Tag: Potty Training

Macaroni and Beans!

I have never been diagnosed with OCD. That being said, I do tend to be a creature of habit. I tend to take the same way to work every day, I like my coffee the same way every day, and such, but I don’t think I am OCD. My books and DVDs are NOT alphabetized, crooked pictures don’t bother me, etc… There are, however, some things that take my anxiety through the roof.

I love my wife, but I think sometimes she suggests things that she knows will drive me crazy. (Side note: This is probably because I do NUMEROUS things that drive her crazy. She is WAY more OCD than I will ever be!) So let me give you an example of what happened this morning.

After breakfast this morning, she sat with the kids and I for a bit before going to bed. She received some text messages from Andrew’s speech people about things we could do with him. One of those things was to so some sensory games with beans or rice. She came out of the bedroom and went to a cabinet in the kitchen and grabbed a bag of beans.

She told me as she grabbed some Tupperware and cookie sheets what she was doing. She suggested I get a blanket or sheet to put down on the shag rug we have in the living room so they wouldn’t get stuck in the rug. She then grabbed a box of elbow macaroni and opened it. She said, “Ella will want to play, too.”

I put the sheet down and out came the beans and macaroni. Sam gave them a couple mixing cups so they could scoop from one Tupperware dish to the other.

It started out fine. Ella was playing with the macaroni and Andrew had the beans. At some point they swapped.

They also were good about just dumping from one container to the other … for a while.

I’m truly surprised that this photo didn’t catch the beans and macaroni that Andrew was throwing up in the air and all over the living room. (Side Note: Yes, he is wearing his sister’s underwear over his pants. She is potty training and he wanted to wear a pair, too. Does he look ridiculous? Yes, and I am happy if he is happy.)

Half the battle was getting Andrew to NOT eat the raw beans or noodles.

Slowly, but surely, the beans mixed with the macaroni and vice versa. My anxiety was at an all time high as I was trying to keep the beans and noodles out of the carpet. It was everywhere!

Eventually, they lost interest and got lost in a show on TV. When the alarm went off to tell Ella it was time to use the potty, I took advantage of her being off the sheet and wrapped all the beans and macaroni in it. I wrapped it in a big ball and put it in a shopping bag.

Hours later I was still finding beans and noodle on the carpet! I’m sure as a kid, I was making messes with stuff like this, but it was all I could do to not wrap it all up 10 minutes into them playing with it!!

I know my wife, and I am sure the beans and noodles will reappear sometime in the near future. I guess I will just wear socks when I am walking around in the living room ….

Story Time With Mr. Keith

We are Potty Training Ella at our house. One of the things we do as she is sitting on the potty is read her books. We’ve had this book for some time, I believe Aunt Margaret gave it to her, and I have read it numerous times. For whatever reason, it really hit me as something much deeper today.

It is one of those stories that when you look at it in a deeper sense, you realize just how much the world needs to hear it. I am not trying to infringe on copywrite laws here. I did NOT write this book. I give full credit to the amazing author – Shane DeRolf. Take a moment and read along. Look deeper. There is a lesson here that is so desperately needed today.

The Crayon Box That Talked – By Shane DeRolf

While walking into a toy store

the day before today

I overheard a crayon box

with many things to say


“I don’t like Red!” said Yellow

and Green said “Nor do I”

“And no one here likes Orange

but no one knows just why”


“We are a box of crayons

that doesn’t get along

Said Blue to all the others

“Something here is wrong”


Well, I bought that box of crayons

and took it home with me

And laid out all the colors

so the crayons all could see


They watched me as I colored

with Red and Blue and Green

And Black and White and Orange

and every color in between


They watched as Green became the grass

and Blue became the sky

The Yellow sun was shining bright

on White clouds drifting by


Colors changing as they touched

becoming something new

They watched me as I colored –

they watched me till I was through


And when I finally finished

I began to walk away

And as I did the crayon box

had something more to say


“I do like Red!” said Yellow

and Green said, “so do I”

And Blue you were terrific!

So high up in the sky


“We are a box of crayons

each one of us unique

But when we get together

the picture is more complete”

“Each one of us” is “unique!”

Mr. Rogers used to say, “You are a very special person. There is only one like you in the whole world. There’s never been anyone exactly like you before, and there will never be again. Only you. And people can like you exactly as you are.”

Take that a step further and realize that even though each of us is different and unique – we can do amazing things “when we get together.”