Trying Not to let Faith Go Into the Pooper (or in X-man's case, in his pants...)

Let's see how well I get this post in before duty calls. Another hurricane down in Baja has its remnants coming up this way. I have a feeling it won't be as impressive as last week's rainy fun. But here is hoping! So far the clouds have been awesome.

It has been eventful around here and Chris is trying to talk me into leaving town for just over a day to "decompress" and take a break from the stress and depressive pitfalls and loneliness (missing people from back in the QC) that are coming with it.

Well, leaving town sounds great in theory. However, it's a middle of the week business thing he has in Vegas and there's three kids that would need to be cared for while we are gone. Two of them are in school. I'm not sure if this can be pulled off. It shouldn't be crazy stressful trying to do something to ease the stress. Know what I mean?

Mikelle and Christian are adjusting well to school, but it's still a challenge in the new residence. We're crossing our fingers that building on the new house can begin in less than a month. We asked the kids to help pray about it. We even talked about faith in general, and if they're having a hard time having faith, it's an excellent thing to pray about as well.

I should take my own advice.

I need to make this meme with Alexander's face...

One thing I have no faith in right now is Alexander's potty training. I positively HATE potty training. Potty training should be an evolutionary thing. You know, like standing and walking. The kid just eventually "does it". Sure, some later than others, but it should still be a natural thing. I HATE potty training. I know I said that already, but it bears repeating.

I would totally hire someone to do it for me if I could. I can embrace all the other parenting fun: childbirth (not pregnancy, but childbirth since it's one day verses my average 266 days of hell...), nursing, sleep deprivation, being puked on, changing diapers, etc etc.... But potty training? I hate it. 

I vented about my "evolutionary" theory on Facebook and had to laugh at the logic my friend Charlie showed up with:

um...yeah...

No toilet bowls on the African savanna means not enough time to evolve a behavior. Until indoor plumbing the kids just either did it in the dirt or stayed in funky diapers until they got it. The flush toilet in middle class houses is just a bit over a century old (toilet paper was invented in 1879). Before that it was outhouses for about two centuries after they replaced chamber pots.

I crankily replied to Charlie that I just knew he was going to show up and give me some intellectual reason with a historical context for the lack of potty training in our evolutionary make-up. I added that if my kid can draw and talk like a five year old with the energy of a chihuahua on meth, he should be able to grasp this.

But Charlie was on a roll. At least he made me laugh. I needed it.


Despite our pretensions, we're just not that far from crapping in the bushes. Boys just take longer to get it. Connecting a feeling with "get to a toilet" is not a male strong point.

-AND- 
 
The flush toilet was invented by Sir John Harrington, hence the nick-name "John" although he called it Ajax, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. She got one installed in Buckingham palace but wouldn't use it because she thought it was too loud. It took another two centuries to find acceptance, in no small part due to the efforts of this guy (right), so we've been slow to be toilet trained as a culture.

Anyway, at least when Chris is home, he can head up the potty training duties (no pun intended on the use of "duties"). That's another perk of our Generation X+ modern times...none of the BS of the Mom doing everything...

It would be one thing if the potty training thing was the most of the X-man frustrations. But it's not. He's very...um...willful. He's a Sunbeam in Primary (and a very young one since he doesn't even turn 4 until the end of the year...don't get me started on that! If it was up to me, he'd be in nursery until he's 4!), and the Primary Program in our new ward was last Sunday. Alexander had a small speaking part and he knew his part (he's smart, remember?!), but at the practices and the actual program, he pitched a fit when it came to sitting with his class and basically all that was required during the practices (back to the reference of the chihuahua on meth...an opinionated chihuahua on meth...) 

Sunday Doodle for September 14, 2014

Therefore, it was nice in front of the whole ward having to extract him from the stand while he was having his opinionated fit. And that was after he was taken out of the chapel just minutes earlier while the Sacrament was being passed screaming "I don't want to go outside! I don't want to go outside!"

So embarrassing. Yes, we're the new people! Nice to meet ya'll! 

In our old ward, he was a handful of course, but so were other kids so it blended in better. But now? Alexander is front and center. 

I did manage to knock out this Sunday doodle despite all the fun on Sunday and the epic Sunday nap I took. Yes, I'm still pining for Autumn! And here is a custom pumpkin I also finished last weekend.

One side of the large custom 9-inch pumpkin...

Other side of the large custom 9-inch pumpkin...

Crossing our fingers for rain!