Moments in August

Whew! August has been busy! Actually, life seems to be getting busier everyday as David is getting to be much more of a toddler and testing all kinds of boundaries and learning to climb on things he couldn't before and well, I'm pregnant and tired!! At the same time, it it great to watch him gain mastery over more skills and see some fruit from the discipline/structure work I am getting tired from :) We've also been able to get out and do more things now as David is able to do more and sleeping less. Lucas and I are so enjoying the everyday adventures of family life :) Here are some snapshots:

Walks where we let him help are more fun and make for better naps ;)

Dancing in the kitchen. He loves to spin in circles when music plays and loves it even more if I join in!
Playing in the empty dishwasher is the holy grail of all toys. It's kind of rare he gets the chance really. Here he's all spiffed up for Church. My little man :)
We went out to Jacinta and Brendon's to spend the day while Heather and Ned were in town and made home-made ice cream with crazy Uncle Ned. Gotta love him :)
And then there was the county fair. We (especially Lucas) had a great time running into lots of old friends. I love that David is old enough to actually play with some of the kid stuff they have there now. He loved filling up toy tractors with corn and ended up with corn in odd places after ;)
He really thinks he has mad skills on the piano. I hate to burst his bubble, but he really needs to practice! Seriously, he is playing in a more mature way with the piano, though, pushing one key intentionally over and over... uh, sounds great.
Wow, I'm kinda surprised I captured as many face shots of our fast-moving little guy!

Congratulations, Leon and Chrysti!

Welcome to the Family, Chrysti! We had a wonderful weekend down in Cincinnati celebrating the wedding. Chrysti was just radiant with joy and Leon looked so happy too. We got to introduce David to some extended family members and he very conveniently slept through the ceremony and had a blast at the reception. He loved 'dancing' and exploring all the new things and people. I loved having so many around willing to help with toddler management and giving me the opportunity to connect with college friends. Lucas was a very handsome best man and gave a wonderful toast and helped MC the reception. All in all, it was a tiring but joyful weekend.

I really didn't take many pictures, but here's David with his new aunt:

Keeping Up with your Toddler: Why It Matters

OK, I admit it. My 17 month old has a million times more energy than his pregnant and often tired mom. There are usually at least 3 times during the day when I look at the clock and wish that nap or bed was just a little closer. There are games to play, books to read, meals to prepare, feed and clean up, potty times to manage, a house to keep up, and rules to enforce. Walking sure makes that last one a lot more time consuming!

Oh, but it is worth it to stay on top of the rules! Consistency in discipline is where a parent's power lies. If Junior gets away with playing with the dishwasher knobs just once because you're too tired to walk over there and enforce the "no" you just issued, your "no" just became weaker. You don't want that. A child who obeys Mom's verbal direction is a child who can be a joy. There are lots of years before this child is going to be out on his own.

I find myself sometimes being tempted to slip on this one. It would be so much easier to let him just fiddle with the knob. The dishwasher isn't on right now. But what about when it is and he messes it up next time? Or what about when you're out in public or at Grandma's house and he doesn't think Mom's "no" holds any water? Then you have to pay for taking the easy road earlier.

Now it's not that you have to say "no" to your dishwasher knobs. That's not the important part. Every parent will choose different rules. It is wise to think about how allowing or prohibiting something is going to play out when Junior is a little bigger and smarter, but what you choose to allow or prohibit really isn't the main thing. The main thing is that when you say "no," you follow through. For us that means a smack on the hand if the thing is touched anyway and being removed from the temptation for a minute or so if it's touched again. The punishment could be different for you. Again, the main thing is that you consistently apply the rule. Junior shouldn't haven any surprises.

Oh, you know this already, don't you? But it's hard! That kid's got so much energy and is so curious about everything (especially the off-limits stuff!). But keep up! You'll be so glad later when you have a child who obeys. I have seen just wonderful children in grocery stores who are helping and obeying. I know it's possible, but I also know it's not natural. Those Moms have worked hard to train their children.

Now, I know this sounds kind of cold. "Discipline." "Train." "Get them to obey." But it is actually a really kind thing for a parent to do. The Bible says "the Lord disciplines those he loves" (Proverbs 3:12). Toddlerwise reminds us that teaching obedience and order is training the "habits of the heart." The child who is accustomed to trusting Mom and Dad's word and complying will be a child whose heart is ready for obedience to the Lord. A selfish, self-willed person will have no end of trouble in life. A person who can obey and consider others will excel and enjoy life much more easily. Teaching our children obedience is giving them a wonderful gift.

Photo originally uploaded by juhansonin
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