Hosting Family: Out of Town Company

It's so nice when relatives come to visit. The older I get the more value I see in family and All the parts thereof.
I had never thought that I would have kids. Many have that eventual plan; I was not among them. I see now that kids give meaning, purpose, and 'roundness' to having a family. They tend to draw family together and show the purpose of it. It's quite magical really. What I used to see as obligation is now a pleasure that I would be empty without. The change of feeling and perspective is really nice.
God Bless the children and the Family they magnetize.

Scared of Poo

It's funny when we think of it now, but there was probably a time when all of us were scared of poop. What's happening to my body? Are my insides falling out of me? What is this stuff anyway?
Our daughter is going through this now at 33 mos. old. She has successfully evacuated a few times on her own potty, but the fear of the activity has now caught up with her. Hmmm. Fun for us. Lucky for us she's an 'every other day' pooper. We're not using diapers in- house at this time, so we're always on the lookout for the potty 'dance' to start up any moment.
The potty dance is that special jig that you have to watch out for out of the corner of your eye. It's not even that simple because even when you Do see it, 3/4 of the time Shayla tells us we are wrong even when she's hopping around the house clearly having to cope with somekind--either no. 1 or 2--of internal dillema. She really doesn't have much of an issue of going to the potty to pee other than timing. We are trying to teach her that "I have to go pee" means I have Not Yet Gone, not "Hey, by the way, I am going right now. " Sounds funny, huh? Just so you know It isn't! So we are trying to be hyper-vigilant without adding any obvious tension to the learning process. :) That's a little bit of a task in itself as we are not willing to cover the sofa with plastic. :) Cheers!
She'll pee and poo in the potty consistently when she's good and ready. Hopefully that'll come sooner than later. (Smiling) ....Until then she's kind of like a small animal. :)

White Sugar: The Split Personality Creator

I'm not kidding when I say that my child is one person before sugar intake and another one after. It's the processed stuff that I am talking about here. She's 33 mos. old and has enough energy as it is without adding processed sweets to the mix.
Call me gullable, but I have given in heretofore because I really like 'treating' my child with ice cream and such novelties. I am fast learning that they need to be a lot more of a novelty as novelties go and a lot less commonplace in our household.
We, the parents, have been experiencing a few disciplinary issues of late and then it kind of just hit us here recently that we had not fully addressed the item of overall daily sugar consumption. We are on it now by golly. You don't need to tell me twice. Beware relatives that may tend to fill our little girl with sugar then mail her back COD. We will find out who you are. :)
We certainly hope that sugar turns out to be a primary culprit here. It is no doubt a major player. We are not purists by any means, but are doing what any proactive parent would do to keep themselves out of the nut house. If you're going to keep sugar on board with little kids in the house then we are finding that the parents will need in the least a closet dedicated to housing parental protective gear for the onslaught of the sugar monster(s). Ear protection too lest you lose your hearing before it's time, must be included. You think I am kidding? Don't I wish I was? Why yes, of course. :)
This whole thing is really a no-brainer, but sometimes putting no-brainers into practice can take a bit of momentum as well as management. Especially when there are many factors to monitor in the equation and the truth that the 'modern world', good and bad aside, exemplifies a diet heavy in sugar.
Here's to wholesome diets and balanced kids!!