First Number Two

Yesterday was a big day at school indeed. If you've been reading this blog for anytime you know that I've described for you the process of Allie's school potty training for her and class mates. It's quite a production. On either side of a hallway there are bathrooms, one for boys and one for girls. The bathrooms themselves are like narrow hallways with a row of toilets up against one side of the room.

Each morning when the kids arrive, they each take a turn taking a seat on the potty whether they need it or not. Most mornings, Allie doesn't need it. In fact, it took quite awhile for her to get with the program. When the report came the first time she peed on the potty, the Charming and Beautiful Susan and I were ecstatic. She's gone number one several times since. But yesterday we had the pleasure of reliving our excitement over bathroom accomplishments; she pooped on the potty.

I know, these are not the kind of headlines that get above the fold attention, but at our house, this is the kind of feat that gets statues erected. For us, it's like bringing home straight "A's". We run a victory lap. We throw a ticker tape parade. We forget lent party.

Kings Kids

The charming and beautiful Susan and I did something for the first time this weekend that we haven't done in years. We sat in church together. Since we've had Allie, her severe disabilities and care that accompanies have kept us from attending worship services together. Our service at church has not been non-existent. It occurs individually. We've had to be creative and very understanding of each other. Until very recently going to church has been pretty close to impossible.

It's been about three weeks since we learned that Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale has a ministry that serves kids with disabilities. We met with Pastor Joel Shonnenberg and were given an orientation of the ministry. We've become high maintenance parents now that we have a handicapped child, but Joel with expert pastoral finesse put us at ease.

The real test came three weeks later when we actually brought Allie to church. Between illnesses and prior commitments (and various other reasons for putting off starting a challenging beneficial, new habit), yesterday we finally took the plunge and drove down to Fort Lauderdale to attend worship service.

Pastor Joel, his wife Maria, team of volunteers stayed one step ahead of us as they prepped the classroom and took Allie off our hands. They prepared Allie's environment for maximum ministry and comfort. They reported that Allie cried for a few minutes put they were able to calm her which is a huge accomplishment since once Allie gets wound up, it's incredibly difficult to bring her back down. But obviously Allie trusted them and sensed their love for her.

We went upstairs to collect Allie as the service concluded. She was happy and we were super relieved. This definitely the beginning of a new chapter in our lives.

Morning fun

This is how we do mornings at our house. We bounce on a fitness orb. Feed Allie solid or liquid foods along with some medications, and hide one of her socks.

Here’s Allie, beautiful as she is, rejecting some of her liquid nourishment.

Like every other female, Allie loves to have her back scratched.

They are having way too much fun this early in the morning. Note the darkness outside over the Charming and Beautiful Susan’s shoulder.

Still having way too much fun. Can you do that?

Her.meneutics

Christine Scheller interviewed us a couple of month’s ago for one of Christianity Today’s online publications Her.meneutics.

It was a tough interview for us because we had to re-hash and re-visit emotions we forgot we had. Reading the article doesn’t help, but Christine is a phenomenal writer and tells the story well.

The name of the article is Saving the Life of a Shaken Baby. Christine interviewed the Charming and Beautiful Susan, me, Aaron, and Charity.

Her.meneutics