Yes I can.

Last time I left off, an embarrassingly long time ago, I had you all on the edge of your seats with the prospect of potty training Parker. Fortunately, my son had mercy on me and our imminent road trip and decided that, after nap time that first day, he wanted to go back into diapers. Fine by me.

We have now entered a reality where the potty is around if he wants and he knows that he gets treats when he uses it, but it is no longer controlling our lives. Praise Jesus! He can do it, we're just both highly uninterested in pursuing that lifestyle right now. So we aren't. He'll be done with diapers by the time he's old enough for preschool. Diapers are easy. I'm more than okay with them, especially now that we've discovered Easy Ups. Psychotic toddlers can't take them off in their sleep sacks.

We did, however, have another big life transition with Parker. When we got home from vacation we decided that it was time, for everyone's safety and sanity, to turn his crib into a toddler bed. He was climbing into his crib and teasing a head injury, never mind that it was exhausting having to watch him Houdini his way out of his sleep sack every night and make sure he didn't concuss himself while he was supposed to be sleeping.

I was team "crib until high school" but parenting is nothing if not humbling. He did really well with the transition and only fell out of his bed four times on the second night. He did fine, he just felt his way back to his bed and climbed back in. Nap times were a nightmare for a few days until I realized that as long as he can't get out of his sleep sack he'll, for the most part, sleep. Some days he doesn't sleep, but he has to stay locked in his room for 90 minutes because I'm the boss and don't hate my life.

I've been learning a lot about grace and parenting through the past month and a half. I can't control everything my toddler does, but I can control my attitude towards it. The run up to potty training was just as stressful as transitioning from one kid to two and losing my job. What looked like the end of Parker's naps gave me intense anxiety, too. Embracing the changes and finding a way to make them work for me was the only thing that kept me sane. So, judge away, but locking him in his room for 90 minutes a day while he rearranges his furniture and drawers is the main thing keeping me from becoming a travelling hobo.

Today's boring yet informative re-entry into my life brought to you by Peppa Pig. I've had a busy couple months, but have really missed blogging. In the grand scheme of things, it gets the chopping block. Today I finally figured out how to balance that parenting and blogging lifestyle. Thanks, Netflix.