Human Hamster Wheel

 As I was flipping through tv channels last night, I came across a news segment that caught me off guard. Two men living in a human hamster wheel for 10 days.  They eat, sleep, poop, read, watch tv, etc on this wheel. 

Seriously, why would anybody want to do this?  I think I would last 24 hours before snapping. The biggest thing that gets me is that if one person needs to do something then it takes both of them walking in this hamster wheel to get to that object.  It's like, "Dude, wake up! I gotta pee. Start walking so I can get to the bathroom."  That's all I picture happening in my head in this scenario.  Seems interesting but what's the point in this entire experiment? 

Watch the video:

Would you live in a hamster wheel for 10 days?  What do you think about this experiment?

Love Mercy

Mercy House is in Kenya and helps provide resources for pregnant women. I wanted to do something to help such a great organization. When I saw that they were asking for fundraiser volunteers, I couldn't resist!
Help them by purchasing a Love Mercy Bracelet for $10 each. 100% of the proceeds go back to the Mercy House. I have 49 bracelets to sell and only 20-something days to do it in!

-Paypal ehermesch@gmail.com the $10 (add $1 if you need it shipped)
-Choose "Family/Friends" option
-In the note section, put "Mercy House"
 
I will be sending a check straight to the organization at the end of the month.

Lets provide Mercy House with the support they need to speak love to the women in Africa. Every dollar counts!

*When I have a bit more time, I can go into detail about why this means so much to me. My heart always goes back to Africa when I think about traveling, if I ever adopt a child, and the African culture. Mercy House stands for the same foundation and beliefs that I embrace too.

Love,

Elizabeth

Another parenting milestone!

1,161 days of diapers

Months and Months of Training & Tears (from child and parents)

LOTS of bribing going on

First POOP in the toilet today!

Whoever said potty training would be easy and quick was joking.  It is cruel to make a first-time parent think that it's going to be rainbows and butterflies.  I took the tough route. No manuals, no 3-day training, nothing of that sort. Winging it was my idea of potty training.  I totally had this in my pocket! Just plop our little man on the kiddy toilet and let him work his magic.... 

I WISH!

We spent MONTHS of little man going potty in the toilet 1-2 times a day.  He never had a dry diaper. I begged. I bribed. I did everything short of crazy to talk him into being a 'big boy'.  I tried to then focus more on the pooping part and encourage him in that avenue.  My son just wanted to hide in his closet and poop in private. If I came anywhere near his room, it's a major fit of slamming doors and yelling at me to get out. So I went back to the peeing part of training and focused more on that. At least there was some progress there...

After a few months of this, I figured "oh what the heck. Lets put him in underwear! He's got this down. He pees in the toilet 1-2 times a day. He's ready!". WHAT WAS I THINKING??!!! One day of underwear and I gave up on it... 4 wet undies within an hour and 1 messy poop.  Back to square one.

For a few weeks I have not pushed Joshua to do anything. Pretty much gave up and told myself we'd start over during Spring Break. 

As I am talking on the phone today, my big boy runs up to me, butt-naked, and screams, "I POOPED on the potty!"  Seriously?! That was completely random. Kids have a mind of their own. They will do things at their own timing and when they feel like it. No matter how much insisting on your part independent kids will do it when you least expect.

I still don't understand the ins and outs of potty training, but somehow he FINALLY caught on.  We are soooo proud of him. We reached another milestone in parenting and survived :)  Now we just have to work on continuously using the toilet every time, and get him in big boy underwear.

Thank God he won't be going to college in diapers!

Next time I have a child, I will be reading Potty Training books-- that's for sure!

*The snail photo actually does go along with this post, believe it or not. I gave Joshua 2 snails a few weeks back, and told him that when he poops on the potty he will get the next 2.  He was soooo happy to have an entire collection after his efforts today! Yup, I am a bribing mom. I told myself that I never would be THAT kind of mom, but you take things back when you actually have children.