Delayed potty training

Before you commit too much time reading this post, let me be up front. It's about poo or stinky or whatever polite euphemism you have for it. Hey, I'm a mommy of little ones. A lot of my day deals with potty issues.

My four year old is potty-trained, but you know because he's four I'm still pretty intimately involved in the process.  I also have an infant who poops all the stinkin' time! So the two and half year old is not training yet. Please don't judge me. I have enough Mommy guilt of my own. His older brother just flipped the switch around three (after a few unsuccessful months of "trying.") So this time I'm avoiding all the accidents and head ache and just biding my time. No, I don't know if that's best, but it is what makes sense for us.

Here's why I know that. You see not long ago I was getting ready to put this same two-year old down for his afternoon nap. Yeah, afternoon nap, as in well after noon. Let's just say like 2:00 pm. Anyway, it was about this time that I realized this sweet, happy, middle child was still wearing his diaper from the night before! (Yes, we are contributing to his therapy fund now.) I am appalled. I am embarrassed, and I am a repeat offender.  You see, it wasn't the first time this had happened. Clearly, I'm not with it enough to add potty training to my list of daily responsibilities.

Now just in case you don't think I'm crazy enough let me let you in on my relationship with God. I talk to God about all kinds of things...even poop. Really, I worry that I'm not being attentive enough to my middle son. So I thought I'd chat it up with God about potty training.

"Should I just make the commitment, make the switch and go for it? Cause that could be a lot of trouble."

He lets me go on and on about it for a few minutes. When I take a rare breather I realize He doesn't really weigh in on the whole potty training issue. Nope. That would have been too easy. Instead He prompted me to apply this potty training philosophy to how I deal with sin in my life. Wait for it.  There really is a correlation.

You see, as it pertains to most of the sin in my life, I'm kind of waiting to flip the switch. It would appear that I think that one day I'll just wake up mature enough to stop having these embarrassing, um, "accidents." No to mention the convenient truth that I like spending a lot of time on the internet. I really do like being right which means some unfortunate arguments with my beloved. And listen, I'm not proud of it, but apparently I really do like to gossip as much as the next gal. I've gotten pretty comfortable with my stuff.

Not to mention that practicing holiness would require work. And I am likely to have a few embarrassing moments along the way. Which sounds good until God reminds me that while I wait to "flip the switch" I am sitting in my own filth. And friends, that's not good for anybody. I've got some growing up to do, and I've been putting it off for too long.

So how about you? Are you sitting in something? Are you waiting to tackle the poop in your spiritual life? Let's do it together. Sure we might mess up, but I don't really want to be a thirty-one year-old toddler. You?

Mommy Meltdowns and Moments

Dearest co-laborers for the next generation, (a.k.a. Mom's)

Do you ever feel physically beaten up? Today was one of those days for me. We have hit a stride with our 7-month old, which is A.W.E.S.O.M.E. He is an amazingly easy baby. Which is good because his older brothers may well kill me. All before breakfast I had handed out two bouts with time-out, one spanking and multiple "this behavior is unacceptable" discussions. I so did not expect to be navigating the world of "he hit me" and "I had it first" so soon. You wiser, well-versed Moms are laughing aren't you? This is the stuff of toddler years, isn't it?

My Dad is a Pastor, and like myself, he is a true introvert. He would often come home after a day of ministry and report that he was out of "people dollars." Ya'll can I confess that these days this Mommy is nearly bankrupt of toddler dollars well before noon? Before NOON?! I don't bother to pray for patience anymore. I'm not sure there is enough. I do, however, pray for stamina. They are wearing me down!

I have found that on days like these commiseration is sometimes the best encouragement. I need girlfriends. I need someone to say "I know what you are going through." And while my husband is a remarkable man, he doesn't get it. How could he? This is a unique job the scope of which can't really be appreciated over a 4-hour stint while I'm out with my girlfriends. Recently I was trying to explain how stinkin' hard this is. I said that while I wouldn't trade staying at home what I did from 8-5 at Chick-fil-A (where I worked full-time before staying home) was WAY easier than what I do now.

(Now, for all you working Mom's I know you have the double portion. You do all I do and work. I know getting up at o'dark thirty and hauling kids to a sitter/daycare, sitting in traffic, and getting to work without getting cheerios or spit up on your outfit takes a literal act of God. I did it for four months, and I don't envy you.)

What I did at Chick-fil-A was hard, but so much easier than this. I felt daily affirmed and rewarded. I was valued. I saw immediate pay-off for hard work, etc, etc, etc. My sweet husband looked at me intently and said, "then go back to work; our household budget would thank you." You see, he can't understand.

This is the hardest and best thing I've ever done. I wouldn't trade it for all the money in the world. But today I am tired of explaining why sharing makes Jesus happy. I am tired of cleaning up spit up. For today I wish I could see that this is making a difference. For just today I want someone to say I have been there. How about you?

For the rest of this week I will be at the Proverbs 31 She Speaks Conference. I'll be investing my dollars in other women who feel called to speak, write, lead and serve all for the glory of God in the name of the Gospel. In my absence, enjoy some Mommy meltdowns and moments from some of my dearest girlfriends at Proverbs 31. They'll be sharing Mommy moments from the trenches. Many of them are well on the other side so they know what they are talking about. Be encouraged-oh, and laugh at their expense, they won't mind.

Hugs until next week.