On Turning 42
I woke up and found I had turned 42…for the second year in a row.
All last year Kathi and I were telling people I was 42 when in fact I was 41. Huh.
I’m sitting here typing as my 1 year old Wynnie is dancing to ‘Adult Education’ by Hall & Oats. She smiles at me in that special way she does–telling me that daddy is loved so much.
I’m grateful this morning, if for nothing else, than because my heart is still beating and I get to be with my family for at least one more day. Reflecting on my life, I found my blessings have outweighed my troubles, making me once again…grateful.
I’m married to my dream girl.
Read MorePotty Training
Those of us who are parents know that one of the great marks of progress is when our little one can use the toilet like their parents and older siblings. We appreciate is for the savings on diapers, able to take the children to public locations without worry of changing nightmares and more.
Yet there’s always that moment when the practice and the timing go wrong.
Simon as you know, is the Mr. Incredible of our family. He was so excited to start potty training and wanted to be like his big brothers, refusing to wear diapers one morning, because ‘he’s big now’. Well, we learned that his intense concentration when playing can become a huge distraction to the more important body functions we were trying to teach him about.
He was out jumping on the trampoline and chasing the chicken, giggling away when he suddenly froze still. His eyes looked left and right and then dropped to check the front of his pants. It a blue blur, he ran across the yard, dashed down the cement steps and into the house, screaming that he needed to pee.
We all chuckled (for he still feels he has to ask permission from someone before he goes) and he throws open the door to the bathroom. You hear the lid of the toilet thrown back with force, and then a small scream. Simon comes bolting from the bathroom and runs up to Leilani in the kitchen wide-eyed and red faced, screaming ‘Help! You need to unbutton my pants!’
Kneeling down, my daughter tried to get a grip on the front of her 3 year old jumping bean brother. But when she finally got a hold of the button, Simon froze, the expression on his face instantly relaxed.
“Ahhhh.” he whispered….as a puddle formed under his feet.
The kid still gets an A- for effort. We now have a working program to show him how to undo his own button…or we put him in elastic pants (grin).
Read MoreStand Back and Be Amazed.
Never underestimate the brilliance of your own family. I have been desiring some help with Wanted Hero for some time, but never could get a fire going under the hindquarters of my children. Turns out I just wasn’t lighting the right match.
Just asking for help and then being clear in what I hoped to achieve, a slew of questions were immediately thrown at me. All I had to do was be open to some (quite insightful) suggestions and BAM, I had a better solution placed in my lap and all the help I could have asked for without lifting a finger! Wow.
Seems that bright children enjoy being a vehicle for solving difficult problems.
You just have to get the flip out of their way.
Read MoreWhat the…manners?
I saw something last Saturday that made me laugh so hard my sides hurt.
Took the children to T-Ball and cheered my guts out. During the game, two children, a boy and a girl on the opposite team had the ball drop right smack between them. Everyone’s screaming and pointing at them as my daughter runs to first base. Yet these two paused each time the other bend down to pick up the ball. I could hear their faint voices above the roar as I sat on the side lines.
They were offering the ball to each other!
My daughter made it to first base without a hitch and the grownups around me screamed in frustration as I stopped laughing.
Those sweet little kids actually had manners. True blue, honest to goodness manners!
That stuck with me for the rest of the day and up to now a I pondered and smiled, realizing that there are still parents out there (at least two families I know of now) that are still committed to teaching their children the importance of manners and good social graces. Hey, we won’t always be playing baseball, but I assure you those two little kids will always be impressing the parents.
Read MoreDaughter #8
Being apparent is one of the greatest blessings of life. To have best friends born to you as children, to have the opportunity to teach, care for, protect and rear the next generation of the world is a daunting task. However, nothing compares to the new arrival of a child.
My daughter Wynnie arrived this week, daughter number eight. The children were all hoping for another brother, but I watched that perfect little infant turn the hearts of her brothers in moments. They couldn’t be more proud and Simon was beside himself with glee, especially when Wynnie popped him a sweet smile with wide open eyes.
God Bless all of you parents out there, especially if you’re about to have your first child. It’s a challenge, it’s a ride you won’t forget and if you do it right, it’ll be the best experience of your life.
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