As many of you may know, we are in the trenches of potty training and I have to say we are doing really, really AWESOME! All three have really taken to wearing "underweres" as soon as they take their morning constitutional! (Typical Men!) Pull-ups are only on at nap (if they stay on) and nighttime (no issues there!).
Parker, Preston and Peyton have devised several tips for future potty trainees and I thought I should share them with you....
- if you are looking for a good time, just put the end of the toilet paper roll into the toilet and flush....depending on your brand, it will swirl forever (*Note....if coming to my house, the powder room does not have any TP in site, so make sure you request it before entering)
- if your brothers won't let you around the bowl and you really have to go....use a dust pan (Parker thought of this one all on his own) and empty into the bowl when the brothers are done
- if you are having a hard time deciding between dinosaurs, Thomas and blue camo, just wear them all in your favorite order...Mom really doesn't mind doing more laundry
- if you really don't want to take a nap, keep telling Mom you have to pee, pee....she feels guilty not letting you go because she is not sure (at first) if you really have to or just stalling and then get your brothers on the band wagon...this could go on for 20 minutes
On to Number 2, yes, the Number 2....we have not perfected this part of potty training yet, but we are getting close....each one has had their day, but not the constant we have for Number 1. So we are still working on this, but I have to tell you that the old Number 2 has come into "play" lately and I realize that we are not the only one.....
You see, when Published Authors blog about their kids making murals out of self produced mediums, I do not feel so bad about my boys experimenting as well! I do not like it or condone it one bit, and if would happen again I would go nuts....but I have to say.....many of my dear, close friends have experienced some artwork as well. This is the stuff that binds you through time.....when you can call a person up and cry because you have to steam clean carpet or scrub toys and walls in the name of ART. When I talk to Lauri and say....Guess what happened today, she (mom of 3 boys) says right away "Does it have to do with boogers or poop?" At least she understands and has been there! It happens more than you think, so remember you are not alone.
So for all of you brave souls out there potty training - keep up the good work, being consistent and M&M's is the key! I don't know if we would be where we are today without those little chocolate candies....but shhhhhhhh....don't tell Dr. Collins, they have a cleaning in 2 weeks :)
March 10, 2009
March 9, 2009
Tuckahoe State Park
Saturday we ventured to one of the neatest parks ever....Tuckahoe State Park. They have a lake to fish, canoe or kayak...a hoarse back riding trail...a campground...several walking paths...and a playground made mostly from recycled tires. We are planning to take Helena on her first overnight camping trip there in the spring!
We headed for the playground and the kids had a blast! Climbing, running, jumping, sliding, more climbing, running, jumping, sliding, stick/rock throwing (into the lake, not at each other), etc.
While there we saw another family that was in the NICU with us at AAMC. Their twins were born a few days after our boys and were about 6 weeks early, but they are doing great! Nice to see and hear good things these days! They are in potty training mode as well, so we had a few tactics to discuss while trying to keep track of all the kiddos!
After 2 hours at the park, we headed home. On the way, I decided I needed an iced-coffee and over here on the shore you have 2 choices...Mc D's or Dunkin Donuts....so I went with Mc D's so Jason (who wanted nothing) could get an XXXXXL Sweet Tea. Now all the kids have conked out, except for Helena who hears us and immediately asks for nuggets and fries. So.....
I am turning into said parking lot when I respond to a question my husband has asked and brush the curb with the back tire, passenger side. He replies, barely audible....J**** C***** Denise!
So my backseat driver, replies, loudly...J**** C*****, Mommy! Jason goes to correct said behavior, but I cut him off with a stare and brush the other curb with my front drivers side tire! Awesome! NOT!
I do not condone what she repeated, I wanted him to admit to her that he should not have said it either! I was just trying to be a good Mom!!! And being a good Dad, while trying not to laugh to hard he did correct everyone!
So now, everyone is up and notices that we are in the coveted Golden Arches drive thru and the crowd goes WILD! It was like being at a Maryland Game, but instead of Go Maryland! it was Yeah! Chicken Nuggets! My goodness, it had been a whole 2 hours since their last snack and 20 minutes since there last juice fix....what was I thinking trying to get home. So I caved, and we fixed everyone up with a snack of 2 nuggets and some fries. They ate it all!
Later that night, I had a craving for a good cheese steak, and since I take Saturday night off in the kitchen, we ordered from Carletto in Sudlersville. This place has the best homemade food, their spaghetti with meat sauce rivals Sabatinos any day. So I order a large (18") sub for me and Jason to split, a large cheese pizza for the kids (knowing there would be leftovers for breakfast or lunch tomorrow) and an order of fries.
We sit down to eat and when all is said and done....Parker and Preston ate 1 and 1/2 slices of pizza each, Peyton ate 2 slices, Helena had a slice and half of Jason's sub, Jason had the other half and a slice, I had my half of sub and we split the fries....there was only 1 piece of pizza left in the box when I was cleaning up! So much for leftover cold pizza for breakfast.....
We headed for the playground and the kids had a blast! Climbing, running, jumping, sliding, more climbing, running, jumping, sliding, stick/rock throwing (into the lake, not at each other), etc.
While there we saw another family that was in the NICU with us at AAMC. Their twins were born a few days after our boys and were about 6 weeks early, but they are doing great! Nice to see and hear good things these days! They are in potty training mode as well, so we had a few tactics to discuss while trying to keep track of all the kiddos!
After 2 hours at the park, we headed home. On the way, I decided I needed an iced-coffee and over here on the shore you have 2 choices...Mc D's or Dunkin Donuts....so I went with Mc D's so Jason (who wanted nothing) could get an XXXXXL Sweet Tea. Now all the kids have conked out, except for Helena who hears us and immediately asks for nuggets and fries. So.....
I am turning into said parking lot when I respond to a question my husband has asked and brush the curb with the back tire, passenger side. He replies, barely audible....J**** C***** Denise!
So my backseat driver, replies, loudly...J**** C*****, Mommy! Jason goes to correct said behavior, but I cut him off with a stare and brush the other curb with my front drivers side tire! Awesome! NOT!
I do not condone what she repeated, I wanted him to admit to her that he should not have said it either! I was just trying to be a good Mom!!! And being a good Dad, while trying not to laugh to hard he did correct everyone!
So now, everyone is up and notices that we are in the coveted Golden Arches drive thru and the crowd goes WILD! It was like being at a Maryland Game, but instead of Go Maryland! it was Yeah! Chicken Nuggets! My goodness, it had been a whole 2 hours since their last snack and 20 minutes since there last juice fix....what was I thinking trying to get home. So I caved, and we fixed everyone up with a snack of 2 nuggets and some fries. They ate it all!
Later that night, I had a craving for a good cheese steak, and since I take Saturday night off in the kitchen, we ordered from Carletto in Sudlersville. This place has the best homemade food, their spaghetti with meat sauce rivals Sabatinos any day. So I order a large (18") sub for me and Jason to split, a large cheese pizza for the kids (knowing there would be leftovers for breakfast or lunch tomorrow) and an order of fries.
We sit down to eat and when all is said and done....Parker and Preston ate 1 and 1/2 slices of pizza each, Peyton ate 2 slices, Helena had a slice and half of Jason's sub, Jason had the other half and a slice, I had my half of sub and we split the fries....there was only 1 piece of pizza left in the box when I was cleaning up! So much for leftover cold pizza for breakfast.....
March 2, 2009
Snow Day - My Love/Hate Relationship
As a kid I could not wait until the radio announcer said......"Baltimore County Schools Closed for Snow!" What more could a kid ask for.....no school, awesome! Now as a parent in 2009, I wait for the e-mail, saying "QA County Schools Closed for Snow!" and I have a love/hate relationship with it. Jason left the house at 3:00 pm on Sunday and got home today at 7:00 pm (no sleep in 36 hours). So his love hate relationship is a little different than mine......
I love to watch Helena's face when she wakes up and sees a blanket of white in our yard. She is a big fan of the snow angel, so the first thing after breakfast is....."Mommy when can we go outside?" The boys love the 'no as well. They look out the window and get just as excited, but not really knowing why, just yet.
Since the blanket of white began last night, everyone in our house, including me, was waiting for today so we could go out and play. So just before lunch we start out 40 minute ritual of getting ready....
3 new pull-ups - check
4 new sweatsuits - check
4 pair of woolly socks - check
3 sets of snow bibs - check
1 pair of snow pants - check
4 coats - check
....now someone has a poopy diaper.....
1 new diaper - check
1 redressed kid - check
4 sets of boots - check
4 hats, scarves and set of mittens - check
.....now Helena has to go......
1 redressed kid - check
1 dressed Mommy with camera - check
so out the door we go........until.....
30 seconds later Parker takes off his mittens and falls into the snow....he lets out a scream that was probably heard in Baltimore and wants to come inside...10 minutes after that Peyton is mad he cannot ride his car on the driveway because the snow is too deep and he wants to come inside....Preston and Helena (after making her famous snow angel) are shoveling the sidewalk and having a blast!
Mommy is redressing Parker who is mad that I won't take him immediately inside and Peyton is refusing to play with anything except the stuck Cozy Coupe. Preston and Helena are still shoveling the sidewalk and having a blast!
I see a pattern here!
Mommy starts to shovel with Helena and Preston, but notices that Parker and Peyton are snow covered and going into the house. Mommy stops assisting in the fun to undress the 2 party poopers before they make it into the living room. Helena and Preston....still having a blast!
Thank goodness for Thomas the Train......Mommy puts said party poopers in living room to watch a show while finishing the front steps with Preston and Helena.....
Now it is time for lunch, and I do said dressing ritual in reverse order and begin to prepare spaghetti lunch.....WOW! That was FUN!
I love to watch Helena's face when she wakes up and sees a blanket of white in our yard. She is a big fan of the snow angel, so the first thing after breakfast is....."Mommy when can we go outside?" The boys love the 'no as well. They look out the window and get just as excited, but not really knowing why, just yet.
Since the blanket of white began last night, everyone in our house, including me, was waiting for today so we could go out and play. So just before lunch we start out 40 minute ritual of getting ready....
3 new pull-ups - check
4 new sweatsuits - check
4 pair of woolly socks - check
3 sets of snow bibs - check
1 pair of snow pants - check
4 coats - check
....now someone has a poopy diaper.....
1 new diaper - check
1 redressed kid - check
4 sets of boots - check
4 hats, scarves and set of mittens - check
.....now Helena has to go......
1 redressed kid - check
1 dressed Mommy with camera - check
so out the door we go........until.....
30 seconds later Parker takes off his mittens and falls into the snow....he lets out a scream that was probably heard in Baltimore and wants to come inside...10 minutes after that Peyton is mad he cannot ride his car on the driveway because the snow is too deep and he wants to come inside....Preston and Helena (after making her famous snow angel) are shoveling the sidewalk and having a blast!
Mommy is redressing Parker who is mad that I won't take him immediately inside and Peyton is refusing to play with anything except the stuck Cozy Coupe. Preston and Helena are still shoveling the sidewalk and having a blast!
I see a pattern here!
Mommy starts to shovel with Helena and Preston, but notices that Parker and Peyton are snow covered and going into the house. Mommy stops assisting in the fun to undress the 2 party poopers before they make it into the living room. Helena and Preston....still having a blast!
Thank goodness for Thomas the Train......Mommy puts said party poopers in living room to watch a show while finishing the front steps with Preston and Helena.....
Now it is time for lunch, and I do said dressing ritual in reverse order and begin to prepare spaghetti lunch.....WOW! That was FUN!
March 1, 2009
Crazy Busy.....Definition of My Life
OK, so things have been really crazy around the house the last week for the following reasons -
1. I have 4 kids 5 years old and under, plus a big one age 35....controlled chaos at it's best! Who am I kidding....some days I have no control :)
2. I am potty training 3 of them, it is going really, really well, but persistence is the key here!
3. I was getting ready for the AMOM Yard Sale and tagging, tagging, tagging.
4. Helena had a fever on Wednesday, the beginning of the bug that is going around.
5. 4 out of 6 of us had a "bug" Thursday and Friday.
6. Friday and Saturday were the Yard Sale, HUGH SUCCESS by the way!!
7. Friday, after 20 hours of work, Jason's Slide Show (Pops Birthday Present from Us) did not work, but thanks to Jimmy Miller and several more hours of hard work on his part, our a**es were saved and the present was a huge success!!!
8. Life in General - in the end I would not change a thing....the reality is I would not know what to do if I did not have 4 munchkins keeping me on my toes 24/7, how boring life would be without my sons constantly conspiring against me and a 5 year old princess thinking she going to take over my job as "the boss" instead of being my "second in command".... I love them to pieces.....and the big one...YEAH... I love him too, even though he can make me just as crazy as the 4 little ones!!
and the list could go on and on .......and that is why I have been a blogging slacker! No worries though, it is snowing its buns off outside, I am talking inches and I am sure I will have some fun stuff to talk about after our Snow Day tomorrow!!!
1. I have 4 kids 5 years old and under, plus a big one age 35....controlled chaos at it's best! Who am I kidding....some days I have no control :)
2. I am potty training 3 of them, it is going really, really well, but persistence is the key here!
3. I was getting ready for the AMOM Yard Sale and tagging, tagging, tagging.
4. Helena had a fever on Wednesday, the beginning of the bug that is going around.
5. 4 out of 6 of us had a "bug" Thursday and Friday.
6. Friday and Saturday were the Yard Sale, HUGH SUCCESS by the way!!
7. Friday, after 20 hours of work, Jason's Slide Show (Pops Birthday Present from Us) did not work, but thanks to Jimmy Miller and several more hours of hard work on his part, our a**es were saved and the present was a huge success!!!
8. Life in General - in the end I would not change a thing....the reality is I would not know what to do if I did not have 4 munchkins keeping me on my toes 24/7, how boring life would be without my sons constantly conspiring against me and a 5 year old princess thinking she going to take over my job as "the boss" instead of being my "second in command".... I love them to pieces.....and the big one...YEAH... I love him too, even though he can make me just as crazy as the 4 little ones!!
and the list could go on and on .......and that is why I have been a blogging slacker! No worries though, it is snowing its buns off outside, I am talking inches and I am sure I will have some fun stuff to talk about after our Snow Day tomorrow!!!
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