Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Adventures in Potty Training - Part 4.1

Part 4.1.

So, I wrote a post last week about what an AWESOME time I was having trying to do the potty training thing again. Without giving away the ending, I can report that almost a week later, we are still working on it. (Who am I kidding, there is no "ending"). To be honest, I did not expect to be entering into part 4 so soon. Not after the first failed attempt at a potty training weekend. I didn't want to go through it all over again, just to wind up buying more diapers at the end of it.

As you can read, this is part 4.1, which means once again I am making this too long for one post - so tune in for the next 2 parts!! :) Such a teaser...


The Reason We Tried Again

Dan and I decided we needed to find consistent times (in addition to already using the potty right before bath time and bed time) to get Evan to the potty so he gets used to it as a part of his daily routine. We figured that would be the best way to "re-introduce" the potty training idea again.

I decided on Wednesday morning last week as I was changing his diaper, those would be the times I would get him to use the potty - before putting on a new diaper.

Evan threw a stubborn 3-year-old fit when I told him to use the potty.

Knowing full well that he can make it to the potty on time while naked, I just didn't bother putting any clothes on him and went about my morning. I heard him run to the bathroom when I was in the other room feeding the girls. Then he ran out, and back in soon after. Then he yells out "I poopied!"

Uh, Awesome!

I'm thinking to myself, alright, one less mess I have to clean up today! What I wasn't expecting was that he would ask about wearing underwear after he walked out of the bathroom. Hmm, I thought to myself - ok, this just. might. work.

But then I remembered that he has this pesky problem with realizing the difference between underwear and diapers.

ugh.

Too late now, the gauntlet has been thrown down. He asked about underwear all on his own, and he even pooped in the potty (which he has done before). I have been told by numerous sources that pooping is THE obstacle. So if we can already say we are past that obstacle, then by all means, the kid is just being stubborn and he's "ready."

But really, am I ready to deal with this reaction:

To catch up on all the fun:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3.1
Part 3.2
Part 3.3

Friday, June 26, 2009

fear not


I was always worried that I would pass my fears along to my kids.




I am afraid of bugs.




Apparently I did not pass my fear along to Evan.





Phew.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

give me a break, give me a break...

Can I take a sabbatical?




Is that allowed?




Just from the bodily fluids. The pee. The poop. The spit up. The spit. The boogers. The tears. The snot. I could keep going, but I'm guessing you get the hint.


I'll keep all the hugs and kisses and smiles and coos, even some of the messes and especially the reading and playing.


Can I do that?


rats.


We are attempting to enter back into the world of potty training and it is really making me not want to deal with any of the messy crap (pardon the pun).
Here is just a small peek into my life right now:




That was the reaction when I told him to go sit on the potty after nap time yesterday. He is still napping right now, so we'll see how it goes...

I'll write more about it later after we determine if part 4 was a success or not... I'm voting for success, but who knows, I may be overruled.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Oh, deer

We went to a picnic sponsored by our Parents as Teachers program earlier this week and we were able to feed some deer (surprisingly fun), and see snakes (ugh), fish, turtles...



Did you know that deer shed their antlers every year and grow them back?

Just one more little tidbit of info that Dan has stored in his brain...

I never knew. Until today...



The girls had a blast...



Just some pretty flowers from the day...


Tuesday, June 23, 2009

The Eyes Have It

Brynn

Avery

Evan

Monday, June 22, 2009

All the stuff that's keepin' us busy


Avery & Brynn have changed up their routine again. They dropped a feeding last week. They are now eating 4x's a day around 8oz.


They are getting used to eating cereal - it's always amusing to watch their reactions as they get used to this new, weird spoon thing I keep putting in their mouths!! We are going to start trying oatmeal cereal this week and see how they do!!

Avery has been practicing holding her own bottle:


and working on sitting up all by herself!


Brynn has been working SOOOO hard on rolling from her back to her tummy. She gets flipped over, but just can't quite get over her shoulder...



(That's actually Avery crying in the background. Brynn doesn't really get worked up when she can't get something - she just keeps at it...)


[I was really hoping by the time I posted this she would be rolling over to her tummy, but she isn't. I started this post a week ago... She just keeps trying!]

Brynn is the happiest, giggliest (is that a word?) baby! She will just start smiling or giggling out of nowhere - and it is completely infectious! I love it! You can't help but smile back at her!




Evan has been working on learning how to get his shirt on all by himself. He does get pretty frustrated when he can't figure something out the first time around...



But he is OH so happy when he finally gets it!!




I am loving reading to the kids...




And Dan, is just busy being Dan! And taking upside down pictures of himself... :)



Sunday, June 21, 2009

The Modern Father's Day


So, you know the stereo typical picture of a Dad on Father's day - sitting on the couch in front of the TV...

Well, here is a sign of the times...





We had a wonderful Father's Day!



Friday, June 19, 2009

Happy Anniversary...

...to my parents!



Thirty-Eight *38* years!!



Wow!


Love to you both,

Here's to 38 more!!





Thursday, June 18, 2009

Gone fishn'

I took Evan and my mother-in-law to a Go Fish concert a couple nights ago. Yeah, a concert, in our po-dunk town! I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The tagline for the group is "Music for kids that won't drive parents bonkers." Ya know, like the purple dinosaur and the wiggly dudes...


I really found myself enjoying it quite a bit! They have a very modern spin to music that kids and parents really like - and it's Christian-based music, so kids are learning about the Bible at the same time.


They even wrote a song especially for Dan, I mean, Dads called "It's Hard To Be Cool (In A Mini-Van)". [for those of you who know Dan's adamant stance on mini-van's - this is hilarious]



Evan tried to sit in his own chair and he wasn't heavy enough to keep it down... it folded him right up!

Even with all the great music, here was the highlight of Evan's evening (during intermission):











...oh, and bytheway, we DO own a mini-van...

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Bows

I love bows.





I want to put bows in my girls hair.





My girls have no hair.





So what should I do?

Oh, don't worry, I'll answer that question...






Make cute little bows and use vaseline to somehow get them to stick.




They don't stick. For very long, anyway.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

play dates and bubbles

I just learned something very important about raising twins.

Yesterday I went to a play date at the park with another mother of twins, and my sister-in-law. (and all the kids, of course)

The "big" kids were over at the splash pad and I was sitting a little distance away at the picnic table feeding Avery & Brynn. Well, I noticed Evan was pushing the girls (twins who are 3-1/2), but I wasn't close enough to know why. I thought it was a little out of character for him, and I mentioned something to the girls' mom when she came back over to the table.

She told me that Evan just didn't want them so close to him and that twins don't really understand personal space. (and obviously my 3-year-old doesn't understand how to politely tell someone to stay out of his personal bubble)

It really does make a lot of sense, but to me (not a twin), I wouldn't have had a clue until I figured it out the hard way with Avery and Brynn (who shared tight quarters for nearly 9 months, who currently share a crib, and who are always right next to each other).

I suppose we will just cross that bridge when we get there with the girls, but for now it's one of those experiences you appreciate learning about from someone who has been-there-done-that.


And now for my favorite pictures of the day (hopefully I can get my hands on the other pictures that were taken that day - I'll post if I can):

Evan and his cousin, Avah



The park has a Children's Zoo - it's a little mini-farm with lots of ducks, cows, pigs, a donkey (fittingly named - by the way), some prarie-dogs, roosters, chickens, ok I'm done.


Monday, June 15, 2009

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

My Grandpa B is 95 today!


Yes, NINETY-FIVE!






Lookin' good!

Friday, June 12, 2009

What ever shall we do...

...on a warm and sunny day?










Why, play in the water, of course!


Thursday, June 11, 2009

Garlic



Ok, so I am probably THE ONLY ONE who didn't know this. But, just in case there are any of you out there who are fairly new to cooking... I mean, with actual ingredients (not out of a box). When a recipe calls for 2 cloves of garlic - only use 2 cloves of garlic. If you buy a thing of garlic (I have no idea what it is even called), there are LOTS of cloves inside.


To answer your burning question, no, I did not actually use 2 whole things of garlic in my latest recipe attempt (which is the brown sugar chicken from the crockpot lady - thanks, Angela!). I fortunately called my mom first to ask her what to do. Because I have never (yes, NEVER) cooked with garlic, and I had no idea what to do with it! Until today. SO glad I called, because I was fully prepared to put ALL OF IT IN MY DISH!
For reference - this is a THING of garlic:

And this is a CLOVE of garlic:

Ok, you can stop laughing at me now...

No Carrots, No Jello


One of the days I took the kids to Kindermusik I "bribed" Evan (ok, no quotes, I just downright bribed him) that if he was a good boy I would give him a treat after we got home. One of the Mom's leaned over and told me she was glad to hear she wasn't the only one who bribed her kids. I laughed and said "Ya gotta do what ya gotta do!"


So yes, I can proudly say that I bribe Evan when necessary.

(To be totally honest though, it rarely works.)


Here is an example:

I told him at lunch for a week straight - if you eat your carrots, you can have the jello. (He LOVES this jello)



He was more than happy to eat his watermelon, and play with the carrots...


I think maybe he was seriously considering it...

But alas, the jello was not good enough to get him to eat his carrots...






The joke is on him, though. I made a carrot-sweet potato mash the other night and he ate it. And I didn't give him jello. But I did have to put some marshmallows on top...

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