I meant to post this on Monday when it happened…

So I’m chatting on the phone with my mom, listening to how amazing and beautiful and incredible and perfect Hawaii is and what an awesome time they’re having, (green with envy), when I hear a little voice from the stairs say, “Hey, Mommy!”

Uh oh.

It is 1:33 p.m. Charlie should be asleep. Naptime started at 12:30 and usually lasts 2.5 to 3 hours. This means that he has accomplished two things today: climbing out of his crib and opening his bedroom door.

Sigh.

I’m so excited for him – he’s reached a big milestone! Soon he’ll be in a toddler bed! But I also feel exhausted thinking about how he’ll be exploring his newfound freedom and how we all might lose some sleep.

I can barely keep myself from laughing because of how cute he is, standing on the stairs and trying to figure out how this situation is going to unfold. My mom is DYING laughing over the phone and giving my dad details. So now she’s in paradise AND laughing at me. Hmph.

Before I do anything else, I must get a video of this! We rush upstairs and I capture him climbing out of bed for the second time.

I let Charlie come downstairs and watch TV for a little while because I can tell that he’s pretty excited and won’t go to sleep. Plus it gives me a little bit of time to think about how I’m going to handle getting him into bed: How am I going to handle this using Positive Discipline, and How can I get him to take a nap that I so desperately need he needs?

I don’t know what to do so I choose to wing it. Even if I have my mind set on how I will get him in bed and STAY in bed, I don’t know if he’ll go along with it. And I need this naptime!!! We watch TV for about half an hour, and then I ask him if he would rather go take a nap in my bed or his bed. I know he’s going to pick my bed, which might help me eventually get him into his bed after he doesn’t settle down. (Setting my child up for failure…definitely a Positive Discipline technique, right?)

As always, I’m right. (Right, honey?) He jumps on the bed nonstop while I tell him a couple of times that he needs to lie down and rest. After he gets up and starts jumping a third time, I inform him that it’s time to go to his bed for a nap because he isn’t resting on my bed. He is more than happy to cooperate and responds:

Charlie: Climb back out of bed!
Me: No, bud. It’s naptime and we all need to rest right now, so I need for you to stay in bed. You don’t have to go to sleep, but it’s very important that you have some quiet time.
Charlie: ‘Kay.

Yeah, right!!! I can see the mischief in his eyes before I even turn to leave the room. I walk out, close the door, and stand there. Immediately I hear movement and then a loud “THUMP!” Two seconds later he is opening his door. Surprise!!! He is completely shocked to see me standing there. It takes all of my strength to wipe a huge grin off my face. My child is SO CUTE!!!

Me: Charlie, you need to take a nap. It is time to rest and not time to climb out of bed.
Charlie: ‘Kay.

Yeah, right!!! I park myself outside his door again and wait. Rustle, rustle, THUMP! He’s back at the door and looking even more surprised that I’m there a second time. I say the same thing and put him back in bed. The next time it happens, I say nothing and scoop him up and lay him down. Repeat 8 or 9 times. The final time, he is not happy but he stays put. Not even 3 minutes later he is fast asleep. Woohoo!

Since then he has stayed in his bed. We’re taking bets on how long that lasts.

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This site is even funnier than the North Georgia attraction, Goats on the Roof, (yes, we’ve been there and it was awesome!), but not quite as funny as Fainting Goats.

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So often I read the blogs of others and feel exactly the same way about a post so much that I would rather just share that and say, “Exactly.” Here is an example:

2010! from Ashley’s Closet

There were also great moments in 2009, many of which are written about on this blog. How can there NOT be great moments with John and Charlie in my life?!

I’ve decided that 2010 will be an amazing year and the start of an amazing decade. I’ve needed a new decade for a long time.

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In my humble opinion, the greatest video of all time, starring Papa Perry and Charlie:

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Ansley and I have had this idea rattling around in the back of our heads for a couple of months now that we’d focus this blog more on family life and parenting and I’d start a new blog that would focus primarily on discussing Objectivism. We both kinda felt that the dual foci (is that right?) of the blog wasn’t the best set up for it. Some folks could care less about my views and just want to see fun updates on the family! Some folks were getting linked here by other, Objectivist focused blogs and probably didn’t care too much about the little details of everyday life in the Cox household. And, hopefully, some of you enjoyed both of them.

Rather than try to continue to write for two separate audiences in one place, I’ve set up Sacred Ego as the place where I’ll be discussing Objectivism, philosophy and politics, and John & Ansley will maintain it’s focus on our family, and our views on parenting. Right now, all that’s up on Sacred Ego are all of the posts on Objectivism I’ve made over here throughout the year. I plan of adding to those at a fairly rapid pace, with more links and short discussions of items as well as the longer, heavier pieces that I’ve done in the past on this blog.

So – go check out Sacred Ego, and let me know what you think of it.

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see more Lolcats and funny pictures

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While getting dressed:
Charlie: I’m CUTE!
John: Did somebody tell you that you’re cute?
Charlie: GrandMommy says I’m cute.

After supper, when it was nice and dark, we decided to take Charlie out to see some Christmas lights. There is a house near us whose owners have bedecked their yard and home with lights and decoration, and everything is coordinated with Christmas music from a radio station you tune into while in front of the house. (Note: For you LaGrangians, it’s not anywhere as impressive as the Foxcroft guy, but still pretty cool.) While there, a pick-up truck drove by, with Santa standing in the back yelling “Merry Christmas!” and throwing out candy. Following them and keeping them safe was a firetruck, with all its lights going, and a fireman saying “Merry Christmas” over the PA system. It was just awesome. Thanks to some raging PMS, (because I’m never very emotional, right?), I was overcome with tears of joy to see Charlie so excited – Christmas lights, music, Santa, and a FIRETRUCK!!! Children and parents were pouring out of their homes to see Santa and the firetruck…we saw one mom carrying a baby dressed in only a jacket and diaper! (The baby, not the mom.) It was one of those moments that will stick with us the rest of our lives.

On the way up to bed:
Charlie: Goodnight, Daddy! Goodnight, Mommy! Goodnight, Football!

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Over the last few weeks, I’ve been teaching Charlie lots of Christmas songs. But every time I started to sing “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” I stopped myself…sure, I liked the song growing up, and it’s on my favorite Christmas movie, Elf, but OMG! Sing it to yourself and really think about it. And then read Rational Jenn’s post. (Ryan and I must be on the same wavelength.)

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I haven’t posted in a while, and I haven’t written anything on Positive Discipline in a LONG while. I haven’t had the mental stamina to write lately with all the holiday festivities!

And this is no exception. But I would like to share an article by Dr. Jane Nelson, titled “Positive Discipline and Pampering: More on Kind and Firm and the Same Time.”

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Thanksgiving was truly wonderful this year! Although John loves huge, chaotic family gatherings, I prefer a more intimate and relaxing atmosphere, (not that either are better than the other, it’s just personal preference). We decided last year that we would alternate Thanksgiving holidays between his parents and mine, and it was my family’s turn this year. Some of the activities included:

Kitchen Nazi Mom’s amazing cooking
Lots of walks
Lots of laughter
Lots of coffee
Photo shoot
Decorating the Christmas tree (my annual job – I’ve been the lone Christmas tree decorator since middle school)
Football
and Plenty of entertainment from Charlie

Oh…and horseback riding on Gordon Street (LaGrangians understand the randomness of this. It’s a residential street in the middle of town.)

John and I went to dinner and a movie to celebrate 13 years together. Isn’t that amazing??? Our first date was on Thanksgiving Day, and we had to eat at Burger King because it was the only restaurant open. Then we went and saw The Preacher’s Wife. This year we saw New Moon. I’m DEFINITELY on Team Jacob now. )

I am so excited about this…my future sister-in-law, Andrea (aka Froo), asked me to help coordinate the wedding. How special is that?! I am all over it. Tyler and Froo are getting married at Camp Calvin, a Presbyterian camp for kids where they met and have been counselors (Ty) and Head of the Horse Barn (Froo) for several years. I’m sure there is a much more appropriate title than Head of the Horse Barn, but I am brain dead.

We stayed at LaFayette Garden Inn one night (I wish it were still the Ramadama) and it just happened to be the same place that Auburn’s football team was staying. John thoroughly enjoyed fantasizing about all the ways he could sabotage their sleep before the big Alabama/Auburn game, although he didn’t end up doing anything. I offered more than once to go buy shoe polish and toilet paper to decorate their buses, but he wouldn’t let me. It would have been so fun.

So that was our holiday. Good stuff. And there’s lots more good stuff to come!

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