Potty Training

I have a love/hate relationship with potty training. I love to see the kids master a skill and it makes me so proud of them. I hate the hours I have to sit with them on the floor of the bathroom while they sit on their potty chair and wait for the potty..sometimes endlessly. Adam has been ready to potty train for a while but has angrily fought me about using the potty. He insists he does not want to wear underwear & is perfectly happy in his diapers. The few times I have forced him to sit on the toilet, he has cried angrily and even taken a few swings at me. When I told him I would be so happy if he went potty in his toilet, he informed me in a bitterly angry voice that he did not want me to be happy! So we've been approaching the issue of potty training very lightly around here. We've talked about it a ton but I'm nervous to push it too hard when it makes him so upset. The other day he asked where his underwear was. When I showed it too him, I asked if he wanted to try wearing it the next day. I was shocked when he told me yes. I was even more shocked when the next morning, he hadn't changed his mind and he allowed me to put them on him. He wore them all morning and told me when he had to go the first time (it still took about 45 mins for him to produce). I was so excited for him. We left to run a few errands, I brought along a change of clothes and his potty chair, just in case. He lasted the whole time we were gone, but came home and had an accident right on the floor. I was happy to return him to diapers at nap time for a break. Since then, I have been giving him a little more pressure to spend some time in underwear each day and go on his potty. It's still not his favorite thing but at least he's complying. We have yet to reach the #2 milestone so that will be interesting. This morning I woke up at 5:45 to him crying. I went to his room and he told me he had to go potty I asked him if he wanted to go on his potty chair or in his diaper. I was too tired to push the potty chair if he wasn't interested. He said potty so I got him out of bed and took him to the bathroom. I was instructed to go get daddy so he could announce that he was using the potty, luckily Trevor was already awake. He asked for books, games, toys...I was like its 5:45 in the morning and still dark outside. Go potty so we can go back to bed! That never happened though. He did go potty after about 20 mins. He was eating his reward if a chocolate bar by 6:15 and then snuggled on the couch with daddy to watch TV. None of us have been able to go back to sleep. It's going to be a long morning and long day for Trevor who doesn't have the luxury of taking naps like I sometimes do. 

Penny Muncher

Adam had an interesting rite of passage tonight (sadly, it wasn't giving up his binky). He swallowed a penny. He was sitting on the couch next to me, playing while I checked my email. Both of us were enjoying a relaxing Saturday evening when he told me, "mommy I choked." I didn't even notice he had choked but instantly knew the penny was the culprit. I knew he was playing with one, but of course I never dreamed it would end up in his mouth. "Spit that penny out of your mouth!" I told him. "It went in my belly" he said. Ahhhh!!! Trevor walked in the door just as I was saying, "The penny went to your belly???" We looked up online what our next step should be. It said as long as he wasn't having any difficulty breathing the penny should pass on it's own in the next 24 hours. It's such a helpless feeling waiting for this foreign object to make its way through my 2 year old's body. I've never been so anxious for him to poop!!!

Library Trips

For the past few summers, we have been participating in the library's summer reading program. This year, Adam has wanted to bring books home just like his older brothers. I tell him to go pick out some books and he brings a few back. Well, I didn't realize what book he chose to bring home until it made the trip. 

It is called "On The Day His Daddy Left" and it is a book about divorce. Hahaha! I won't be reading that to him for his bedtime story! Poor kid would have nightmares. I told Trevor that now if we ever do get divorced, I will have a resource for our kids. Hahaha!

A New Superhero in the House

I usually leave the toy closet locked since the boys like to take EVERYTHING out at once and dump it all over the floor. Since it is summertime, I have been a little more lax about the door being unlocked. The fact that the entire contents of the closet still end up on the basement floor has not changed, but Adam has had the opportunity to discover something wonderful in the closet.

 

COSTUMES! He was coming to me every few minutes with a new costume to help him put on.

After about 4 costume changes, this turned out to be his desired outfit. A Wolverine mask, a Batman cape, a Ninja shirt and Pirate pants. He wore this exact costume for 2 days, even out to the grocery store. Jacob was so concerned that people would be laughing at Adam. I reminded him that he used to wear plenty of costumes in his day.

Here are only a few shots of proof:

Jacob in 2007. Same Pirate pants.

 

Apologies

Sorry to whoever's job it is to clean this window at Bath & Body Works. 

It was just too irresistible!

At least he was good while we were shopping!

Pedicures

I didn't have the heart to explain to him that (most) boys don't get pedicures or that his daddy would not enjoy seeing these pictures! At least I was firm when he asked me to paint his toe nails. I learned that lesson long ago when I compromised with Jacob by painting them clear, so no one would notice. Apparently that is not ok either!

Mother's Day

My boys spoiled me with gifts this Mother's Day. The best part was watching how excited they were to present them to me!

Hunter made this plate in class. He informed me that I was not allowed to put food on it, it was just for decoration.

He also made me this sweet Mother's Day card. I was a little suspicious about the drawing cause it looked like he had some help. He told me that Mrs. Knoles helped him.

Hunter is really good at melting my heart. His teacher told me she thought his card was SO sweet and she was going to copy it before he took it home to me, but she didn't have a chance to. I sent her this picture so Hunter can continue to melt her heart.

Back of the card

Jacob came home from scouts with this present for me. It is a recipe holder with this handwritten recipe:

 

Mother's Love

Dash of fun

Pinch of humor

5 cups of love

2 listening ears

dash of unselfishness

Mix well. Bake in trial for many years

 

Then a few days later, Jacob brought me a Mother's Day present home from school.

His 2nd grade class made a cookbook. He put it into place on the recipe holder he made me.

Here is his recipe. I made roasted potatoes one night and used rosemary from our plant in the back yard. Jacob was so shocked that I used the plant in our meal and that it tasted good. He asked me one night after I made them if I could tell him the recipe. He was secretly doing it to put it in the cookbook. So cute!

 

Trevor surprised me with flowers and a card and made me some yummy breakfast. Then I got to take a nap before church, which is one of my favorite activities and probably the best Mother's Day present of all!  We usually go to my mom & dad's for Mother's Day dinner but they decided to take this year off and go to Disneyland. I did miss a yummy home-cooked meal that night as I ate my frozen pizza at home for dinner. But I was glad my mom was able to relax and not stressing out preparing a family dinner for everyone.

Trevor and I are so blessed to have been raised by righteous and loving mothers. We are so grateful for all the sacrifices made on our behalf. Being a mother myself, it is easier to understand a little of what our mothers had to endure. They made it look SO easy! I still don't know how my mom could've raised 13 kids and Trevor's mom 6. That is a testament in itself. It takes a great woman to be able to handle all those kids!

Happy Mother's Day to our mothers!

We love you and hope you are having a nice, relaxing day celebrating your awesomeness!