When Granny Girl Came to Town

by Mama Mabel

My mom, Granny Girl, came to visit us this weekend with my nephew Cameron.  Coondog woke up Saturday morning and asked what had happened to his house.  It was my mom.  She woke up full of energy and ideas of how to get our house into shape.  The overflow room off our kitchen where the last owners had left all their extra construction supplies was cleaned out and the floor mopped.  Now it's our dining room.  The porch was cleared and swept.  Ladybug's toad friend that was living there was very put out but found a new home in the few things left on it out of necessity.  The car was packed with laundry and the recyclables that had been piling up in the kitchen.  We girls were leaving for town to get stuff done.

It was so nice to just sit and talk to my mom while Ladybug slept and the laundry was going.  I also got to drive her around the town.  It was such a quick trip, we didn't get to do everything but we sure did a lot!  Hopefully on the next visit, we can walk down main street visiting all the stores rather than just driving by.  I also want to take her all around our mountains.  She said we live in a postcard.

It helped that she came while the mist was coming up over the ridge.  I see this view everyday.  Not bad is it?  On her next trip, we'll have to go to the waterfall and Lookout Rock where you can see the whole valley and several layers of mountains behind it.  It's nice to see something that is becoming familiar to me through the eyes of a newcomer.  It brings back the wonder I felt when we first moved here. 

How Do I Potty Train My Toddler?

by Mama Mabel

I trying to potty train my toddler.  I've read several articles and spoken to several parents and come to the conclusion that every kid is different and every parent has their own sworn by method.  Unfortunately, none of what I'd read or heard is working so far.  We brought home Ladybug's new training potty Saturday with much excitement.  She now has only sporadic interest in "going peepee on the big girl potty."  At first, she did it for the novelty.  Then she did it because I was using the bathroom and she wanted to be like me.  Then she decided she would rather carry it around than sit on it or at most she would sit on it with her pants on.  That's where we are now.  (That's a lot for 3 days isn't it?)

I don't want to make her sit on it against her will because she can just hold it in until she's back up running around.  That's one thing I got from the articles.  I want it to be a happy experience so she sticks with it.  I've heard that bribery works for a lot of people.  Cookies are probably the only snack she consistently wants that I could use as a treat but do I want to start using junk food as a reward this early in her life?  If it gets her to potty train do I even care?  Am I expecting too much too fast?  Am I way over thinking this?  It doesn't help that she's so skinny that pull ups and training pants don't fit her so she's still in diapers.  I think it confuses the issue.  We've started calling them panties but she's a smart kid.  She knows they're diapers.  Maybe I need to break down and figure out how to sew some tiny panties.  That was my original plan before I remembered how much trial and error is involved in my sewing projects.  I wonder if I can buy some bigger ones (i.e. the smallest they sell at stores) and just bring in the side seams and cut down the elastic.  I bet I could manage that.

She gets very excited when she actually gets some pee into the potty (she did it 3 times Sunday) but she hasn't totally made the connection to what exactly she's doing to get it there.  She'll sit on it for a minute then look to see if anything happened even if nothing has.  I've tried getting excited and walking her over to it frequently but she resists and I think forcing it will lead to intentional accidents later.  She's excited right up to the point when I try to get her pants down.  If she were older or had been potty training longer I might start adding in negative consequences but I think we're too early in the process still. 

Aside from stickers or cookies, are there any other good rewards that you've found to help motivate a kid to potty train?  Any other methods you can suggest or advice you can give me?  I'm open to all ideas.  Thank you.

My Other Daughter

Posted by Granny Girl

Let me introduce my wonderful niece, Nicole.  I call her my other daughter.  She is an amazing woman. 

Nicole came to live with us when she was a teenager, I’m not sure if she was 16 or 17, but somewhere around there.  She was going through a troubling time with her parents and needed some space.  She lived with us until she married (with a short time away when she had her own apartment).   It was during this time that I really got to know her.  She is honest, hard working, inquisitive, and a person of great faith. 

Nicole’s chaotic upbringing left some scars on her soul, and I am so proud of the way she has worked through it and become the woman that she is!  She and her strapping, easygoing husband have a strong marriage, not without its challenges but strong nevertheless.  They have two adorable little boys, ages 4 and 6.  They live in a log cabin in the piney woods of Texas.  She works full time and runs a busy household with frugality and creativity.  She takes online courses and night courses and has earned two degrees.

Nicole is a “gifter.”  On any holiday, I can expect a wonderful gift (or a box full of gifts!) from her.  Being the most amazing bargain shopper in the whole wide world, she shops year round for Christmas gifts and gives something wonderful to every member of her and her husband’s family.  I’m taking shopping lessons from her! 

Nicole is my ex-husband’s niece, but I’ve always thought of her as my own.  Her parents divorced right around the time we divorced, and it really shook her world.  We’ve formed an even stronger bond since then, and I so appreciate having her in my family.  She calls me her adoptive mom, and I call her my other daughter.   I just love her!

Best Parade Ever!

posted by Granny Girl

On the 4^th I took the grandsons to the best parade in the State of Texas!  The City of Arlington puts on a fantastic parade with about 150 entries.  We saw marching bands, drill teams, antique cars, representatives from all branches of the military, just everything!  This is the second year I have taken them to the parade.  I always took my kids when they were young, and I decided to reinstate the tradition.  It just feels so American!

                                                        Elvis on a scooter.  Cool!

                                                                   Drill team

    Marching band

Tractors

More tractors (It's Texas, you know.)

                                                    Army (WW II era)

Navy

Coast Guard

Marines

And what could  be more American than.......

belly dancers!

Peanut Butter Wars

by Mama Mabel

 

My husband thinks I eat all his peanut butter.  This is laughable since I rarely eat it and I always make sure to leave some for him.  I will give it to our daughter but I think anything snackable for her should be considered fair game. 

 

We now have our own jars and I put a sticker on the lid of mine to avoid any confusion.  If I make pb crackers for Ladybug, I make them out of my own jar.  I expect him to do the same.  He told me if I leave mine at work, I can't have any of his.  This is mostly in fun but deep down each of us kind of wants to prove the other one wrong. 

 

I made cookies for the funeral this week with peanut butter in them.  I'm just waiting for Coondog to start to eat one so I can say, "Sorry, those were made with my peanut butter.  You'll have to make some with your peanut butter if you want any."  Then I'll laugh hysterically. 

 

Then I'll probably let him have one.  After all, it's just peanut butter.

First Funeral

by Mama Mabel

I just got back from the first funeral we've attended here.  Our sweet neighbor Laverne passed away.  She's been in poor health since we met but was doing better so her death at this time was a surprise.  Her daughter lives across the street from us and was one of the first people we met.  She attends our church regularly and brought her mom whenever her health would allow.  Laverne was always happy to get out to see people and praise God with her fellow believers.

Like everything else out here, the funeral and family meal afterward were done with relaxed efficiency.  The family was understandably upset during the service but able to laugh with one another at the meal.  No one cared that during the service, our daughter and Laverne's great nephew hit it off in a little kid way that required them to grunt until they were allowed to touch each other then hide in their mamas' arms.  It was mildly disruptive but they seemed to appreciate watching the innocent fun as a break from the seriousness of the occasion. 

Laverne had told the pastor that when the time came, she was ready to see her Savior.  She told her daughter that she didn't want any slow songs at her funeral.  She wanted it to be lively.  She got her wish.  It was more like a family reunion than a funeral.  There was sadness, but there was also the pleasure of loved ones meeting that hadn't seen each other in years.  There was a strong sense of community as neighbors and extended family (often the same thing here) offered loving support to those left behind.  Her notoriously shy widower even told us to come over anytime.  I feel blessed to be part of such a loving bunch.

If Mama's not happy...Coondog will fix it

by Mama Mabel

Awhile back I was very hormonal.  Everything got to me.  I cried a lot and was convinced that no one liked me and the world was in a conspiracy to be mean to me.  Then I went home to Coondog.  He greeted me sweetly when I walked in the door despite the fact that he was at the end of a long day of toddler chasing.  He realized I was being a crazy woman and asked what would make me happy.  Then he took me out for burgers because I didn't want any of the food in our house.  This was an extravagance because we had to use the gas to drive back to town plus the extra money is costs to eat out rather than to cook at home.  But he deemed it a necessary extravagance for my benefit.  I warned him that in my state, the happy might not last long.  Boy was I a downer.  He (very nicely) heckled me into getting the monster burger with everything on it.  It was as luxuriously delicious as he knew it would be.  I was happy for days.

Non-local Honey

by Mama Mabel

We did more grandparent visiting last weekend, this time to Coondog's parents' house.  While we all enjoyed ourselves, no one had more fun than Ladybug and her grandma, aka Honey.  When Ladybug was tiny, Honey would walk in the door and say, "where's my little honey baby?"  Now we call her Honey. 

Honey and Ladybug are best buds.  If I had a nickel for everytime she said Ladybug was perfect, I'd be rich.  You see, Honey was born to be a grandma.  She lives for the pint-sized package of fun that I call my daughter.  Honey was in childcare for decades so she speaks toddler.  She knows what activities Ladybug is most likely to enjoy and what development milestones are coming up so she keeps age appropriate toys on hand and sings all the right little kids songs.  And Ladybug thrives under all the focused attention.  She played until she was too tired to walk straight then played some more.  Honey ate it up like manna from heaven.

There is nothing that Honey won't happily do with or for Ladybug.  At one point, she was laying on the couch almost entirely buried by toys and clothes that Ladybug had brought to her one at a time.  We laughed for a long time over that one.  Later, the two of them went shopping for lace to add to some of Ladybug's new pants and just had to get a cd of kids songs and a sequined tiara while they were out.  Honey got to tell all of Ladybug's admirers at the store that that was her grandbaby.  It was a great trip for both of them.  Hopefully we can do it again soon.

Granddaddy's chair

by Mama Mabel

 

We took Ladybug to visit my grandparents in Branson last weekend.  She was completely mesmerized by Granddaddy.  Everytime she woke up, the first thing she had to do was check on Granddaddy.  Several times each day, she would get up and walk back to his bedroom pointing and loudly telling anyone who would listen that Granddaddy ("Adada") was in there.   

 

One afternoon, she watched Grandmama move him from his bed to his wheelchair and couldn't quit staring.  That evening, she put on a show as Granddaddy and Grandmama sat in the kitchen and soaked up the joy of her.  She was in high form pushing around her new baby buggy and dancing.  When it was time for bed that night, she gave both of them goodnight kisses and had me do the same. 

 

As we were saying our goodbyes, Ladybug kept trying to get at the wheelchair.  Granddaddy was in bed and it was folded up in the corner.  She would point from the chair to him like she wanted him to sit in it but that was too much for him right then.  The next day, we went to WalMart and she saw wheelchairs with baskets for shoppers who need extra help.  She pointed emphatically and told us that it was "Adada" - Granddaddy's chair.  It's sweet to see how excited she is by this reminder of Granddaddy.  I can't wait to take her back for another visit.

Old abandoned mine

by Granny Girl

A couple of weeks ago, on a Sunday morning, I heard the younger two grandsons playing outside my bedroom window.  I couldn't tell what they were doing, but they weren't fighting so I didn't pay much attention.  Then, the youngest one came in and told me they had made an old abandoned mine.  I went outside and looked, and sure enough, they had!

The have and the have-not

by Mama Mabel

Coondog has highly developed powers of observation.  I do not.  Yesterday, I went to the store for milk.  I bought the milk.  I walked out of the store without the milk.  A single item purchase and I couldn't even get it as far as my car.  What's worse is that I didn't realize it until I got home and panicked because I thought I had left it sitting out a few extra minutes in the hot car before remembering to unload it.

This morning, I packed my lunch in a WalMart sack, changed Ladybug's diaper then ran out the door for work, proud of myself for remembering to grab the sack.  Halfway to work, I discovered that I had mistakenly grabbed a bag of clothes instead.  Coondog noticed my bag of food sitting out and brought it to me before lunchtime today.  While he was in town, he picked up the milk I had left at the store and brought it home for Ladybug to drink.  Thanks to our joint efforts, everything is now where it should be.  We make such a great team!

When the wind comes sweeping down the plains...

Storms racked the Midwest yesterday.  I got to leave work early to drive as fast as I (somewhat safely) could through heavy rains to beat a possible tornadic cell to my house to warn Coondog what was coming.  We made plans to head to the neighbor's new storm shelter if it looked like one would drop on us.  It's a new shelter and we haven't seen it yet so we also made plans on which bridge to hide under in case the shelter was tiny and we were forced to leave Ladybug in it with our friends while we scrambled for cover.  We didn't think this was likely but it never hurts to be prepared.  Since Coondog and I grew up in tornado alley, we were pretty calm about it. 

Plus, while it's wise to take precautions, all life is in God's hands so ultimately what happens is His decision.  That's the key to my nonchalance about the dangers of storms.  It drives Coondog crazy that I can sleep right through one, even if warning sirens go off.  I love a good storm - the power and thrill of it then the fresh face the world puts on the next day. 

That's not to say all things are fresh now.  Lives were lost in these storms and I pray for peace for their loved ones.  Only God can truly heal their hurt.  It is up to Christians in their communities to rally around them and love them through their pain, to remind them through their actions that love is more powerful than anything, even storms and death.  Where there is God, there is hope and God is everywhere.  Isn't that a glorious thought?

"Weeping may endure for a night,  but joy comes in the morning."  Psalm 30:5

Breadwinner, Breadmaker

I read an article today about how women are increasingly the primary breadwinners for their families.  Though this is largely driven by single-mom households, the numbers are still increasing for married women with kids.  Stay-at-home dads are a small but growing segment of our society. 

Coondog, Ladybug and I are a one income family.  That income comes from me.  Our arrangement works for us and is how God set up our lives when we asked for direction.  It's not always easy, especially living out here where we seem to be the only family in the entire region running this way.  What's hard for me, besides the time away from my little girl, is that I want to do all the homemakery things stay-at-home moms do.  I read blogs about women sewing cool things, doing great craft projects with their kids and cooking with fresh veggies grown in their backyard gardens.  I lament not having the time to do this. 

Then I remember that even when I am home, I have a 1 year old.  If I tried to sew, she would "help" me by getting into the pins and moving the fabric while I tried to cut it.  Critical pattern pieces would disappear only to be discovered months later inside a shoe at the back of a closet.  I would only get things like that done when Coondog was home to watch her so I wouldn't have any more time for it than I do now. 

Ladybug and I don't do elaborate craft projects, but only because she's too little.  I tried to get her to put stickers on a piece of paper awhile back to make a birthday card.  She thinks stickers should be picked off papers, not left on them so we ended up with unadorned paper.  Not very celebratory.  She has started to color and we do that together sometimes but that largely consists of her spending 30 seconds scribbling on paper then wondering around the room asking to draw on everything in sight.  So basically, we're doing crafts to the the level of her capabilities.

I'm sitting at my desk eating lunch as I write this.  I'm eating a sandwich on homemade bread.  I don't knead it by hand or grind my own flour but I did dump everything in a bread machine and it's delicious.  Plus there is a lot less mess to clean up with a bread machine.  My garden has a mind of its own right now because Ladybug likes to take off toward high grass (snake territory!) while I'm trying to work in it.  I'm okay with that.  What grows this year grows.  What doesn't, doesn't.  Store bought veggies aren't the end of the world.  Most of our meals are actually made from scratch (if you count jarred sauces which I do) since we do our best to avoid corn syrup and hydrogenated oils.  Since we're mid-remodel, I do this cooking without a traditional stove/oven.  We gave our microwave away long ago because we didn't use it.  Food tastes better reheated in a toaster oven.  I don't revel in doing things the hard way, but upon reflection it is pretty homemakery to do extra work to serve my family healthy meals.

I guess life is closer to what I want it to be than I thought.  I asked for God's guidance and this is the situation He put me in.  He is working for my best so there is no better.  Best always beats better.  I need to remember that next time I think things would be better if _____ was different.  Knowing me, that will be in about 5 minutes.  :P

~MM