Caleb spent 45 minutes today under his bed...as close to the wall as he could get...screaming his head off. Before you call Child Protective Services, no, I don't put my child under the bed for a time-out. Under the bed is where he times himself out, and as it is safe and secure for him, that is where I let him stay until he is ready to come out.

When we were in China, I became emotionally exhausted with new sights, smells and sounds...and I knew I only had to endure the "differentness" for two weeks. Sure, there were and are parts about China that I love, such as the amazing history and culture and friendliness of the people. I find the ancient architecture and calligraphy both beautiful to behold.

Other parts, however, continue to be foreign enough to make me uneasy. Eating fried kidneys, no matter what animal it came from, will never be appealing to me. A friend from Taiwan who fed me quail eggs yesterday told me that her sister-in-law eats chicken testicles. I know if I had to eat that, I too would be under the bed, near the wall, kicking and screaming.

My little emperor doesn't like to be given a time-out, and that is often when he loses it. It's actually a time-in where he has to sit near me, and that is even more excruciatingly painful to him. He is very loving and gives affection, but when he is angry, he wants to be alone.

Today he chose to take the soccer ball that the neighbor children were playing with and kicked it a good 50 yards down the street. He was quite proud of himself and came running back laughing until he saw that Mom was not smiling. He had already been taunting them and vying for attention in negative ways, so when he did this, I decided it was time for him to come in the house. He didn't agree, and hence the meltdown started.

Continued...