Wade Phillips, Anna Nicole & More

Well, the Cowboys hired a new head coach. Wade Phillips will lead the team next season. Now, I know next to nothing about football & coaching, so this comment may not hold any weight at all... but, why is it that the Cowboys always hire old, white men? Tom Landry... Jimmy Johnson... Barry Switzer... Dave Campo... Bill Parcells... now Wade Phillips ?!?! Sammy reminds me that Tom Landry wasn't old when he started coaching, so I guess he doesn't count. But, come on! What about the others?? Let's expand our horizons a bit.

I am so sad about Anna Nicole Smith's death. Not necessarily because of her, but because she left behind her 5-month-old daughter. I feel so sorry for this poor, innocent baby that will never know her mother (which, in this instance, may be a good thing) and does not even know who to call "daddy". I just hope & pray that someone will raise & love that baby the way every child deserves to be treated.

The other evening, on the way home from Bible Class, Samuel was telling me about what he learned. He told me all about his lesson & when I thought he was done, I started checking the message that was left on my cell phone. As I was listening to the message on my phone, Samuel was trying to talk to me again. I obviously wasn't paying much attention to him, because I finally heard him loudly say, "One, two, three... Look at me!" He was a bit perturbed! This must be something one of his teachers either at school or church say to the class. Later, in that same conversation, we got to talking about heaven. The kids ask lots & lots of questions about heaven. They are intrigued about this awesome place "up in the sky". Sydney asked Samuel how we get to heaven. And, this was his response: "When you get old, you take lots of medicine & then you die & go to heaven." Well, I guess that's one way.

We have been desperately trying to instill some independence in Sydney lately. However, if you heard this struggle, you'd think we had been trying to cut her arms off! She's quite the drama queen! I have "babied" her for way too long & it's really coming back to bite me now. So, Sammy & I both sat down & explained to her that we would no longer be dressing her or wiping her bottom when she uses the potty. (Now, in my defense, I used to let her wipe herself, until she got a urinary tract infection... most likely from not wiping properly. So, after that incident, I took over & never let her learn to do the right way.) The first few days were TERRIBLE! She screamed because we wouldn't put her panties on... we wouldn't fasten her shoes for her... we wouldn't do this... we wouldn't do that. It was ridiculous!! Then, all of a sudden, she finally realized that all the screaming in the world wasn't going to make us do what she wanted. So, she just decided to do it herself. And, it is so wonderful!! She doesn't call me to the bathroom anymore. At bedtime, we pick out her clothes for the next morning & when she wakes up, she puts on all her clothes... all by herself! It has made school mornings MUCH easier! We've actually been on time this last week, which is a huge accomplishment for us. Kindergarten, here we come!

And, last, but not least, a big congratulations to my friend, Becky, on the birth of her new son. A new adventure begins!