A Breakthrough(or two)!

I posted this picture a couple of years ago never imagining that I would ever want to do anything but stand on the sidelines taking pictures of others crossing the finish line, but as I've shared before I felt prompted to start running about 1 1/2 years ago. I had heard from several people that if you can run three miles you can keep running and running and running. It doesn't really get any harder but up to now I have never been able to feel that for myself. I pretty much always take breaks and walk. Sometimes a LOT.

It's been getting easier lately. I don't know what has made the difference, maybe just experience, but this morning I ran 3.4 miles without walking at all. It felt really good and I wasn't any more tired than when I walk a lot. I really could have kept going for a long time more. That is amazing to me and that is breakthrough #1.

The second breakthrough is definitely of more importance. I've been reading the book Christlike Parenting by Glenn Latham and decided to apply these principles in my parenting. Last night I found out about a meeting I needed to go to at the last minute and left my children home with instructions to make dinner. I came home an hour and a half later to half made dinner and chaos. But remembering what I had been reading I used a calm voice, I didn't criticize, I didn't tell anyone anything they already knew and the results were miraculous. When I calmly asked DaVinci and Superstar to look around the kitchen and see what needed to be done to be ready for dinner they both jumped to clear and wash the table off and set it for dinner. Then DaVinci proceeded to start doing the dishes so as to save him work after dinner. It's not that there was no contention--that might take a little more time--but the fighting was over who could get the work done the quickest!

Cutie really likes to think he is a baby and can't do anything for himself---that has really been a pain lately. But last night and this morning he was telling me wasn't a baby. He didn't want to get dressed this morning and time was running short. I told him that he would deny himself the priviledge of wearing clothes to school or having breakfast if he didn't get dressed in time. When the full responsibility of the choice and consequence was put on his shoulders he was very quick to do what he was supposed to. 

I am very grateful for the principles taught in Christlike Parenting and one of Dr. Latham's other books, The Power of Positive Parenting. They've helped me so much!