So, the last two weeks have been all about Superheroes. It all began with a set of magnets Jackson got from his Aunt Susan and family for Christmas. He loves to look at their descriptions and stick them on anything magnetic. We had to go through the entire booklet, talking about each one, etc. I got tired of the questions, so I had him go through and write a "G" next to the good guys and a "B" next to the bad guys. Yesterday he couldn't get the light on in his room (the switch up high next to the fan needed to be pulled) and he called for my help. I came in to find him standing on his bed, reaching for the switch, saying, "Aaahhhh...If I was Mr. Fantastic, I could reach this!"
Then questions began with asking everyone in our family which super power they desired. Jackson had already decided and announced that his power was that he could take on any other superhero power around. He wanted to know what mine was, what I thought Cash's was, and proceeded to ask Libby what hers was. She definitively answered, "Thirty Minutes." And while this didn't make much sense to Jackson, I decided she had a pretty good idea. I decided I'd like to have that power. I couldn't help but begin to compile a mental list of things I wish I could do in "Thirty Minutes": •• Conceive, carry, labor, and deliver a baby. (Did I say conceive? Okay, maybe not that part.) • Cook, eat, and clean up dinner •• Wash, dry, fold, and PUT AWAY all laundry in my house. •• Update all photo albums and scrap books...
Well, anyway, you get the idea. (And of course, I'd never really want that. That would be wishing my life away.....actually, today I discovered my own super power. Here it comes. ABLE TO GIVE A SATISFYING ANSWER TO MEANINGLESS COMMENTS/QUESTIONS FROM A PRESCHOOLER!!!!! I don't know who you are, but if you have made it this far into my blog, you deserve this highly sought after list of responses to things your toddler says when you have NO IDEA what she has said, or questions from your son that have no real answer, etc. Just go down this list. I guarantee you will pacify them before you get to the bottom.
1. Yes!
2. I'm not sure, sweetie.
3. Maybe later.
4. Wow, _____ (insert child's name here) that's cool!
5. REALLY?
6. That sounds good.
7. You are so smart.
8. I know!
9. Okay, we'll do that later.
10. You're right!
Lastly, I have also discovered Cash's super power. He is MAGNEAT-O. He has a magnetic force inside his body that attracts him to dirt. When he is crawling on the ground, he picks up all dirt that is within a three foot radius of him. It just scoots across the ground, like a magnetic attraction...sticking to his hands, his face, his clothes, his socks, and his round belly. (I have decided he's just a neat freak. One day he will use his powers to dust my home in "thirty minutes.") It is especially amazing to watch while I am sweeping. It is as if, when the dirt comes together in a pile, he is drawn to it like a wolf to a dead animal. He stops whatever he is doing and, with impressive speed, crawls toward the dirt pile, as if he is dying to touch it, throws any toy in his way to the side, and quickly begins to spread it around, and of course, give it a taste. Maybe the dust and dirt fuels his super powers. I will not treat him as an outcast. We will try to figure out how he can use his power to bring the world to a new level of cleanliness.
I hate to leave Jimmy out of our super powered family. So his power is, and always will be, the ability to get my attention, make me roll my eyes, and provide a good laugh for me in a single bound.
1/26/2007
1/08/2007
Murphy's Laws of Home Economics
A Disclaimer: Some of these things have happened to me, some have happened to you. I love my life. I have wanted nothing else but to be a home economics expert. This list is not a complaint or meant to be negative about my situation. It is just life. If you have any to add, by all means...
The Murphy's Laws of Home Economics
About the house:
•If you have mopped your floor within the last 24 hours, you will spill something on it.
•If you go to the effort to save coupons, you won't need them. They will crowd your countertops and clutter your home. But when you need one, you won't be able to find one anywhere.
•If you don't have time to water your plants, it won't rain. When you finally get around to watering them, it will, of course, rain. Hard.
•If you have just begun your last load of laundry after searching high and low for everything dirty, you will find a pair of dirty socks. You will run to the washer only to discover it's already begun spinning.
•If you have decided to finally clean the bathroom sink after putting it off for days, your husband will decide it's time to trim his goatee and shave, leaving numerous tiny hairs in and around the sink.
•If you have cleaned your stove top to a shining gleam, look out! Soon something will boil over.
Parenthood:
•If you go to the trouble of packing a diaper bag full of things you might need in an emergency, you won't need any of it.
•If you forget your diaper bag, your child will spit up, poop, and pee on himself, his clothes, your clothes, and anyone else around.
•If the sanity of your busy day is contingent on your baby taking a good nap in the morning, he will not. To make matters worse, he will fall asleep five minutes before you have to leave.
•On the days you have to get your child ready for an appointment, she will sleep late and you will have to wake her up. On the weekend when you can sleep in, she will be up at the crack of dawn.
•If your daughter loses her dolly, you will search high and low, and, when you can't find it, you won't replace it because you're sure it will turn up. Six months later her Nana will buy her a new one. Within a week, her old dolly will be found.
•If you are potty training, go ahead and try this one. Sit your child on the toilet for hours on end. They will not go. Not even a drop. As soon as you give up and allow them to run around, they will pee all over the floor within minutes.
The Murphy's Laws of Home Economics
About the house:
•If you have mopped your floor within the last 24 hours, you will spill something on it.
•If you go to the effort to save coupons, you won't need them. They will crowd your countertops and clutter your home. But when you need one, you won't be able to find one anywhere.
•If you don't have time to water your plants, it won't rain. When you finally get around to watering them, it will, of course, rain. Hard.
•If you have just begun your last load of laundry after searching high and low for everything dirty, you will find a pair of dirty socks. You will run to the washer only to discover it's already begun spinning.
•If you have decided to finally clean the bathroom sink after putting it off for days, your husband will decide it's time to trim his goatee and shave, leaving numerous tiny hairs in and around the sink.
•If you have cleaned your stove top to a shining gleam, look out! Soon something will boil over.
Parenthood:
•If you go to the trouble of packing a diaper bag full of things you might need in an emergency, you won't need any of it.
•If you forget your diaper bag, your child will spit up, poop, and pee on himself, his clothes, your clothes, and anyone else around.
•If the sanity of your busy day is contingent on your baby taking a good nap in the morning, he will not. To make matters worse, he will fall asleep five minutes before you have to leave.
•On the days you have to get your child ready for an appointment, she will sleep late and you will have to wake her up. On the weekend when you can sleep in, she will be up at the crack of dawn.
•If your daughter loses her dolly, you will search high and low, and, when you can't find it, you won't replace it because you're sure it will turn up. Six months later her Nana will buy her a new one. Within a week, her old dolly will be found.
•If you are potty training, go ahead and try this one. Sit your child on the toilet for hours on end. They will not go. Not even a drop. As soon as you give up and allow them to run around, they will pee all over the floor within minutes.
being lowered in a basket
Today I began, attempted, started, tried, embarked on potty training my 2.5 year old. Today was not a success. There weren't even really any small successes. And I found myself getting really down about the whole thing. I kept telling myself that she would not pee her pants forever. That one day she'll be just like me. Able to hold it like a pro and make it in the toilet and all. I tried to picture her as a teenager. And of course, I don't picture myself hoisting her up on the baby changing table. She will do it. But still I couldn't shake my frustrated state.
This afternoon, a friend called to tell me news about her family's future in missions. There is apprehension about their safety and health, etc. So in other words, someone with REAL problems. Problems that don't involve wet pants. So this made me feel even more down about feeling down about potty training. How can I be so wrapped up in something so trivial? Blah blah blech.
All of this does have a point. I was thinking about the story in the Bible when Paul gets lowered over the city wall in a basket. He couldn't have known, as he got in, whether the attempt to escape would be successful or not. He just got in, and went for it. Trusted that the outcome was being controlled by someone bigger than himself. And that whatever happened to him, good or bad, it would be a "happy" ending because it was God's will.
So here I am, potty training, knowing that the ending will be happy. Here are my friends, preparing to go overseas, knowing they have to go to be happy. But today we are in the middle of the wall. We're not inside the city, and we haven't made it out yet. We are in the process of being lowered over the wall. With all the emotions that involves. But we will get to the bottom someday. And escape.
This afternoon, a friend called to tell me news about her family's future in missions. There is apprehension about their safety and health, etc. So in other words, someone with REAL problems. Problems that don't involve wet pants. So this made me feel even more down about feeling down about potty training. How can I be so wrapped up in something so trivial? Blah blah blech.
All of this does have a point. I was thinking about the story in the Bible when Paul gets lowered over the city wall in a basket. He couldn't have known, as he got in, whether the attempt to escape would be successful or not. He just got in, and went for it. Trusted that the outcome was being controlled by someone bigger than himself. And that whatever happened to him, good or bad, it would be a "happy" ending because it was God's will.
So here I am, potty training, knowing that the ending will be happy. Here are my friends, preparing to go overseas, knowing they have to go to be happy. But today we are in the middle of the wall. We're not inside the city, and we haven't made it out yet. We are in the process of being lowered over the wall. With all the emotions that involves. But we will get to the bottom someday. And escape.
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