The Girl Is Using the Potty!!!

Allie has shown interest in wearing underwear over the last few months, but no interest in using the bathroom. She has collected the things...Tinkerbell underwear, the prizes that she can earn, the knowledge that she can be a "big girl". But she had no desire to actually follow through with the whole sitting on the potty thing. She would say that she would pee in the potty if she had Tinkerbell underwear instead of just princess underwear. Or that she would use the potty if it were pink...(yes, they do make pink potties, but I wasn't about to spend the 20 dollars on one when we had a perfectly fine blue and green little potty.)

So, even though countless others were potty training around us, we were still going through diapers. Well, I must admit, I wasn't allowing her to go through as many diapers as she wanted. She requested a new diaper every time she peed. How is that going to teach her anything? I'll decide when she's going to get a new diaper. If it is visibly sagging below the knees or threatening to spill out onto the carpet or couch she can have a new one. I am pretty lenient on poops though. I'll change those right away so she doesn't stink up the house.

Anyway, back to the story...

On Thursday, she was running around in one of those sagging 40 pound diapers and I looked at her and felt like I was raising a white trash girl. Her hair was a mess and lets face it...a 2 and a half year old girl running around in nothing but a heavy diaper and ratty hair can lower anyone's property value. I said "Allie, you are looking too old to be running around in diapers." She said "I go get Tink abell?" I said "sure, but you can't pee on her" and that was all she wrote. We have had 2 accidents and she had to have the pink potty after all so Daddy let her have at the blue potty with pink markers. (more WT)

I have to admit, I wasn't in the mood for potty training and I have little patience for her when I know she has to go and she won't, but it has been surprisingly easy. It has been surprisingly cheap too. Jake took so long and was so reluctant that when he finally used the potty he earned a monster truck...then expected one each time after that. Allie is totally happy with chocolate and a sticker for her chart. I'm cool with that.

Anyway, way to go Allie! And just so you know, if she is at your house and says that the "Boopas" are bugging her bum...she has to do a number 2.

Jake the Plumber

When Daddy leaves the girl with paint...

I was touching up some spots where the paint has chipped off the walls downstairs (you know, where we have tossed things down the stairs instead of walking them down and you end up with gouges all down the stairs). Anyway, it was bugging me long enough to finally get out the paint and fix it.

Allie saw what I was doing and was extremely jealous. She begged and begged to paint, so finally I asked Mike to set her up with something upstairs. Usually Allie is completely happy with water in a cup and a paint brush. The water changes the color of the paper and she thinks she is making a masterpiece.

I continued my work downstairs, ignoring that little nagging voice that says "things are too quiet up there". I kept telling the voice that she was just painting with water. That there couldn't be too much of a mess.

Finally, the nagging voice became something I couldn't ignore. I came up to find this...
My friend Mike thought she needed a little more than just a boring cup of water. Thanks.




Her teeth stayed black almost the whole day. That can't be good!

I have to admit that I gasped pretty loudly and was ready to yell when I came upon the scene. But her smile never faltered. She was having a great time. She doesn't know anything about stained clothes or eating possible toxins. All she knew is that she was creating body art...and it was fun.

Spoiled Rotten

Mike is always making "hot deals" on things. The latest deal was this little 4-wheeler. A guy traded one of the Kitty Cats for it. We thought it was a great deal. Jake loves it.

His first few riding attempts made us scream. It is really fast and he hates when Mike puts the governor on to slow him down.

It's quite a fun little ride. Our Bishop hopped on, and Mike and I even take it for spins. It does have power.

Last weekend we took it to Star Valley where our cousins were having a "snowmobile in the field" party. It was so nice to have wide open spaces for Jake to go as fast as he wanted and we didn't have to worry about him getting really hurt. He did turn it over on himself once, but now he knows he can't climb steep snow banks.

It doesn't have reverse, so Mike taught him to get off and pull it wherever he needs to go.

I just think it is so fun that Jake gets to grow up playing on these kinds of toys. We had 3-wheelers and other fun things as I was growing up and Mike never spent a day without riding a motorcycle or snowmobile. It's just fun to see him gain confidence and ability.

The snowmobile party in Wyoming was really fun. The kids loved playing with cousins. They rode in sleds and had a hot dog roast. The sun was out and we all came home with a little color.

Katelyn and Allie waiting for a ride.

Lunch on a garbage can...nice.

The fire was down by the river where we like to play in the summer. It was really fun to ride into it and see everything in a different season.

It really was a great trip. Sometimes it is easier to stay home, sleep in my own bed, and stick with our routine at home. But for little fun excursions like this it's totally worth it.

Who Needs A Crib?

The kids had their little huts out and Allie said she wanted to sleep in hers. She made me tip it up and drop her in. I told her it would be more fun tipped the other way so she could get in and out on her own, but she insisted. I went in later to check on her and was shocked that she was asleep. She has been skipping naps lately (you know, so she can climb the dresser, fling toys all over the room, and try on dress ups.) Anyway, it is a pleasant surprise to find her napping. Maybe she will be nice today at around 5 instead of the bear otherwise known as Allie.

Side note...Isn't it funny how kids decide what blankets, stuffed animals, and toys will be their favorites. I tried to make the cute squares blankie I made for her when she was born her favorite. I have put it in her crib since birth. Yet, when I got out this blanket to ride in the stroller with her, this is the one that became "soft blankie" and the favorite. I didn't even make it! So sad.

Huts

Mike got some chairs this weekend that came in huge boxes. The kids were bored, so we brought in a few boxes to play in.

They made themselves right at home with favorite books and toys. Then I even let them color the boxes with markers. The rules were pretty clear...no coloring on skin (Allie), no coloring on clothes (Allie), no coloring on the walls or floor (Allie), and so on...

They had a good time and to give Allie credit, there wasn't much marker to clean off bodies when they were done.

The Polar Express Has Been Replaced

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, Jake has been loving The Polar Express audio book. He listened to it numerous times a day, and about 3 times a night before he would fall asleep.

After many tears, I decided to let him keep it in his room long after all the other Christmas stuff was put away. I was getting sick of hearing the cd, but I love the boy...

Anyway, both of the kids love The Backyardigans and last time I was at the store, I saw a cd that we didn't already have. Little did I know, it would be the replacement for The Polar Express.

The only problem that has arisen from this new cd is that we only bought one. The kids were fighting over it like mad, so I made a copy for Allie (sorry anti-piracy people). Now each night I can hear The Backyardigans blaring from both rooms.

Goodbye Liam Neeson and The Polar Express...hello super annoying voice hitting super high notes in "The Lady in Pink".

Another mystery has been solved...

I used to find socks covering the floor of the food storage room. I couldn't figure out why they were constantly being taken off in that place (of all places).
The mystery has been solved...
Allie takes her socks off so she can get more of a grippy surface to her feet so she can scale the freezer. (It's a chest, so don't picture her spider climbing a 6 foot freezer).
Why would she want to climb the freezer (you ask)? So she can reach the shelf that holds the fruit snacks!

I'm going to beat you up!

My kids have been really competitive lately. The phrase I hear a lot is "I'm going to beat you up!" It means, we are in a race and I am going to win the race.
I think it stems from our race "up" the stairs and me telling them that I was going to beat them up. I guess I needed to clarify that I was going to beat them up the stairs and not that I would knock their teeth out if I won.
I've tried to correct the misconception that they have, but it is no use. I try to have them phrase it as winning, or being faster, but they insist on the phrase that sounds violent.
Last week they drew attention to themselves as they raced up and down a ramp at the mall shrieking that they were going to beat each other up.

Allie does it too