Potty Training

This week, we've begun potty training. It's unbelievably challenging. My older son is going every ten to twenty minutes, with all the obstinance of a two year old. My younger son is quite easy, and will be ready for training pants by the end of the week. I don't know when my older son will be able to manage his bladder and bowels well.

We are still practicing elimination communication. We use the term potty-training to mean potty independence. At this time, we are working on more than just communicating, but moving out of diapers. We are not using some of the more common methods of training, because my boys are disabled (the elder) and too young (the younger.) I thank heaven that I know about EC, and don't have to try to fit a mold that woundn't fit anyway.

I've not gone astray

I've been posting on my other blogs this month. It's been a busy time, too busy for untethered thoughts. My son did very well this month at his CST appointment. We're back to bi-monthly scheduling now. It appears that last month was only a blip, and not a new pattern. Either that, or swimming has helped just that much. Perhaps I'll get more time for unconventional musing now that the heat is forcing me indoors to the air conditioning. Of course, I may just get more motivated on my other blogs, again.

On Charity

Today's reflection is on charity. I've added the link to the side for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. While I knew that this blog would benefit the hospital from before I monetized it, I realized that I did not ever make this clear before now. On another site, I saw some hostility towards ads. I considered that someone might have the same hostility towards mine, not understanding who the true beneficiary was. While I understand not everyone agrees with every charity, and someone may specifically disagree with mine, I hope that this openness will lessen the negativity some might feel when seeing an ad on this blog.

Charity is a further reflection that it's important to talk-the-talk, and not just walk-the-walk of virtue. While it's more important to behave well rather than talk about good behavior, it's not unimportant to convey the message of goodness to others. It's not enough to simply do the right thing. One must allow others the opportunity to know what the right thing is as well (even if they chose a different mechanism, or in this case - a different recipient of charity.)

On Kindness

One of the kindest acts a person can do for another is to cradle someone who is vomiting. Consider if you will a scared child, who doesn't understand the sensation. Now, consider the child also being yelled at while gagging - the frantic running around, the scolding, or even punishment that follows. The fear, the pain - an otherwise necessary act has instant negative associations. Consider the same act combined with kindness - a mother cradling the same scared child allowing the vomiting to occur while offering gentle words of comfort. The same act can be associated with gentleness and comfort. There is plenty of time to teach a child the appropriate place to vomit, before they're grown. What else do we teach them about often involuntary bodily functions? What else do we teach them about how to respond to the sick and those most in need of kindness and comfort?

A New Book

I've started keeping a new book for my son. So far, I've got one section for elimination records, one section for nutritional records, and a sample page of our day. I'll add more sections as we go along, plus get it all fancy with print outs and such. It's a simple way to get more organized. Hopefully, this will solve a few problems and make doctor appointments go more smoothly. It's funny how records change the way some people view things. It's the same behavior, but if I write it down, then it's real. It's a bit tiring to write down every diaper change and morsel of food, but I hope it will be worth it. At least, it may make posterity easier on me for not keeping up with the baby book and photos. The future will see that I was just too busy.

What If...

What if...

Everything you knew was wrong?

What if healthy food wasn't good for you and the so-called bad food was? What if low-fat, whole grains weren't good, but cream and butter was? What if there is no French Paradox, because the French are right and we're wrong?

What if evolution is wrong and creationism is wrong, and it's a completely different process altogether?

What if schools aren't failing but are succeeding at exactly what they are designed to do?

What if we aren't really free, but just really comfortable slaves of a new era? What if previous slave owners realized that the problem with slavery wasn't the lack of freedom, but the lack of comfort? What if they fixed that problem, and convinced millions of previously free people to volunteer for slavery?

What if there is no global warming? What if the sun is primarily responsible for all climate change, and there's nothing humans can do about it except survive?

What if we aren't as civilized as we think we are? What if there have been more civilized peoples than we are in the past, but none of their evidence survived to be found in archeological digs?

What if childbirth isn't inherently painful or dangerous, but we create the conditions that make it so?

I'm just musing here. Meditating on thoughts that may be wrong, but willing to consider the ideas that I've taken for granted for most of my life may not be true. Untethered thoughts, if you will. Every now and then I like to set aside some time, and challenge myself to look at something, anything or everything from a different point of view.