I HATE Potty Training!

I've broken my chain. I had said that I would blog everyday, but it's been since last Friday that I've blogged. Saturday was busy, but I had planned to make up for that on Sunday.

As we pulled into the church parking lot Sunday morning, Dean said...

"Well...we all have 2 weeks left to live"

I laughed and told him that it was actually depressing to think about that! And the night before, I went to bed thinking about what my final few hours would be like on this Earth. I was thinking for MY benefit, I would want to lay down in my bed, with Dean holding me, and my kids jumbled up next to me, and go to sleep. Honestly. That's how I would want to spend my last couple of hours in this life.

Then I got to thinking how my kids would wake up from that...and never want to sleep again...and I hated to even think further about it, so I gave in to the fog that was overtaking my brain, and drifted off.

My point is this: I believe that this is one reason (only one) why God won't reveal to most of us when our last few hours are going to be. We would likely be torn as to how to spend them!
Do we selfishly hold our family in our arms? Or do we crawl off somewhere by ourselves to die? It's too hard for me to think about, and quite frankly, this study is extremely hard to wrap my brain around.

Because who among us thinks they only have 30 days
(or 13 days now) left to live?
We can't fathom that we're not even promised the next breath!
Much less plan to die in less than a month's time!!
.

Quite simply put...we think we'll live
for a very long time on this planet.

Even though God didn't promise us that.

Having said all that, I AM more grateful just thinking that the next 13 days could be my last. But in reality, today could be my last. That's all up to Him!

So let me fill in the past 4 days for you...

I started to potty train Luke on Monday. He went through NINE new pair of Elmo underwear. No way was he going to pee pee in the potty! Never mind that he has used his potty more than a few times already...

That's one of my biggest PAINS about raising a toddler. Potty training. I HATE potty training. Basically, toddlers are going to pee pee in the potty when they get good and ready to. And not one second sooner! And anything traumatic happens (like you yell at them or pop their hinny on the 6th pair of wet underwear)...you can forget it. They'll leave you wondering if you'll have to buy diapers for kindergarten! Ever heard of the toddler's creed? That applies to ALL aspects of "toddler-hood"...

If I want it, it's mine. If I give it to you and change my mind later, it's mine. If I can take it away from you, it's mine. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine. If it's mine, it will never belong to anybody else, no matter what. If we are building something together, all the pieces are mine. If it looks just like mine, it is mine.

Someone clipped this out of the paper when one of my other kids was going through the toddler stages, & I have remembered it ever since. It's a SCREAM!!! Describes most toddlers to a "T"!

In other words...it IS my potty, but I'll use it when I DECIDE it's time to use it, NOT when YOU say it's time for me to use it...

Thus, I HATE potty training. It's more an exercise of the "will's".

I've got a truly wonderful potty training story for you before I shut down the presses for today:

My beautiful, smart, and very talented daughter Summerlyn is strong-willed. As in...James Dobson WROTE THE BOOK just for her! Imagine potty training a child who would get mad, throw herself in the floor, and wet her pants...just to get back at you for not doing what she wanted! So I was struggling, needless to say, with the whole potty training effort with Summerlyn.
My Mom, who lived 2 hours away at the time, decided she was coming for a visit...with a brand new pack of princess panties. When my Mom would come to Charlotte, NC to visit us, it was shopping time! We'd hit every TJ Maxx and Marshalls within a 30 mile radius. And considering that there were 4 TJ Maxx stores and countless Marshalls stores in and around Charlotte, it was an all-day shopping spree!!!
She arrived before lunch that day, and we set off...with Summerlyn in a dress and her "big girl princess panties" only. For some crazy reason, Summerlyn did not challenge my Mother in wearing those. She wasn't happy, but she didn't fight it when Mom pulled them on her. So here we are, walking around TJ Maxx & More at Concord Mills, with Sum-Sum in a buggy. Next thing we know, there is pee pee running down the buggy and all over the floor.

"No problem", my Mom said. "Go get some papertowels, Carmen"

Mom cleaned Summerlyn up, and changed her panties right there in the shopping cart, while I, of course, mopped up the urine with the paper towels.

And we went right on shopping.

Like my daughter had not just PEED in the floor of TJ Maxx,
with customers shopping all around us.

This type of thing went on throughout the day. But by the time we got back home that night, Summerlyn was using the potty. I don't know what happened with her that day. Maybe she resigned herself to being trained. Maybe she sensed that my Mother is much stronger-willed than she is. Or maybe she just got tired of pee peeing on herself. Who can say? What I DO know, is that she never went back to the diaper after that day.

So maybe Meme needs to come help Luke. Of course, he thinks the Elmo underwear are cool.
He's not the slightest bit concerned about pee peeing on himself...or the carpet...or the furniture. He's only concerned about "the spanker"...which is another blog on another day-HA!

Bless him, but before he can go to school, he will have to learn to pee pee in the potty. And before he dates & marries...he'll have to know how to potty properly! Right now, however, sweet, cutie-patootie Luke is more concerned about Kung Fu Panda, than he is using the potty.

And Luke's Mom is more concerned about losing her mind during this potty training season...or did I lose it with the last one?...or the one before that?...or even the one before that one?...maybe the one before...that...

I CAN TELL YOU THIS: If I knew I had 13 days left to live...
I would NOT spend one second POTTY TRAINING!!!!!

TALK ABOUT LIVING!!!

God convicted me today. Softly...gently...but firmly. I needed to attend Grandparents Day at Savannah's school. My husband said so...my Mom encouraged me to. Since Mom normally goes to the girls Grandparents Day at school, I've never considered going. And Nana & Granddaddy live in another state, so I've felt like it's a fairly long haul for them to come and spend 1/2 hour. That will likely change next year (so get ready Nana & Granddaddy!!!).

You gotta understand my hesitation...but if you don't, let me explain. When their school has a program, they normally combine 2 grades. And that calls for a looooong program and a huge crowd of people. I love people, but not in a huge crowd. They tend to be rude and loud. And it makes me sweat...unless of course, it's an organized crowd...like church. Maybe an NFL game where everybody has assigned seats...you get my drift.

So the only programs we've ever been to at their school, have been hysterically long (over an hour), and so crowded that a lot of people wind up standing up. Makes me sweat to reminisce, so let's move on...

"I just don't feel like dragging Luke out and controlling him for one of those school programs" I griped to my Mom this morning, "He's 2 you know..."

"I know, I know. I feel awful that Savannah's upset about me not being there." Mom said, as she rested comfortably, (safely) 2 1/2 hours away at her house in NC.

"Dean wants me to go, but he doesn't understand that I'm with the kids 24/7...he's the one that needs to go!" I griped on, "You know how much I hate those programs! They go on & on & on..."

"Wait!" Mom stopped me, "This is the Grandparents Day program, Carmen!" she went on, "Those programs are designed for grandparents, and they only last 10 minutes, tops!"

"Really?" My hopes sank. I was going to wind up going to the program. I could hear God whispering it to me. And I was out of excuses!

"Yeah, they don't drag out the Grandparents program because grandparents just can't sit there for a long program!" Mom said.

We got off the phone with me not comitting to a thing, and her telling me to let her know what I wound up doing.

I wasn't thrilled, but felt God pressing on my heart. He was gently pressing me. So I gave in.

Luke & I got ready and drove over to the school. Wouldn't you know there was a parking place right near the door? God is just like that! As we walked in, I started getting apprehensive. All these grandparents...a crowd, but not 'standing room only', as I thought there would be. And when I picked Luke up to step onto the bleachers, a tall & fairly strong "grandpa" grabbed my hand to help me!

Real funny, Lord!

But he & his wife were kind and helpful. And of course, my sweet little 2 year old was perfect. In fact, he got real excited when he saw his sister.

"Vanna, Vanna!" he yelled as he waved his hand.

'Vanna' ate it up! And so did I...

So she did her thing, and then we went to McDonald's (Meme usually does Chilis with all 3 girls, but she is loaded and I'm not!), then to Aubrey's for dessert. Savannah truly enjoyed herself, as did Luke, and secretly (of course), I was thrilled! I told Savannah how special she is.

On the way home, Savannah told me that while she was laying in her bed last night, after we said night-night prayers, she asked God to let Daddy come to her program today. I told her that was GREAT and that God had answered her prayer...just with a different parent than she expected. She hesitated a minute and replied,

"Yeah, He kind of switched things around"

I took that opportunity to teach her how God does what He knows is best for us, which is not always what we think we want.

All THAT and a new lamb!!!

God will pack our days

with His blessings if we let Him!

He opens up the opportunities for us to live life to the fullest...for us to have abundant life!

Meet 'Tyler'...

bleat, bleat, bleat...

Meme's first grandson...

"blessing" number EIGHT!!!

20 Days...

How did I "live" today?

I've been on the hunt online today for a cool pair of pajamas. February is our annual MOPS pajama party, and I love buying a new pair of pj's for the occasion! Other than that...I cooked a pizza at lunch for Luke & I, cooked dinner, and have made Scarlett work in her room to get it cleaned up. Doesn't sound like I've lived too much, huh? Well guess what?!?!!

I'm not perfect.

But I thank God that He is! And that He forgives me for not being.

More spiritual truths on the way, but for now...

I think I'll go play "Sorry" with the girls...really...

21 Days Left...

So I've enjoyed having the house to myself today (sharing it w/Lukie baby, of course!). It's going to be a sort of strange week. The kids will actually only be in school today, tomorrow, and Friday...before they are out for 2 days (the weekend). And that always makes things feel weird...to have a short week or an altered one.

What have I done thus far today to qualify as living? Only one of my FAVORITE things to do. After we dropped all the kids at school this morning, Luke and I came home and made our way upstairs to my bed.

I took off his coat, threw him on the bed, and we had yet another old fashion tickle-fest...which he LOVED!!! And secretly...or not so secretly...I LOVED it too. Touch is my love language, so when he wraps his sweet little arms around my neck and laughs, it thrills MY SOUL!!!

We laughed and tickled, and then we curled up under my warm blankets and slept.

THAT'S LIVING!!!

And tonight, I'll be "living" with my 2 oldest right in front of the tv, watching American Idol and listening to those older ones laugh their heads off at the crazy people who only THINK they can sing. That thrills my soul, too!!!

As for my middle girls (ages 6 & 8), I may hit them up for a good game tonight after dinner...we always enjoy that!

I'm convinced that this is the way God intended for us to live:

Laugh harder than we thought we could,
love deeper than we imagined was possible...
and live out life making sure
that we didn't waste one 24 hour period
NOT doing those things!

Thank You God!!! Your grace and mercy are amazing!!! Thank You that I live in a country where I can live my life without fearing for it.

Praise YOU!!!

Now about that game...

And on the 22nd day, my true love gave to me...

some time for us to really be free...!

Yep, Dean came home yesterday and we rode around...hit Waffle House (our old haunt from the dating days)...and then came home. That was nice, considering that as the parents to five kids, we rarely get time alone. I mean, we were given 3 gift cards at Christmas to go to dinner together but have yet to have the time to go.

22 days.

Do I know what "living" is today? Of course!

Over several protests, I called my 5 to my living room (upstairs) to watch the Presidential Inauguration. "Why?" they asked me. I explained to them that it was a historical event that would never happen again. "Why?"...because this is the first time in our nation's history that we've ever elected a black man to be our President. And since my children know that God created black folks and white folks (and red folks, & yellow folks) EQUAL, they didn't blink an eye. Amazing! Here was their "take" on the situation:

Summerlyn: "Why are you making us watch this?" she asked me with much distress, "why can't we go downstairs and watch a movie?"

Savannah: "When is this going to be OVER???!!!???"

Scarlett: Well...she knew better than to EVEN go there!

and Luke just crawled around babbling like usual. Tyler did make it upstairs to watch the actual swearing in of President Obama. I thought it was neat to sit there with all of my little chicks and watch history on tv.

And later...I took Luke to my big 'ole bed for some old fashioned tickling, which he LOVED!

That's my "living" for today!

And what in the world am I thankful for today?

Healthy children. A hardworking husband. A house that accommodates all of us...and that has a living area for the kids to "live" in so we can all be at peace! Heat. Food. Warm pajamas. Peace. And most of all...Christ...Who was willing to die in my place for my sins.

Now I can truly "LIVE"!

See you tomorrow!

SO TODAY I PLAYED IN THE SNOW!!!

So today...I tackled the issue of spending time w/the kids doing something different than I normally would do...

I put on some warm socks and my tennis shoes...my sweater and Dean's barn coat...and went outside in the snow.
Scarlett & Luke stayed behind to watch Luke's FAVORITE..."Kung Fu Panda".

I took pictures of the girls playing and building their snow-lady, and helped Tyler pick up the rocks from the grass. I visited with Tyler and his friend, Tanner. Then we all came in, ate lunch, and watched an episode of Magnum PI.

That's LIVING out my list for today. Although my husband is coming home from work RIGHT NOW, and we'll get a few minutes out together...which is quite rare...
so that counts as LIVING, too!!!

"...and I'm gonna praise YOU! I'm gonna praise YOU!!!"

23 Days Left to Live...

and what have I done with them?

"Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance"

I am going to blog each day...it may be a short blog, but I'm going to do it. I want to do something each day to represent the knowledge I'm gaining from the study we're currently in at church.

I asked my sweet Ladies in Sunday School yesterday if they had written anything on their "to do" list. That was the challenge I presented to them from last week. A couple of them had things written down, and we talked about those things.

At this point in the study and in my thinking, I would say that most everything that I would choose to place on my list would be something "small". Things like surprising the kids at school with lunch one day. Or writing a letter to the President.

But definitely a blog a day. In these blogs I share what God presses on my heart to share. And more than anything, I want to bring honor & glory to Him.

If He can use ANYTHING, He can use ME!

"I just want to praise Him...I just want to praise Him"

Yesterday, Brother Ron spoke about passion. Do we live with passion? If we knew we had one month to live, would we be passionate about how we lived it? He also pointed out that we have 23 days left in our 30 day challenge. And he asked us what we had done with the first 7 days.

I really believe that the 30 day challenge is nearly impossible for most people to comprehend. Not because they're dumb or uneducated. Not because they're imbeciles. Rather, because we can't fathom the fact that we're not promised the next breath. We just take for granted that God will leave us here on this Earth to live out a long life. On occasion, we hear of someone dying suddenly. So we think that it only happens occasionally. When in fact, it happens many times each day. That's right! People DIE everyday. People like you and me...who didn't expect to die. So maybe we need to readjust our expectations. Maybe a 30 day challenge is too much time. Maybe we should think about a 7 day challenge.

Maybe we should think about not finishing out today.

Look...I'm not trying to be morbid, and I'm not wanting you to get depressed. But facts are facts, folks. The Bible says our life is like a vapor. The Bible judges our days next to the blink of an eye. And nowhere in the Bible does it say that we're promised 75 years on this planet...or 90 years...or even 30 years. We're not even promised to make it through birth, much less anything beyond that.

I don't know about you, but
I have an extremely hard time wrapping my brain around that.

Maybe we're just too busy to even want to look at the big picture. But that doesn't mean that there isn't one. And for the sake of our kids, our family, our friends...we should cut out the busy stuff and think twice about how fragile life really is.

The obvious focus in the One Month to Live study is for us to do just that...remove the things from our list that don't really matter...the things that God didn't put there...and only do the things that would matter to us if our time were limited. To do the things that God has in His master plan for us.

Here's the "killer"...our time IS limited. And not understanding that truth keeps us chained up to the things that the devil crowds our life with. Things that keep us in bondage...things that God wants us to remove.

"He broke the chains, now I can lift my hands"
And once we really know that truth in our heart...in our mind...we can freely move about our life living the way God intended...which is...abundantly.

"And I'm gonna praise Him...I'm gonna praise Him"

Magnum P I

Dreamy, dreamy, dreamy...

That's what I think of when I see a picture of Tom Selleck. He's "dreamy". It's my personal opinion that none of these Hollywood "hunks" compare to the REAL DEAL...Tom Selleck.

Did I say that I think Tom Selleck is a HUNK?

Well, I do...and always have. When I was a little girl, my Daddy, Mama, Brother, and I would gather 'round the tv to watch "Magnum PI". It was a family EVENT in our house! And that hour would pass much quicker than I wanted it to! Magnum was always on an adventure...and he most always caught the bad guys. In the process, there was a lot of "tide pool" swimming, Ferrari chases, and laughter...the good 'ole kind of laughter.

Watching TC burn up all his gas, flying Magnum around the island on his newest case. Listening to Rick work up a deal with Magnum on getting information for use in that newest case. And Higgins was a RIOT!!! The show wouldn't have been complete without Higgins and his 2 Doberman's.

It's funny to see what people get "hooked on" in television nowadays. Instead of mysteries to be solved, there are doctors doing surgery. No more of Higgins "proper" behavior, either! The most popular characters on tv seem to be the ones doing the most damage to other people's lives.

What is THAT all about?!!!

I'll always be a fan of Magnum PI, and of Tom Selleck, the actor who portrayed him. Magnum was funny, honest, and sincere. Something grossly lacking in the tv shows of this generation. And before you email me with a list of worthy tv shows, let me ask you a question or two...

Are you listing shows that leave out sex, drugs, and affairs...but promote "righteous" violence? Don't want to hear it. Are you listing shows that encourage helping others...but attach a big name to the "project" in order to promote the big name? Don't care about watching it, then.

Magnum PI wasn't perfect, but it wasn't loaded up with the kind of selfish motivated, sex, violence, "helping others" so-you-can-help-yourself-type shows you might encounter today.

There are a few shows worth watching in the Hollywood world of today...the makeover shows are interesting, and a few of the crime-solving ones are good (sometimes on the violent side, though...depends on which one you're watching). And there is always "The Price Is Right"...!!!

But in my bloggy opinion, Magnum tops ALL of these! It's a show that I'm tickled to share with my teenage son!

There's a VERY short list of those kinds of shows that anybody could create in this day & age!

I know it's just my opinion. But since this is my blog...a place I can state what my opinion is...that's exactly what I'm expressing!

Aloha!

62 Years Ago Today...

my Daddy was born. I wonder if it was a frigid day like today? I wonder how long his Mother was in labor? I wonder if she felt too old "to be doing this again", as my Daddy was not a baby "planned" by his parents...only planned by God. His family was so poor.

I've heard it said many times that my Grandma Thomas told my Daddy she was so glad he was an "accident"...so glad that he was born. Well guess what, Daddy?

There are many people who are glad you were born!

And I'm one of them!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
We're glad that you were born!!!

Your TIme, Your Passion...

Hard to believe another week has passed! And that it's been almost that long since my last blog. I absolutely love to blog! It makes me feel better. And so much of the time I am dealing with my feelings. There are times I don't like my feelings. I know the devil can manipulate me with them when I am vulnerable. And he is seeking to destroy me...like a roaring lion. So I must be careful of those feelings at times, because they lie.

I'm so glad that my heavenly Father doesn't manipulate me! He created my feelings to compliment my life. To help me love with feeling...celebrate with feeling...live my life-you guessed it!-with feeling. And with the deepest of feelings...passion.

Christ was passionate. And He calls us to be passionate, as well.

What are you passionate about?

What do you spend the most time talking about?

What ideas do you ponder the most?

These are life questions...questions that we think about at various times, but throughout our own life. And they require answers.

And action.

So...

What have you done about that, which you are passionate about? And how much time do you spend on your passion?
I could tell you that my passion is my family. And it is. But how much time do I truly spend on my family? I serve my family...I love my family...but when I have spare time, do I spend it on my family? Does my service to my family count as time spent bonding together...having fun? There's a difference, you know.
I could tell you that my passion is my church. And it's definitely one . But how much time do I spend on my church? I serve the Lord in my church...I love the people in my church...but when I have extra time, do I spend it there?

Where does my time go?

Where does YOUR time go?

No matter what...you WILL spend your time
on what you love. You WILL make time
for the things you love
and want to make time for. And you WILL NOT make time
for things that don't truly matter.

Does time spent reading the Bible make your list of passions? How about time talking to the One who gave His life for you?

I'm one who believes that in general (and in a lot of people specifically), that we're too busy. And further...we're busy doing things that will not make more than a scratch, in a sea of scratches, on the canvas of the master portrait of our lives. And really...who wants a portrait of chaos? Don't we all want a beautiful and colorful portrait to define what our life is & was, all about?
Dude...I'm telling you...you can't expect a different result if you continue to paint the same way over and over again. Either you care about the time put into your portrait or you don't. Either you scratch it up or you choose to only paint the beautiful strokes of color that fulfill your passions in life.

What's on your canvas so far?