RUN 4 REVOLUTION

All week long the story of little Shaniya Davis has been all over the news here. For those of you who have not been following it happened something like this. Five-year old Shaniya was reported missing last Tuesday morning, early, by her mother from their home in Fayetteville. Her mother whom she has only been living with since early October claimed to have woken up to find Shaniya missing. After following several leads, charging one man, dropping those charges, finding a video of her with a man at a hotel, arresting that man, and arresting Shaniya's mother this Monday they found the body of this darling little girl near the Lee and Harnett county line.

At this point two people have been charged in this crime. One is the man who has confessed to taking her from her home. The other, and most disturbing, is her mother. Shaniya's mother has been charged human trafficking, felony child abuse-prostitution, and a few other charges. WHAT?!?!?

Again this is a brief summary of the story. For the full story you can go to wral.com and read all about this horrific tragedy.

This has been on my mind all week. I look at my little boy and can't imagine someone taking him from me. All I can think is, how could a mother sell her own daughter? Arrest warrants state that Davis "did knowingly provide Shaniya with the intent that she be held in sexual servitude" and she "did permit an act of prostitution with Shaniya."

Many of you are probably thinking, "I can't believe this happens?" Well actually, it happens more than you would think. Human trafficking is the world’s third largest criminal enterprise–just after drugs and weapons. There are nearly two million children, worldwide, who have been forced into the commercial sex trade. This is an industry that is based solely on force, coercion and exploitation–an industry that profits $32 billion annually from rape.

This DOES happen and it is happening here in our country and in our state. It is a huge problem. So huge that some of you may be thinking, gosh what could I even do about this. Well, that is where the cool organization Run 4 Revolution comes in.

Run 4 Revolution is a worldwide running club that, through its members, creates awareness and helps fund the fight against the violence that steals dignity and health from children trafficked into forced prostitution. It also just so happens that this organization was stared my two of my buds Lindsey and Lindy.

All donations received and money earned by Run 4 Revolution go directly to fund the International Justice Mission. The International Justice Mission fights to secure the protection of the law for trafficked women and children. Human trafficking will continue as long as it is a profitable criminal enterprise. By working to free victims and prosecuting the criminals benefiting from this industry, IJM operations actively increase the risk and decrease the profitability of trafficking.

Now I know what some of you are thinking. Running, UGH! I used to run like crazy. Since I started having babies, not so much. But if there was ever a reason to hit the pavement this is it! I mean come on, almost all of us can at least attempt even if what we do is more of a quick walk. You would run if someone's life depended on it, right. Well it does!

Get out there and RUN. Run for a revolution! Run like someone's life depended on it! BUT before you do go to www.run4revolution.com and join up so that you will be motivated knowing you are running to save lives.

IT'S POTTY TIME!!!

At Grayson's 18-month check-up his pediatrician recommended that we start potty training. She said that some boys train later, but he seemed to be showing some signs that he may be ready. So, I went out a bought a potty seat and it has been sitting in the box for about two weeks.

Today we decided to get the potty seat out. When we first set it up we sat Grayson on it for just a few minutes. Nothing happened, but I wasn't surprised by that.

Before bath we decided to let Grayson sit on his potty again. He sat for just about a minute before he asked for a book. Hmmmm, okay????? So, we got him a book. As soon as he got his book he pooped and had a pee pee in the potty. Then he tried to get up and said "done". I was shocked!

We gave him a treat, let him help with dumping the ummm deposit into the big potty, he flushed it and told it bye-bye, and then he washed his hands. What a big boy!!!! We are so proud. I do have one question. Are guys born with the desire to read while they do their business? I am certain he has never seen this and wonder what made him want a book. So strange?!?!?!

Battle Vegetable Continued

First, you can only read this post after reading the one right before it that I posted earlier today.

Okay now that I have that taken care of. . .

So Grayson did not give in for snack. He continued to refuse his vegetables and asked for cheese. Snack ended without him eating a bite. About an hour after snack I offered him a banana since he was SUPER cranky and I knew it was probably because he was hungry. He ate most of the banana.

About 2 1/2 hours later (earlier than we typically eat dinner) he started asking to eat. Since we were having leftovers tonight, it was pretty easy to get dinner ready and sit down to eat early for the little hungry guy. So, again out comes the peas and corn. Instantly Grayson started to fuss.

After 45 minutes of crying and one time out for getting REALLY loud and tantrumy (Yes that is a word) Grayson gave in. PRAISE GOD!!! Out of the blue he just started eating the peas and corn. As I suspected, he liked it just fine. He ate almost all of them. Just before he finished the veggies he got some beef stroganoff. Ahhhh, pasta! Just what he wanted.

Score one for Mommy and Daddy. Let's not have this battle again.

BATTLE VEGETABLE

At lunch today we had an all out war, Grayson style. Up until this point Grayson has been a very easy eater. There hasn't really been anything that he has refused to eat and nothing that he has seemed to hate. Like most people, he has his preferences. He loves pasta, bread, fruit, and cheese. Since around 11 months Grayson has been eating whatever we have for dinner. We sit down as a family and he eats what we are eating.

I guess I should back up and explain why Grayson eating what we eat and what we give him is important to us. We believe that God gives parents a very special job to train our children up according to His way. Most important to us is that Grayson learn the love of God and the saving Grace that comes from Jesus. There are also several other lessons that we feel come with training Grayson up to be a follower of God. I am sure by now you are thinking, what in the world does this have to do with eating. Well we feel that every moment of the day is a teaching moment. Meal times are no exception. Meal times present me with the opportunity to teach some lessons we feel God has called us to teach Grayson.

1. To be thankful for what God has blessed us with.
2. To not be wasteful of the resources that God has given us.
3. To obey his parents (manners, following directions, etc.)
4. To learn to take care of the bodies God has blessed us with through healthy eating habits.
5. To understand that you don't always get what you want right when you want it. Sometime you have to wait or sometimes answer is just no and you have to accept it and trust that your parents have made that decision in your best interest. Just as God does not always give us what we want when we want it.

In addition it is important to us that Grayson understand that he will eat what is prepared at meal time. Mommy is not a short order cook and although some nights we eat foods Grayson loves (pizza) sometimes he must find contentment in eating something that is not his favorite. I know, I know that is heavy stuff for an 18 month old. Well, we also believe that the training of a child starts at day one.

It is also important that we sit down as a family and have a meal together. That is an important time to come together as a family to talk about our days and share. We want to start this now so that Grayson grows up knowing that dinner time is family time. That little tid-bit doesn't really apply to today's adventure.

On to today's new battle. A while back we noticed that if we give Grayson a full plate of all that is for dinner, he will eat what he likes and push the rest aside. For example, if we are having chicken, rice, and peas. Grayson will eat the rice and maybe a little chicken. He will either put the peas in his bib or just push them aside. Grayson likes peas. He likes all vegetables. If that is all that is offered he eats them happily. So, for a while we have been giving Grayson his vegetables first just before we sit down and then after he eats most of those he gets the rest of his servings of the things he likes.

Well today Grayson figured out my trick. At lunch he was to be served peas, corn, cheese stick, and turkey on wheat. My plan was to give him the peas and corn first then give the turkey sandwich, and lastly give the cheese. The cheese is his favorite. So, I fix his peas and corn (which he typically loves). First he dumps them out of the bowl (umm, NOT allowed). We work together to put them back in the bowl as I explain that our food belongs in the bowl and not on our table. Then Grayson begins pointing to the fridge and says "chee" (Cheese). I say, "first you must eat your vegetables and then you can have cheese". HE REFUSED!!!! Never has this happened. He sat there whining and pointing for about 15 minutes. Finally, I say okay I will get the cheese, but you must eat some peas and corn first. I get the cheese out and set it on the counter as motivation. I then say, "First eat vegetables, then eat cheese." He pushes the bowl of vegetables away, says no, and reaches for the cheese. That lets me know he totally gets what I am expecting of him and he is refusing to comply. So there we sat. I ate my lunch and he became more and more upset as each moment passed. Eventually he is screaming. I try to feed him a bite of peas and he turns away. I get the cheese, and say take a bite of peas and you can have some cheese. He pushes the spoon away. So, the cheese went back on the counter. He screamed for 15 more minutes and never ate a bite. He stopped screaming and just sat there looking at me. Finally he said done and took his bib off.

So, lunch was over. I am sure some of my reader friends are thinking, "What?!?!?!? You didn't let him eat any lunch". My response is, Grayson chose to not eat lunch. He was served things he liked and he refused to eat them. Don't get me wrong, I will never force my child to eat something he hates. If it makes him gag to try to eat it then he will not have to eat it, but he typically loves peas and today he chose not to eat his lunch. He will not starve. Snack is served 4 hours after lunch and I will probably offer snack early today since he didn't eat lunch, but guess what. . .for snack he will again be offered vegetables.

My son will not go an entire day without eating his vegetables. That is not an option in this house. They are important for providing the vitamins and minerals he needs to be healthy. I bet at snack time he will be hungry enough to eat them and then he will get to enjoy a cheese stick. Then again, maybe we will go for Round 2. We shall see.

I do know that God will give me the strength, guidance, and patience to handle this the way that I need to and on the other side of this Grayson will have learned another important lesson.

BOO

Halloween has come and gone. It was a blast. We had lots of friends and family over for the big night. Grayson was a dinosaur. I will try my best to get a picture up here soon. I know I am terrible about that. He was adorable and loved his costume.

We practiced on Friday evening and Saturday morning trying to get him to say Trick or Treat. He could say it, but never did the entire time we were trick or treating. We had some of Grayson's friends over. Peyton was a horse, Rin was a love bug, and Lexie was Pooh Bear. They were all adorable.

After everyone arrived we loaded the kids up in the wagon and headed out to pay a visit to the neighborhood. All of the costumes described above were full furry suits purchased in early October by well intentioned parents who were determined to keep their kiddies warm while out on a late October evening. I don't remember a Halloween that has been remotely warm. Well low and behold this year it was like mid-July out. Here we are pulling these kids around the hilly neighborhood in a monster wagon. As if that wasn't enough work, at each stop we would get the kids out, help them up the sidewalk, carry them up the steps, and then put them down so they can get their treats, pick them back up, and go back to the wagon. All of us were sweating like freaks! It was crazy hot! I think we made it to like 10 houses before we were all too hot and exhausted to keep going.

The kids seemed to have a blast and that made it all worth while. After the first house Grayson totally got the concept that when he went to the door and Mommy said, "trick or treat" (because even after all that practice he acted like he didn't have a clue what to say) he got candy. He loved it!

After trick or treating we came back to our house for a hot dog and mac and cheese dinner. We had lots of friends over from our small group and then my mom, troy, ret, my dad, Brooke, Bradley, and Peyton came. I selected our menu based on what my mom served my sister and I every Halloween of our childhood and our friends brought other sides. The hot dog tradition continues!

Unfortunately Sue wasn't able to come. She was actually in Raleigh at Wake Med. Sue had back surgery last Thursday. The surgery went well and she is home now, but was in no shape to join us on Halloween. Instead we took Grayson up to see her on Sunday in his costume. We are praying for a speedy easy recovery for Granny Sue.

So Halloween has passed. I am already thinking about what we can dress Grayson up as next year. HMMMMMMM.