One of our very most favorite children’s song writer is Joe Scruggs. I listened to his songs growing up, and now we have the complete set of his CD’s for our kids. I highly recommend them to anyone with small children because, not only are they fun for kids, but they’re amusing for adults too. Kind of like Pixar movies – they have a hint of adult humor to them to keep the parents entertained. And Joe has an amazing ability to write songs about the world from a child’s point of view that is simply hilarious.

Anyway, one of his songs – “The Rocking Chair” – was what I began singing to Mylie when she was a baby and I would rock her. Well, now she’s old enough to request the song, and even to sing it herself. So…for all those other Joe Scruggs fans out there – enjoy!

I always looked forward to daylight savings time changes (both fall and spring) when I was growing up. Too me, it always signified that the change in seasons had arrived. And the short 1-2 weeks between each season when Mother Nature can’t quite make up her mind is always my favorite time of the year. But then the two entities that always have a tendency to ruin things mess with a good schedule attacked my precious time changes: Congress and Children.

Has anyone noticed a big impact in their energy bill since Congress decided to move Daylight savings? I’m pretty sure mine’s gone up, not to mention the fact that all the stuff in my house (sans computers, which accept updates) that used to change on their own, now not only have to be manually changed, but have to be changed AGAIN in a few weeks when they think it’s daylight savings. I know, a minor annoyance, but still… But for me, the change is not natural like it used to be, and we’re still square in the middle of winter. Oh sure, we have a few glimpses of spring here and there, and maybe a couple buds on the tree. But no longer is the time change my Knight in Shining Armour, here to save me from the doldrums of winter.

But the biggest annoyance of all is what the time change does when you have children! Good gravy! I thought this time around would be great, since technically, at least on the first day the kids should wake an hour later, right? Oh contraire, my friends. Nope, from day one they both decided to wake an hour or two earlier! All week they’ve been waking up between 5:30 and 6:00 am (which on the old time would have been 4:30 and 5:00!). And somehow, they think it’s playtime! So by the time I get Nolan back to sleep, and threaten Mylie with her life if she gets out of bed again usher Mylie back to her room two or three times, I’m wide awake. And then the lovely things sleep in until 9am or later, which is why I’m getting the chance to write about it now. Sure, children sleeping in is great – except I’m not getting to take advantage of it because #1)I’m not sleeping! and #2)I don’t want to start any major (or even minor, for that matter) projects for fear of either waking them or being stuck in the middle of it when they DO wake up. And it messes with the incredibly good nap schedule we had just come to love. Urrgh… can’t win.

So, for now I’ll just whine – curse you, Daylight Savings! and hope that venting on a blog is better than writing nasty letters to Congress about how they have so many more important things to do than mess with my precious time changes! And I’ll consider moving to Arizona… they have the right idea there.

Like any eager first time parent, I ran out and potty chair when Mylie first started showing signs that she knew when she was “going,” and the tender age of 18 months. I thought, “Great! Maybe she’ll be potty-trained early!” Haha! Famous last words. Sure, the potty chair was great fun…for the first day. After that it joined the rank of all the other abandoned toys, because after all, it was just a toy, right? Not an instrument in a rite of passage.

Nevertheless, I was undaunted. I quickly resorted to bribery, because at that point the girl would do ANYTHING for a dum-dum or chocolate. We got a fun set-up with M&M’s, and a button she could press to receive a handful of deliciousness, and parked it (literally… It’s a toy UPS truck) in her bathroom next to her potty chair.

Well, that was approximately 15 months ago, and I’m still changing diapers (two sets, now!). She has had little to no interest in the process…only in the reward. The little stinker will tell us all the different rewards she’s set up to earn when she is fully potty trained, including (but not limited to) getting to pick out her own big-girl panties, getting to go to school, and getting a big-girl car seat. I’m basically throwing out any bribe I think will work and seeing if it sticks… the list just keeps growing, and she loves talking about the “someday.”

And let’s be fair… it’s not exactly like we’ve really been pushing the issue. Sure, we talk about it all the time, especially when she protests diaper changes. But I’m not exactly in the mood lately to drop everything because a munchkin comes running to me screaming that she has to GO!!!!! I’m envisioning messy scenes that include my nursing infant, that I won’t go into detail describing. Plus, I’m pretty much too self-absorbed to have any desire to hunt down public restrooms or (gasp!) Port-a-Potties in an emergency when we’re out and about. So, I’ve pretty much been of the camp that she’ll take care of it when she’s ready, and it’s not for me to worry about.

Lately, however, we’ve been putting her in big-girl panties with the hope that she’ll become more, eh, aware. This has meant a great deal more messes for us, but with the ultra-absorbent diapers today, it may just be the only way. And she definitely has become more aware. Yesterday, she asked to watch her “Elmo’s Potty Time” video, and this morning she actually had success! Of course, she got the M&M’s, so as soon as she was finished with them, she told me she had to go again. We’ve spent much time sitting on the potty today, by her own request. It’s obvious what the REAL motivation is…like I said, she’ll do ANYTHING for processed sugar, but hey, after the 17th diaper of the day, I really don’t care what the motivation is.