Even More Real

 Okay, the last post was about the realness of what we are dealing with as far as the kids go ... and this post is about the realness of dealing with me and my naturally hot-tempered nature.

I'm trying to figure this out. It's so hard to know when you are doing the right thing! Everything's a gamble pretty much, except that I've been thinking that getting mad and frustrated probably wouldn't be very productive in teaching these children self-control... like duh! But there are moments when this is very frustrating. The moments I struggle the most are when I have a time crunch. If I have all day - they can pitch a fit and it doesn't raise any dander... but throw a hairy 5 minutes after we were suppose to leave for somewhere and it's a lot harder to be smiley and matter-of-fact.

Today we had one of those moments. Mister was not cooperative about going potty before we left for speech which lengthens the potty process by forever. I had no time for the foolishness. I wasn't patient and  got really stern and told him to do what I said and since he was being naughty he would not get to play in the play ground at the school. And you wouldn't believe it!!! He completely turned around. He put a big grin on his face and went ahead and did what I said. He still didn't get to play on playground jungle gym, even though I let his sister play. He sat by me and watched knowing full well why.  As soon as we arrived home I announced another potty session and it was a whole 'nother round of screaming fits from Little Guy. Of course, nothing I said or did would make him calm down..... then the phone rang and I left him alone on the pot. Would you believe it he was quiet for probably 10 minutes while I was out of the room, but he'd already lost the pleasure of playing with his new game for the rest of the day and missed the walk that Vanessa and his twin took. I let him off to wash his undies and within 5 minutes I had to put him back on. This time he was more cooperative and was willing to blow balloons and play (now we are putting pennies in the balloons to add interest).  The balloons did the trick and he is probably finished his big job for the day.

I don't know. It's so tiring.

I keep asking the Lord for wisdom in dealing with these munchkins and for a boatload of patience for every single day. I know He is helping me. I just wish He would have sent an owners manual with these kids and patience in extra strength pill form would be really handy.

I had at least three major trials over going potty with him today and one time he asked to go because sister was trying out those long skinny balloons during her sit session and Christina was turning them into puppies. Every time we say it's potty time he tells us he will go pee - NOT poop. I don't know what to do except to keep fighting. Hey - we've gone from NOT going at all, to pooping in our pants, to pooping a teaspoon in the pot and now to doing most of it in the toilet, but it's such a fight!