Then I had to leave him in the care of these strangers who would be operating on him.

After a surprisingly good cafeteria breakfast, some light chatting with my mom and a little knitting, they were ready to let me go back to him while he woke up. As I listenined to young childrenand babies waking up in recovery, screaming like I have never heard, I waited anxiously for my little guys eyes to open, thanking God the surgrey had gone exceptionally well, he had not been afraid, there had been no drama, I quietly prayed that he would wake up just as well. And he did! Not one tear, not even a grimmace or a whimper. He woke up quietly drank some juice and we were on our way home an hour later. throughout the evening he just amazed me with his resillience, by 4:00 you would have never guessed he'd had anything done at all, he was up running around happy as can be.

God worked so many things together yesterday, I am in awe that He would so intricately orchestrate such a simple thing. Not only did He show His hand in how well the surgery and recovery went (and are still going as there is no swelling or bruising and Aaden is in no pain at all) but He made the surgery on a Wednesday, Sean had off, and the big boys were at day camp. Sean only had to stay with the girls and they gave him a pretty rough time, but God knew how much Sean could take and arranged for me to get home early and take over.

What a mighty God we serve!