daddyville

Yes, the day has finally arrived. Shayla went in her potty (poo-poo) all on her own today. It was not the usual 'fake out' to which we are so accustomed. It took us a minute to realize that it actually took place. Yay. There is hope.
     'Pull-ups' (the diaper-to-'real'-underwear liason) are on the way. Do we dare get excited? We probably shouldn't as there's a lot more learning yet to be had in the subsequent 'sub steps', such as wiping your own butt so as not to be surprised by the eventual chapping and chaffing--ouch! I'm sure there's more as I'm destined to discover.
      .......Onward Through the Baby Powder.
   Ciao!

 Age comes naturally. You have to work for Wisdom.

There are days that I do not feel that I am equipped for fatherhood. There are days where my patience is remarkably thin. There are days where the non-stop repetitive question loop will drive me up the wall, as will the relentless chasing of the family cat around the house, ad nauseum in order to love-strangle her. Why does my kid have to behave like she's on some kind of biological 'speed' first thing in the morning? I know, it's a new thing called 'excitement' and everybody who's anybody who's 2+ is into it. Great. Can I get my coffee first before we begin this very personalized, high speed question and answer session of your design? Please.?
     Today, this morning, started out like one of those days, but then my 2 1/2 yr. old daughter noticed my vulnerable state---sitting, head tucked down, resting my brow and forehead in the outstretched palm of one hand, the other with the fingers pressing in on closed eyelids---and asked me if I was sad. Then she came over and told me that it was okay. She patted me as she told me this. That was sweet. For a brief moment, out stepped the 2 1/2 yr. old girl and in stepped 'wise sage woman' ("Did somebody's daddy need a little Divine intervention?")
     It worked. Thanks Shayla--to whatever part of you answered that need.

  
Age comes naturally. You have to work for Wisdom.

These pictures of this animal were taken in captivity. It's her new thing, 'just try and take a good picture of me with my compliance. Go ahead...try'.

Shayla is such the 'little helper'. She's very engineerically inclined and curious about everything. If you're doing something--Anything--she wants to help. It's very adorable.

So as my daughter Shayla approaches the true 2 1/2 yr. old marker her tantrums are taking on a real, humbling genetic feel to them. This may sound pretty funny to you and indeed it is more so to me as I walk down the sidewalk Away from my duplex where inside her mother is dealing with one of Shayla's more frequent and intense meltdowns. If the paint on the living room walls could peel,....it would. Yes, we are a verbal family. I grew up that way, and I am certainly hard pressed to change that like being able to take the 'sand' out of sandpaper---it's hard to do.
     When I was growing up, getting someone's attention in one of the house's peripheral bedrooms from the living room couch was not really all that difficult. You needn't get up, just raise your voice 13 decibels. Why exert the force required to stand up and walk to the bedroom when you can just holler (as we say in Texas)? Of course I am exagerating, but the reality is still somewhat a shadow of the past, however sobering that might be.
     Kids give us the possibility of learning more from them than everything else in our lives Put Together. I firmly believe that now. I have the opportunity of learning From my daughter and actually changing my tack towards parenting and not just simply passing on my history of conditioning. Parenting will unabashedly show you the flaws of your character. God said: "Go forth and Multiply", but he would have done well to add the Prarie Home Companion departure slogan, "Be Well, and Do Good Work."
     Sionara from Toddler Parent Boot Camp. "Be Happy and Wear Your Helmet."

 Age comes naturally. You have to work for Wisdom.