Thomas Night

Tonight, we had a Thomas night!

School was cancelled today because the roads were glare ice (my 25 minute drive to work took an hour.)  Amelia has a nasty cough (and threw up this evening) so we were calling her in anyways so at least now she didn't miss anything! 

When Joe got up from his nap she asked if they could wear Thomas pajamas - so we did!  We also watched a little Thomas on Netflix.  She was in and out of her room "going to bed" all evening.  Poor thing, she was just so exhausted and out of it.  

  Hopefully she can shake whatever it is that is bothering her so we can enjoy the rest of our week!

How We Approached Potty Training

"She's still in (long pause) diapers?"

The above is a question I will no longer have to hear!!! Amelia is now daytime potty-trained!  We are ecstatic and so proud of her!

Potty-training has long been a sore subject for us as we watched our peers with children born around the same time as Amelia potty-train.  We were just never there.  We felt judgement from people which slowly turned to embarrassment.  We've fought about it for about six months now and last week was the week.  I was off work and I decided we were just going to face it head on and DO IT.  So, we did!

Last Sunday morning when she woke up I got her diaper off and asked her to pick out a pair of underwear.  I was prepared with the arsenal of licensed 4T underwear I've been picking up on clearance for two years.  

She was hesitant and told me she did not want to wear underwear because it "has holes in it" which is the result of the one day a month ago she asked to wear underwear and she had an accident.  I told her there are no holes, we inspected the pair she selected and for the entire morning I sat her on the potty every half-hour.  She was not thrilled and told me, several times, "mom, this is not a great idea."  LOL.

I set up a rainbow reward system for her on the bathroom door:

 

Each day of the week was a different color and each time she used the potty she got a sticker (two for #2.)  It became clear to me quickly that she didn't grasp the concept of days so I coordinated our wall calendar with this rainbow:

Before bed each night we would cross off the day we just finished.  After the brown day she would get her big prize.  Something she has been asking for since before Christmas.  In addition to the stickers she also got a Starburst (or "potty candy" as she now calls them) after each success.

By day three I could tell she had some fear over #2 and I knew I'd have to persuade her to just do it.  I decided to go to the store and grab three of the blind bag baby ponies she loves (and we have far too many of...) and tape them to the bathroom door.  She noticed them right away and I told her she could have one each time she went #2.  Within two hours she had done it and overcome that fear!

Caramel Apple, Banana Bliss and Barber Groomsby - our newest "babies"

 

Our accident total is only at three.  Yes, three!  Two on day one and one on day three.  She went to school three days and had no accidents!  Amazing!  By day two I was finding her on the potty, reading, all by herself:

Friday (day six) Joe had a doctor appointment and I really struggled with what to do about that.  She is scared of "big potties" and I wasn't sure what she'd do when faced with only a "big potty."  When I asked her she said, "I'll get wet" as in she wouldn't use it.  I didn't want to backtrack though so we went in underwear.  I brought spare underwear and clothes and we didn't need them!  After the doctor we went to my parents because I had a feeling she was holding it because there were no "little potties" and they have the same chair that we have.  Yeah, she went as soon as we got there!

On the night of day seven we gave her her big prize:

Baby Butterscotch.  Normally this is not a toy I would get for her based on the price alone ($119.99) but when it went on a crazy price-cut before Christmas I talked to Jason and we decided to get it.  I got it for only $45.09 (after my discounts) and found out that two days later the crazy price-cut was caught and fixed!  They had accidentally marked it down to $49.99 instead of $99.99 company-wide - ha!  I thought something was fishy with that big of a price drop but I just figured they were trying to be competitive for the holidays or something!

Look at her - you can see how proud she is!

Even Joe loves Baby Butterscotch:

 

We will probably have more accidents down the road - especially as we venture out more.  We still have nighttime to tackle in underwear.  We still have the fear of "big potties" to overcome but I just don't care right now!  My girl wears underwear all day!  For now, that is enough for me :)

WeHaw Visit

My sister (WeHaw to Amelia...) came over tonight.

As usual, the kids had a good time.

 

We tried to get Amelia to watch "The Lorax" with us after Joey went to bed but she didn't make it far.  I could tell she was interested but she was in her goofy-I'm-ready-for-bed-I-can't-focus mood.  Kim and I did watch the whole thing - it was cute!

Great-Grandma Visit

First things first - when we woke up it was -15 (before the windchill was factored in.)  School was not cancelled in our district.  Surrounding districts were - but not us.  Other areas had a two-hour delay - but not us.  Seriously?  I realize it being cold (which is an understatement this week) isn't a great reason to cancel school but those poor kiddos who ride the bus and had to wait out in this!  Grrr.  *rant over

This afternoon Jason's grandma came for a visit and to give the kids their Christmas gifts.

(Crayola Color Wonder painting!)

Amelia even conned grandma into watching the My Little Pony movie (circa 1986) with her before she left.  

We had a bit of fighting over new toys this evening- specifically a triple drum toy Joe got...

Amelia told me she was Joe's "pet" and they were on a walk...

...but they also had a few instances of playing nice!

Week at Home!

I have the week off of work because it is super slow and there really weren't hours for my team.  I volunteered to use some vacation time because, let's be real, there are no vacations in my near future!  We are working on something pretty big around here this week...

...update to come!!!

It is freezing out and it will be the whole week!  Today the high was -3 but most of the day it felt like -30.  Bbbrrrr!  We usually just run trash out to the dumpster in normal clothes and flip-flops all year but today Jason got shoes, a coat and a hat on!  It's that cold!

This afternoon my parents stopped over with lunch (and to see the kids) on their way home from Indiana.  Before they left Papa gave Amelia a little volcano!  She loved it but when it came time to "erupt" it she got scared.  She told me it was going to be too noisy and hot - ha!  I got her to come out and we put a chair for her on the edge of the kitchen and "erupted" it.  She ran to the table so fast and yelled, "do it again!"

We had to refill it three times!  *each fill we were able to "erupt" it 4-5 times.

Joe's new favorite thing in the whole world is the Swiffer.

Seriously.  He loves that thing.  We ended up disconnecting most of the handle so he wouldn't be waving around 4 feet of pole as carried it around with him.  Now it is Joe-size :)  He seriously will "Swiffer" anything and everything.  It is adorable!

I'm looking forward to the rest of the week with these two!

Fish Bowl Faces

Our new point-and-shoot camera has a setting called "fish bowl effect."  Oh my!  It is hilarious!  See for yourself:

Auntie Kim

Joe-Joe

Mama

I saved the best for last....

Amelia!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Simple Fun

Sometimes the everyday things that entertain my children amazes me.  

Like this:

A chair and step stool = a "ride."  I am assuming it was a rollercoaster-type ride based on her actions.  She had her hands up and she was swaying from side to side while screaming.

Last month Joe developed a huge fascination with pots and pans.

For a few weeks he had a pot, pan and/or lid with him at all times.  There was no stopping him!

We have one kitchen tool that both kids are obsessed with:

I'm not exactly sure what it  (Jason knows...) but to the kids it is a butterfly pony net and a trumpet/thing to carry around and throw.

Shoes are another big one with Joe.

Specifically my work shoe - on his right foot.  He will sit around in it for up to an hour some nights!  NO idea why!

And let's not forget boxes...

Both kids (acutally ALL kids) love boxes - any shape or size!  Laundry baskets too - they are kind of like boxes.  The length of time boxes/baskets amuse kids is awesome! 

Sometimes I wonder why we need have any toys!  These two can make anything fun!

Lazy Night

This afternoon I sat down with Amelia to watch Dora.  Two hours and fifteen minutes later I woke up to this:

The girl who never naps, napped.  That meant I had napped too :)

Then I had to go wake Joe up over an hour later than his normal wake-up time.  He woke up like this:

He had a fever of 103 :(   He got some "magic juice" and we spent most of the evening like this:

The boy who never sits still - sat still.  For pretty much the whole evening.  We watched Netflix and had saltines for dinner.  I was nervous to give them (mostly him) anything more than that.  I was pleasantly surprised that Amelia asked to go to bed at about the normal time.  Since we had the long nap I was prepared to be up late with her while she bounced off the walls ;)

daddy with a D

When we first started speech services for Amelia we were asked what we wanted to get out of it.  To me, that was a hard question to answer because I just wanted to be able to communicate with her and her with me.  I couldn't think of a simpler first step, I wanted it all NOW.  

Jason's response was much simpler.  He said, "I just want her to be able to say Dad."  That became the #1 goal on her first IEP (Individualized Education Plan) when we began working, in our apartment, with Birth to 3 and it is still listed on her revised IEP at the elementary school.

Well, it finally happened.  Last night at the kitchen table she said it.  Over and over and over.  She tacked a "mom" at the end for some reason but the important part is she said daddy - with a D.  Finally!

We have her IEP meeting the first week of next month.  Looks like we will be able to pick a new goal to work towards!

Sick Saturday

We had an abnormal wake-up call yesterday...a crying child.  Usually Amelia just comes right in and wakes us up (and we ask her for 5 more minutes...ha!) but she wouldn't leave her doorway yesterday.  I noticed a little wet spot next to her on the carpet and asked her if she had thrown up.  Yep.  She had.  

Jason got her into the bath and I got her bed stripped and next door to the laundry room - thank goodness no one else was doing laundry!  Mid-morning Joe and I left to do a few errands we had intended to do before our final Christmas gathering at Jason's sister with his grandma.  Yeah, that was cancelled :(

By the time we got back, a few hours later, it was evident she was feeling a little better.  Just to be safe we went to the minute clinic and they recommended we keep a close eye on her and come back if any symptoms returned.  

For dinner Jason helped me make lasagna. 

We used a jar of his grandma's spaghetti sauce that his Aunt Lori made for everyone for Christmas.  It turned out great!  Amelia had "green pop" for dinner - Sierra Mist to the rest of us.

We didn't want to push her to eat anything if she wasn't feeling up to it - especially since dinner was chock full of dairy products.

Since she spent most of the day sleeping she was nowhere near ready for bedtime at bedtime.  She and I did alphabet puzzles.

She ended up staying until ten p.m.!

This morning she is back to her usual self so we felt safe to let her have dairy again - which thrilled her.

Drinking all the milk from her cereal!

Keeping her away from her milk and cheese yesterday was hard.  She nearly lives on dairy products - milk, yogurt and cheese specifically.  We made her "magic juice" and she finally understood that was all she could have.  "Magic juice" is unflavored Pedialyte, Gatorade and Tylenol.  At one point she kept asking for what Jason thought was mac and cheese and he was telling her that wasn't possible right then because she was sick.   It didn't sound quite like mac and cheese to me and we figured out she was asking for "magic juice!"  Too funny!

Amelia really can fight off sickness like no one else I've met.  There have  been a handful of times where she wakes up "sick", fever and all, and within half a day she is much better/good as new.  Now if only she could figure out how to get rid of coughs and congestion as quickly as she fights off other illnesses ;)

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Amelia's latest "music video"...

Weekend Alone

We have been childless since last Thursday night!  My family went to visit extended family in Indiana and they asked to take the kids with - so they went!  I was a little apprehensive about sending them but I did it.  I worry, a lot, and I just wasn't sure I could handle them being gone, so far away, for so long.  Jason on the other hand, he was making plans for our weekend before I even let my parents know our final answer!

Friday night I just didn't know what to do with myself.  I got home, to and empty house, and just kind of did my usual things.  From there I wandered around looking for more to do.  I didn't take the nap I swore up and down I would take and by just past 6:00 p.m. I gave myself until 7:00 p.m. to finish up and then it was time to force myself to relax.  

Work was rough last week and I was very sore so I tried out my new foot massager (found out there was a heated option which felt even better!) and did a puzzle while watching "I Love Lucy."  

By the time Jason got home I had finally finished the outline of the puzzle and started building into the middle of it.  It's a foil puzzle.  Let's just say it wasn't the smartest choice for my first puzzle in a few years - it is difficult!

Saturday morning we headed north and met a friend to see "The Hobbit."  After that we went to her house to continue a movie marathon and hang out.  It was our first time to her house and they live on a beautiful piece of land!

We stayed up into the wee hours of the morning and slept over to be on the safe side.  She woke us up for breakfast Sunday morning and then we headed home. 

Bald eagles on the way home

We had to check on on my family's cats and from there we went to Kohl's and Fleet Farm to look for clothes.  We both ended up with new jeans as well as work pants.  Pants shopping is getting easier for me as I drop the weight - yay!

Before we went home last night we decided to eat out and see another movie.  I know, two movies in the theater in one weekend - whoa!  I picked "Les Miserables."  

 

I liked it but Jason?  Well, he said he enjoyed it but he didn't realize they sang everything and he also said watching Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) sing everything was kind of amusing to him.  He also had no idea what to expect from it as he had not seen the play like I have.  

We had a lot of freedom this weekend but we sure did miss the kids!  It's strange to have so much time to yourselves - really!  We got a lot of picture text messages from my sister this weekend to keep us updated on what they were up to.  

Amelia and Joey playing with cousins P and A at a children's museum

They are a couple of hours from home currently and should be back by dinner!  Jason asked if I could keep them up until he got home (10:15 p.m.) but I'm thinking that won't happen.  Plus, I think he might have been joking.  I will play it by ear.  If Amelia is doing ok maybe she and I will watch Netflix on the couch until she falls asleep.  Then he can see her when he gets home and tuck her in.  We'll see how moods are after being trapped in the car all day!

Reading with Nana