Encouraging One Another

This morning I saw something that once again gave me hope in the boys. :) This morning when I was getting Timothy dressed, we were talking about being a big boy and using the potty, etc. For the first time, Timothy willingly suggested that he go to the bathroom and sit on the potty! Up to this point, all such suggestions have been met with screaming and running away, but not this morning! I took advantage of his willingness and got all excited and happy, taking him by the hand and putting him on the potty. Stephen heard what was going on and got in on the action, too! There was Timothy, sitting so proudly on his little potty ... waiting. Stephen pulled up the stool and sat right next to him and started to encourage him. "Timafy, you're doing a good job! You don't have to be afraid of using the potty. All you have to do is wait until you feel it, and then run. You can do it, Timafy. You're a big boy now! And when you go pee, I get the black jelly bean, ok?" (Timothy's reward for a successful potty time is a jelly bean treat that he and Stephen both get to enjoy.) The interaction between the two was so moving that for a moment, I forgot that I was also sitting on the closed lid of the big toilet in a bathroom watching my son learning to go on his own.

After a successful attempt and much celebration - hugs all around for everyone - the honor of choosing the first jelly bean fell to Timothy. He deliberated long and hard and eventually chose the white one. I thought for sure that Stephen would dive for the single, coveted black one, but no! Once again he surprised me by saying, "Timafy, I'm going to take a green one and save the black one for you for the next time you pee." Awwww! He really was encouraging his brother today!

Awhile later, I was down in the living room feeding Christopher when I once again overheard the boys talking upstairs. Stephen: "Timafy, do you have to go pee? Do you? Just go! Just run in there! I'll help you, Timafy. Come on!" Timothy: "Ok. Let's go pee, Stephen. I can do it. I can!" I ran upstairs all excited that there would be another successful attempt and found Timothy on the toilet already. He sat and he sat and he sat. Nothing. I asked him where his pee was and he said, "It's gone." Where?!?! "It went back in the hole." "What hole?" "The hole where the bunnies hide." What?! I didn't quite understand his train of thought, but he explained to me that bunnies can squeeze themselves very tiny and then they can go into holes and that's where his pee went. Ok. Whatever. Unsuccessful attempt, but definitely LOTS of preliminary encouragement! (Stephen's response to no pee has always been that it melted and that's why he couldn't go.)

Stephen also dropped his book behind the couch this morning and Timothy agreed to climb back there and get it for him. I heard Stephen saying to Timothy, "Good job, Timafy! You're my big helper today!" Thank you, Lord! Something must be getting through because all day they've been encouraging each other, complimenting each other, helping each other (and also bugging each other, but that's another story).

Whoever is praying for us today, thank you! Please don't stop! I LOVE days like today! All morning I've been singing Steve Green's song from his Hide 'Em In Your Heart CD "Encourage One Another." Encourage one another, and build each other up. Build each other up. Build each other up. Encourage one another and build each other up. Up up up up up up up up UP! They're putting God's word into practice! Oh, Lord, please let my words be full of encouragement to my children just like I heard theirs today! If they are modeling themselves after me, I want to be sure to model myself after YOU!