It wasn't this easy last time!

Let's flash back to January 2007. We were at our parent's cabin to celebrate the new year. Since we were going to be there for 2 weeks, I decided that it was time to just bear down and potty train B, who was going to turn 3 in February. Of course, he was very resistant to the idea of underpants. He consistently peed on the carpet without a care in the world. When it was time to sit on the toilet, it was an all out screaming fest. Forget pooping! He saved that for his diaper during nap. After coming to the realization (thanks Amee) that he really only had to pee about every 3 hours, it was easier to take him. However, we weren't out of the woods. We left the cabin with moderate success. I took him to go pee at the right times, and he went. Most of the time. Pee pee power struggles were a major issue with this little dude. He just didn't want to stop whatever he was doing to use the bathroom. He even pooped on my living room floor because it was closer than the toilet. Great. Here we are in 2008. I have given up the bathroom power struggles with B. If he pees in his pants, it is his problem. He is definitely potty trained, he just has to remember to go.

Now it is E's turn. My head was spinning from all of the memories of training B. I mentioned a few posts ago that he had peed and pooped on Amma Gramma's floor. Well, I am glad to say that hasn't happened since! I am pretty well trained on getting E to the bathroom. There were a few incidents where he was pooping in his underwear. Once I figured out that if I put a little toy on the floor in the bathroom and sit him on the little potty, he will poop! YAY! Just the other day he actually told Prince Charming that he had to go! Woohoo! We are getting there. He is happy to go with me to the bathroom and as soon as we are at the toilet, he pees. Of course, he likes to sit on the toilet facing backwards. Whatever! He is getting the pee and poop in the right place! Now if he would only pull his own pants down. Oh, I also have to mention that this kid wakes up in the morning with dry diapers! This experience with E must be my reward for dealing with training B.

I know, I know. There is always time for regression. Please keep your fingers crossed for me! I am so excited that I might not have to buy size 6 diapers!

First day of school and quite the imagination!

Today was B's first day of his second year in preschool. He has been ready to go back since the day the school year ended. He has been talking about school and seeing his friend, Landon, for a couple of weeks now. Today was the day! He couldn't have been more excited! When we got there, he was able to take a peek at his new room before heading off to what I call the staging area (the place kids go when they are dropped off before the actual preschool program starts). He greeted his old teacher, and then he saw him. Landon! He ditched me like a bad habit. I tried to get him to wave goodbye. Nothing. At least the teacher said goodbye to me. When I picked him up, he fell into the same reporting routine:

Me: "How was your day?"
B: "Good."
Me: "What did you do today?
B: "Played with Landon."
Me: "Did you have a snack?"
B: "Yes. Graham crackers."
Me: "Did you color or draw today?"
B: "No, I played with playdough. Mrs. Carlson never had playdough in her room." (This was great because he told me what he actually did. Usually he just answers my questions.)
Me: "Did Mrs. Houlihan read any stories?"
B: "I can't remember."

I think that it was a great day, overall! Later in the afternoon, during his supposed "rest time," B came out of his room to show me his, "Gravity-take-awayer-super-power-giver-backer." I had to get a picture of it and actually write down the name of this "tool" so that I wouldn't forget it. Apparently, Landon and Jack (at school) gave him the tools he needed to build it. I wish I could have been a fly on that wall! Anyway, he immediately gave me a tutorial on how to use it. He was excited to show it to E this afternoon. E was scared. B was bummed that E lacked the enthusiasm that he had for his new contraption. He put it down and they moved on to more important things. Like trucks.

Sweet Husband

I am so lucky that Prince Charming chose ME to be his wife. I really married a sweet guy. The other morning he let me lay around in bed (for a little while at least) while he got up with the boys and made pancakes. When I was finally coaxed out of bed, I wandered into the kitchen and noticed the scent of cinnamon in the air. Just last week I started adding cinnamon to my coffee grounds, a tip that I got from my mother in law. Prince Charming commented that he didn't really like the addition, it was too "froo-froo" for him. When I asked if he put cinnamon in the coffee he said, "Yes. I thought you might like that." Awwww! Even though he doesn't really like it, he did it anyway because he knew it would make me smile. It is things like the cinnamon in the coffee that remind me that I married a great man. Prince Charming has never been big on gifts or flowers. He doesn't really like receiving gifts, so he isn't good at giving them. But it is the little things that he is REALLY good at.

Another milestone for E!

E has a big boy bed! After months of dragging my feet, I finally made it to a mattress store and ordered a bed for the youngest boy. He started to look a little large in his crib. Plus, he got a taste of what it is like to be in a big boy bed while he was at the cabin with my parents. I know this will be a smooth transition, as he is very excited about it. However, I have a feeling that bedtimes and wake ups are going to become exponentially more frustrating. With the crib, I put him in it and leave. He stays in it. In the morning, he waits for me to come and get him. I am expecting him to follow me out of his room when I put him to bed tonight. I am also expecting to see him in my room before 7am. B is going to have to teach him all about the 7am rule. Does he need a clock now, too? B moved into a big bed before he was 2. We kicked him out so that E could have the crib when he was born a few months later. The little B just stayed in his bed and waited for me to come to get him in the morning. It was so sweet. It wasn't until he was two and a half did he figure out that he could walk out of his room during nap time. I have a feeling that E will figure this out immediately. I am hoping that the thrill of being in a new bed will keep him in it for a while.

Follow up

I sent E to Amma Gramma's house in his new undies, which he was very excited about. In the course of the evening, he wet his pants and then pooped on her floor. I guess we have our work cut out for us!

Who is that in the big boy undies?

It's E!!! I finally made it over to Target with the boys to get new undies for E and bigger undies for B. E is new to the underwear world, so he was pretty excited. B suggested that we give E all of his old underwear and just get new ones for him. While I do appreciate his generosity, I had to explain that even though E wears his old clothes, undies are the only articles that aren't for sharing.

E had a dry diaper all day yesterday! He peed 4 times on his little potty. It is time to try out days without diapers. He seems pumped, so we shall see. I am already dreading the cleaning up of pee and (heaven forbid) poop in the undies. Yuck. It is a big task to learn how to put your pee in some place other than your diaper. Especially since you have been doing that for the past 2 years! E is up for the challenge of habit changing, so I guess I am too!

I'm Useless

I picked up the final installment of the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn, today. For the next couple days I will be useless when it comes to taking care of work, house, and family. Don't worry about the boys, they will be fed, bathed and put to bed on time. However, every spare moment I have will be spent with my nose between the pages, devouring every last word. I hope you won't be too upset if I don't blog for a while. I can't imagine that it will take me too long to finish the book. I hope the boys don't mind entertaining themselves while I read. I am kinda glad that Prince Charming is working a later shift this week. Then I won't feel guilty that I want to read. He usually likes to spend time with me that doesn't involve me ignoring him while I indulge in a little vampire drama. Anyway, Prince Charming is making dinner, the boys are playing nicely (for the moment), so I am off to read. I'll be back.