Quickie...or Not :)

Wild man is still doing very well with the potty!  Woot!  I think I can safely say our days of diapers and pull ups are behind us.  I'm thrilled with that!  He's taken to it and is so proud of himself these days!  Unfortunately there seems to be an unforeseen side effect to his big boy-ness - he's gotten even more challenging.  It's a total bummer, too.  I seem to be fighting him on every thing - no matter what I say he's butting heads with me on it.  I don't know why he's not getting it - it's not like I'm giving in to him.  In fact, quite the opposite.  So I guess I'll just have to wait out the 500 times he decides to challenge me on the same inconsequential thing.  One of these days it will sink in that Mumma actually does what she says she's going to do!  Then he'll be spending most of his days playing and having a good time instead of crying and screaming in his bedroom or the timeout chair.  Let's hope for the sake of my sanity that the time is coming very SOON!  We've had 4 straight days of this nasty behavior. Grrr...

I've finished my 9th baby hat, this one a lovely green with some colorful trim.  I'm still waiting for the rest of my back ordered yarn to come in from yarnmarket.com so I can get it wound and continue to march on with my hexie.  I've got another button-tab hat on my needles, the 8th one this year :)  This on is in a lovely, to die for, deep ocean blue.  And I have the perfect button for it!  I've been spending more and more time on ravelry thus finding more and more projects I can't wait to try *sigh*...

MIL is coming home from FL in a little over 2 weeks and we are VERY excited to see her!  Wild man is desperate for some Memere time.  We're hoping she will be able to come and stay with us for a long weekend so we can get a badly needed break.  We need to recharge our batteries so very badly.  She'll be home for the summer then will head back down South to her second home.  We are hoping we'll be able to head down that way for several weeks in January '11.  I'd happily bring the wild man for a month or so if we could swing it financially - unfortunately we can't do that.  Still need to buy my own groceries and tickets and such and I wouldn't feel right mooching any longer than we already do!  Maybe someday we'll be able to move down there or at least stay for the cold weather months :)

I need to remember to take more pictures of the things I'm doing so I can post it all.  I've started adding some raw food to my diet in the hopes I'll be able to find a healthier way to stay full and maybe lose some extra sacks of weight to boot.  I've come up with a tofu smoothie that really fills me up in the morning.  I still need to tweak it some to get the taste just right and I want to add some more "good" stuff to it.  I'm still having trouble with carb addiction - can't seem to drum up the desire to not eat them!  Why is it the stuff that is so bad for you tastes so darn good!

Starting on week 2 of our new Bible study by Anne Graham Lotz.  Have to say I really enjoy the short DVD and the book, and of course, our discussion group.  Not so loving the homework.  This particular style is setting a mountain in my way - I just don't seem to be getting it.  I feel like I'm totally missing the point no matter which way I look at it.  Which doesn't make it easier for me to get into it.  In fact, I'm a table leader and I still haven't been able to get through the homework that is due tomorrow.  The worst of it is, I don't even WANT to do it.  How do I get through that!  I'm afraid I'll be useless at the table tomorrow.  I'm still not sure why I even agreed to be a table leader - I've never felt particularly interested in being that responsible for myself!  Praying the good Lord will show me what direction I need to be taking in this study.

Ok, enough for tonight - I'm supposed to be keeping hubby company!

Stay safe, everyone, and happy knitting!

Success Indeed!!

Well, it has been an amazing couple of weeks for the wild man and his potty training.  We thought we get side-railed by the nasty stomach bug that has been traveling in circles here in our little town.  However, true to his little word, and despite his onslaught of diarrhea, the wild man was wildly successful on the potty!  He's only had two accidents and those were entirely excusable :)  I'm so proud of him and he's very proud of himself!  Now I'm planning a little party to celebrate - nothing fancy just family with some frosted cake and ice cream.  I did promise him, after all!

I've taken the last week off from doing any serious knitting or crochet.  I've been able to pick away at my Hexie afghan though!  And, I placed a large order with yarnmarket.com for more Tahki Cotton Classic to complete it - some of the colors are on back order but that's ok...I have enough left to last for a few days anyway!  I also ordered 3 skeins of Mirasol Tupa in this gorgeous turquoise colorway.  I'm planning on making this with it and I can't wait!  I love cloches and I'm going to do the first one on the pattern.  I can't afford the beaded silk to do pattern B or C so I'll do A first then it that one comes out good I'll order some more yarn for pattern D.  Lovely lovely hats.  All my other projects have been languishing by my chair, waiting for me to remember them! 

I've been trying to eat better and more naturally - don't know if it'll work or that I'll stick with it.  Quite frankly I really love baking too much to give it all up.  I just want to add some healthy alternatives to my diet so I don't feel worse than I already do!  So I've made my own granola, turned out really good - and yes, I am surprised by that!  We'll see what else I can come up with that will be better for my over all health :)  Now, if I could only get some will power on exercising!

That's it for now.  I'm off to watch my SyFy recording of Riverworld - LOVE it!

Is It Too Early to Say it's a Success?

We've gone six days of pooping on the potty with only one mistake...is it too early?  I think we're being successful!  The real test will come when we are out for the day and he needs to use the potty and we're in a strange place.  First of all, I doubt he'd use a strange potty and second of all, I think he'll refuse to use his potty no matter where we are because he's so self conscious.  I'm hoping I'm wrong and that I've been over thinking this issue.  Unfortunately, poop has been the subject of late.  I really want this to be successful and positive for him.  Something he's ultimately proud of himself for accomplishing.  I believe he is heading in this direction and I'm really thankful.  We've had such a long hard battle over this - the wild man has inherited a double dose of stubbornness, one dose from each of us!

We've also had a very challenging week with him.  His behaviors have been intense and extreme.  I'm led to believe this is very typical for his age with all the changes he's been going through.  Learning such milestones as pooping on the potty are so huge for this age.  He's also challenging boundaries to see who will let him get away with bad behavior and who won't.  Too bad for him that he's got two parents who aren't very flexible!  We both firmly believe in teaching him respect, good behaviors and manners.  It's so terribly important to have these skills in this world.  So few stick with it and so few children today exhibit these qualities.  Maybe it's a product of our upbringing and the fact that we are older parents (we're hovering around 40) of a nearly 4 yr old.  My husband and I were raised in a different era than the generation or two behind us and I think we tend to be the last of a dying breed.  In any case, we are doing the best we can and I think we were largely successful this week in managing the wild man's intense moods.  I know I prayed a lot and asked God for grace and patience and anger management!  I really wanted to change the way I was reacting to the bad behavior by switching tactics and managing my own temper.  So I asked God to intervene and help me to remember He's with me and what He would like me to do with regard to discipline.  I also asked God to help me remember my boy is only three and though he may be big for his age he is still more baby than not.  We expect too much from him sometimes and I need to be reminded of that.

So we finished up our Believing God study by Beth Moore.  It was really incredible!  Through this intensive study I was able to begin to pray again and really try to give it all up.  I've struggled with faith so much it's hard to change.  But I decided I needed to do something different because I've done it all my way my whole life and it really hasn't gotten me anywhere.  I felt stuck in a cycle I couldn't break because I wasn't willing to give God a change to show me that if I just trust in Him and choose to believe Him then things will change.  And they have.  I don't think I'm all the way just yet.  It's hard to change the color of my feathers all at once but I am trying.  I'm trying to be thankful for everything and let God show me the way.  I think I'm forming new habits and breaking old, hurtful ones.  We'll see.  I still have doubts but the more I delve into the Word and see the evidence the more those doubts are being dispersed.  Pray for me!

On another note, I'm still knitting/crocheting up a storm!  I've decided to come back to the beautiful Hexie afghan and recently completed a couple more blocks.  It took me longer than before as I needed to refresh myself on the pattern.  I'm also doing more crocheted baby hats.  I also finished the very lovely Bite Me in Malabrigo silky with gorgeous metal floral buttons, though I placed my buttons differently.  I may have to rethink their placement because the neck warmer doesn't look quite right where they are.  Also this neck warmer is sized for a women with a slender, graceful neck - anyone who knows me would definitely NOT use those words to describe me!  In any case, I have more UFO's in my stash now and I'm trying to organize everything!  Ha!

Well, I must be off - it's snuggle time for little man and I don't want to miss it! Even if he chooses to snuggle with hubby!

Stay safe everyone and happy knitting!