Vacation - Day 1

Yesterday began a week-long vacation. We kicked it off with a long run ... part of Anna's training. She is using an intermediate training schedule to prepare her for a marathon in October. First week: 5 miles on Monday, 3 miles on Tuesday, 5 miles (faster) on Wednesday), rest on Thursday, 8 miles on Friday, 1 hr. of cross training on Saturday and 3 more miles on Sunday.

After the run, we raced the clock ... Wyatt's clock - trying to get the car packed and the house locked down before a Wyatt meltdown. Somehow we made it - stuffing the xA to the gills with stroller, bags, books, magazines, boy, groceries and cameras.

Just before we left, the mail woman stopped by with a book we had just ordered: Parenting with Love and Logic - from birth to six years. We alternated reading a chapter from that book and a book I've been reading about the Christian faith (The Geography of God by Lindvall). Sure made the miles go by easily and also gave great exercise to different parts of the old knoggin'.

The Love and Logic book is a practical look at the more general theory. I learned in Chapter 1 yesterday that parenting with Love and Logic means ... letting children participate in the decision making process (so long as it does not damage the planet or anyone on it) so that they become more self-assured and world-wise.

This is so funny and frightening: this is one of the first times I have honestly thought about how I am going to parent. Sweet mercy and God help me. I don't think my parents had a strategy for me, though, and you learn what you see.

Modeling, in fact, is also a big part of the Love and Logic method. Which is why I heard Anna blurting out from the book that it is totally cool to model to your children how to use the restroom - everything from showing them where the toilet is to how to sit on it properly to how to wipe your bottom ... and the kicker, letting them watch where your poo goes. Wow. I got really nervous when she said all of this - especially the last part - and the road was straight and clear as I could see.

I tried to imagine letting little Wyatt see the remains of my last days food consumption - horrifically disappearing before both of our eyes. Would this be okay to do with anyone else? Would I stand next to Smithers and watch him discard his poo? Okay, so I clearly have issues with my own potty habits.

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We made it up to Greencastle, safe and sound. That's where I am this morning ... on fifty plus acres of birdsong, wild wheat and the quiet life. Anna and her mom are off to take a walk - fenced in by a rich green and black tree line. I'm on boy duty. Pray he doesn't go to the bathroom.

Wes