Clark's prayers are always pretty freestyle. He's sure to mention friends, toys, naps, shows and the like when it's his turn for family prayer. My favorite supplication recently was: "Thank you for the choo choo train. Thank you for the potty train."
He keeps us laughing, and is redefining the term "reverence".
Friday, June 24, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Potty Training
I can't believe that I've been blogging long enough to write about potty training twice, but it looks like we're about to get in the thick of things again. Clark actually knows how to go in the potty- like you stick him on there and say, okay, can you pee? and then he pees. And then you say, do you have any more? and he says, yeah! and then he pees some more. You can do this a few times. It's kind of amusing. So, we bought underpants yesterday (Thomas and Diego) and I think we'll switch over to them next week. Crazy.
So, every kid is different, and I guess that my kids definitely prove that adage. My girls were "potty training" for about a year before they got it, and Clark's personality is much different from either of their's. He's very outgoing and happy to try to do new things. He also loves to do what his big sisters do, so that is a big help. But, there are a few things that I learned last time that I am for sure not doing this time.
1. No pullups! Those things are so expensive and so pointless. They will not help with the training process at all as they are exactly like diapers (in terms of absorbancy, not in terms of ease of changing or cost). I'm pretty sure that Clark will need some backup at night and during nap time, but diapers are for sure the way to go.
2. No little potties! Now, with the girls, I felt like I had to have 2 potties together so they could sit at the same time, but I think that it ended up being a hindrance to us in the long run. I had to carry a potty seat around with us everywhere we went so they could actually sit on a toilet when we were out and not freak out. Now, this may just be a personality thing, but I'm pretty sure if we had just started out with a stepstool and a regular toilet, we would have been just fine.
3. No rewards! Since Clark doesn't know that potty rewards exist and he's happily going (thus far) we're not doing rewards. The girls got a jellybean every time they went, which I eventually had to wean them off of. I'm fine with bribery, but in its place. If your kid needs an incentive to sit on the potty and go, then I think it's a great thing to do. But since Clark is so pleased just to be doing this on his own, I don't think that bribery will be an issue.
Knock on a billion porcelain potties, I know that even writing this post puts me in line for some serious retribution, but I hope to be able to report back in a few weeks with some positive potty news. Are you glad that you don't have to read the word "potty" any more?
So, every kid is different, and I guess that my kids definitely prove that adage. My girls were "potty training" for about a year before they got it, and Clark's personality is much different from either of their's. He's very outgoing and happy to try to do new things. He also loves to do what his big sisters do, so that is a big help. But, there are a few things that I learned last time that I am for sure not doing this time.
1. No pullups! Those things are so expensive and so pointless. They will not help with the training process at all as they are exactly like diapers (in terms of absorbancy, not in terms of ease of changing or cost). I'm pretty sure that Clark will need some backup at night and during nap time, but diapers are for sure the way to go.
2. No little potties! Now, with the girls, I felt like I had to have 2 potties together so they could sit at the same time, but I think that it ended up being a hindrance to us in the long run. I had to carry a potty seat around with us everywhere we went so they could actually sit on a toilet when we were out and not freak out. Now, this may just be a personality thing, but I'm pretty sure if we had just started out with a stepstool and a regular toilet, we would have been just fine.
3. No rewards! Since Clark doesn't know that potty rewards exist and he's happily going (thus far) we're not doing rewards. The girls got a jellybean every time they went, which I eventually had to wean them off of. I'm fine with bribery, but in its place. If your kid needs an incentive to sit on the potty and go, then I think it's a great thing to do. But since Clark is so pleased just to be doing this on his own, I don't think that bribery will be an issue.
Knock on a billion porcelain potties, I know that even writing this post puts me in line for some serious retribution, but I hope to be able to report back in a few weeks with some positive potty news. Are you glad that you don't have to read the word "potty" any more?
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Your Firearms are Useless Against Them
We have a wasp's nest in our chiminea. You know, that outdoors fireplace thing.
Anyone not scared to get it out? I will give you anything if you will come over and remove it. Or even just knock it down and spray water on it or something. Cake? Cookies? A new skirt? Money? But not fudge. I have not yet mastered the art of making fudge.
Anyone not scared to get it out? I will give you anything if you will come over and remove it. Or even just knock it down and spray water on it or something. Cake? Cookies? A new skirt? Money? But not fudge. I have not yet mastered the art of making fudge.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Being Hard on Myself
I feel a little like I am losing my grip on life. Today I said a lot of stupid things to people. And why am I always acting so superior? I'm not doing the right things to teach my kids, my home is messy as always, and tonight for dinner we had frozen pretzels from the dollar store that I tried to doctor up with turkey pepperoni and some cheese. I'm sure that good things happened today too. Actually, I know they did. But why is it so easy to focus on the negative instead of the positive? And why do I say and do the things I do?
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Is it a Sausage? Is it a Grits?
The thing that I like about travelling to new places is that it humbles me. I usually think that I have life and people and stuff all figured out, but it's nice to know that this is not the case. People are living lives quite unlike mine and they're happy and I'm happy and we're all good. One experience that I had in a Jackson, Mississippi Wal-Mart made one of these differences very apparent. I will write it in play form so you can act it out with your friends and family.
Me: (approaching Wal-Mart employee) Excuse me, do you have tofu?
Wal-Mart Employee #1: I'm sorry?
Me: Do you carry tofu?
1: I'm sorry, is that a food?
Me: (somewhat embarrassed) Yes, it's made of soy, it's a vegetarian-type product. It's white, and comes in a little white box with water surrounding it.
1: Hmmm, I may have to call someone on this.
Me: Okay, sorry. It's usually in the refrigerator section. [at this point I am beginning to realize that I am the problem- I mean, why didn't I just look near the produce instead of by the vast carnivorous stretch of turkey necks and pigs' feet? I do not know]
1: (gets on his walkie talkie- some confusion about the purpose of the call ensues) Okay, Linda will be here in a minute, she's just in cereals.
Me: Thank you
Linda: Now, what is it that you all are looking for?
Me: Tofu
1: We have some vegetarian-type products in the frozen foods- sausage and such.
Me: It's a vegetarian food- it's white and packed in water in a white plastic box. It's refrigerated.
Linda: Now, I know that you're telling me that it's a food, but what type of a food is it? I mean, is it a sausage? Is it a grits?
Wal-Mart Employee #2: (sidling up) What is it that you all are looking for?
Me: Tofu?
#2: Oh yes, we have tofu. It's in the produce section.
Me: (thanking #1 and Linda- but forgetting to say sir and ma'am) Well, I don't know why I didn't look there first.
#2 was very helpful in the tofu search, and after some confusion between it and the won ton wrappers, Lucy and I were able to leave Wal-Mart with our vegetarian protein source in tow.
Me: (approaching Wal-Mart employee) Excuse me, do you have tofu?
Wal-Mart Employee #1: I'm sorry?
Me: Do you carry tofu?
1: I'm sorry, is that a food?
Me: (somewhat embarrassed) Yes, it's made of soy, it's a vegetarian-type product. It's white, and comes in a little white box with water surrounding it.
1: Hmmm, I may have to call someone on this.
Me: Okay, sorry. It's usually in the refrigerator section. [at this point I am beginning to realize that I am the problem- I mean, why didn't I just look near the produce instead of by the vast carnivorous stretch of turkey necks and pigs' feet? I do not know]
1: (gets on his walkie talkie- some confusion about the purpose of the call ensues) Okay, Linda will be here in a minute, she's just in cereals.
Me: Thank you
Linda: Now, what is it that you all are looking for?
Me: Tofu
1: We have some vegetarian-type products in the frozen foods- sausage and such.
Me: It's a vegetarian food- it's white and packed in water in a white plastic box. It's refrigerated.
Linda: Now, I know that you're telling me that it's a food, but what type of a food is it? I mean, is it a sausage? Is it a grits?
Wal-Mart Employee #2: (sidling up) What is it that you all are looking for?
Me: Tofu?
#2: Oh yes, we have tofu. It's in the produce section.
Me: (thanking #1 and Linda- but forgetting to say sir and ma'am) Well, I don't know why I didn't look there first.
#2 was very helpful in the tofu search, and after some confusion between it and the won ton wrappers, Lucy and I were able to leave Wal-Mart with our vegetarian protein source in tow.
Where Have You Been?
We've had a very busy past couple of weeks. Clark got a haircut.
This is the after. He looks spacey because I was interrupting the TV watching. That's the only way I can get my kids' hair cut.
We had Easter fun with our best pals who are moving next month (boo hoo)
I got to go to Mississippi and take care of my sister while she had a baby and my amazing husband took care of all of our kids and took them on two cross-country plane trips in the process. (note- they were not going to let me help them get to their plane. They said that was just for extreme circumstances. I said, "my husband is flying alone with three small children- that's pretty extreme!" They let me through.)
Rachel pre-baby. Not so comfy.
Lucy being entertained at the zoo while her mom has a baby. Just a normal day!
Post-bath cutie
Post-baby cuties. Lucy checking out baby Lily. Rachel did a great job delivering this little (9lb 7 oz) sweetie! I'm so proud of her. She's a great mom and she and Vico and Lucy and Lily are all working hard together in Mississippi.
Nothing better than a sweet new baby
Dad and big sis agree
Then we came home from our travels (oh, and Paul had another cross-country trip in between) and we got to go to my brother Dennis' wedding. He married Marissa, and I think that they are a terrific match. Who knew that playing World of Warcraft could get you hitched?
My mom made these amazing box lunches for the rehearsal dinner which was held on Breaker's Beach at the Naval Base in Coronado. Mom spent alot of time agonizing over the details of the boxes and putting them all together and she did a great job.
At the rehearsal with Marissa
The last picture that I got before my battery died. Nice. I wish that I had a video of the girls scattering their blossoms, pictures of the bride and groom, pictures of the sweet lego cake-topper that they constructed together (yes, they are both lovely nerds), and pictures of all of the friends and family that attended. It was so nice to see people that I don't usually get to see and to share in Dennis and Marissa's special day.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
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