Day 3 of potty training

Cassie and Ry are doing SOOOOO well with the potty training. No accidents from either of them today and cassie pooped again. She was so proud of herself, it was hillarious. She kept saying, "Cassie go poopoo, Yeahh good girl" "Cassie go poopoo, Yeahh good girl".

Tristan...I think the little man might not be quite ready. He held out all morning and loaded up his diaper at nap time. Then from about 2-5 he had 3 accidents and was pretty much refusing to go anywhere near the potty. So if he is still that way tomorrow I might just put him back in a diaper. I don't want him to be scared or feel intimidated or anything like that. The potty needs to be his friend.

Potty training boot camp day 2

I can't believe how well Cassie and Ryland are doing. Tristan seemed to have a bad day all around today (poor guy), everything made him grumpy or cry. He did pee once today, and he did it standing up. But he pretty much refused to sit on the potty the entire day...oh, and he pooped in the playroom. But he was kind enough to tell me about it "Ohhh no mommy". We only had 2 accidents today, compared to 5 yesterday. I am shocked at how well they are doing.

All three of them did great yesterday, day 1 of Potty boot camp. Ryland went pee about 10 times, and pooped once. Cassie went pee about 30 times and also pooped once. Tristan went pee 5 times. I was really surprised that they pooped because they had never done that before.

So here is how I'm doing the potty training, I gathered this all from a lot of info/recommendations from other moms before I made my "game plan".

I set the timer for 15 minutes and increase it by 5 minute intervals every day. Once the timer goes off, all the kids have to go sit on the potty. If they go, great and they get an M&M for a reward. If not, I praise them for trying.

The kids are not wearing any diapers or underwear for the first 3 days. On the 4th day we will try underwear and see how they do. This lack of diaper/pull up/underwear allows them to sit down whenver they need to and quickly go. This is important as they are still learning to listen to their body, and accidents cause them to get very upset.

I am thinking about going out with them on Friday. I will use pull ups just to be safe, but I want to see how they do going out and if they tell me they need to go potty or if they just pee in the pull up.



On another note, I'm really bummed that I can't get my christmas video loaded. I've always been able to load my video camera videos into windows movie maker, but for some reason it won't let me now. I have some older video (like from the kids 1st birthday) that was taken on the video camera, and I can still load that into movie maker, but I can't load any recent stuff. I'm really bummmed. So I edited it in Panasonic Image mixer, which is the software that came with the video camera, and it let me edit the movie, but every time I try to load it onto blogger, youtube or onetruemedia I get an error message. i'm sad, it was a cute video of christmas. And I didn't take any pictures because Mark forgot the camera at his house, so I'm really bummed.

Struggling today

It's one of those days where I'm questioning a lot of things that have taken place lately.

Mark came to see the kids yesterday after work. After our little snow storm (which is a big deal for this area!!!), I decided not to travel into work WITH the kids because I couldn't get out of the driveway, and I wasn't going to push it because I just didn't feel safe. Mark drove from work up to my house later that afternoon, barely making it up the hill and getting stuck a few times in the neighborhood. After some struggling to park the car, he decided to just leave it where it "landed".

He played with the kids and helped me put them to bed, and then we made dinner and decided to watch a movie, The Dark Knight. I offered to let him stay the night considerting the weather and that temperatures were down to about 14 degrees last night.
And as we were watching the movie and I was laying on the floor by the fire, and Mark was right behind me on the couch, I was thinking a lot about how we had EVERYTHING and now it's all gone. I was laying there thinking that this IS how my nights should be. Putting my kids to bed with their father, cooking dinner with my husband, relaxinging and winding down watching a movie with someone I love. Not what I've been doing for the past 6-7 months which is putting the kids to bed by myself, cooking myself dinner, watching TV by myself and going to bed alone.

And for the first time since this all started about 8 months ago, I'm second guessing my decisions. Is it really worth splitting up our family? I know he wasn't perfect, but neither was I. Is this fair to our children? Shouldn't they be able to have both parents in a family who live together and love eachother? Lord knows I still love him

So what do I do? Am I doing the right thing?

The Kids FIRST Snow!!!!!!!

They learned a new word this weekend and had a lot of fun playing outside in the snow.

When we came downstairs on Sunday morning, they weren't the least bit interested in eating breakfast (which is usually what they are begging me for). They just stood by the window and talked to or about the snow. As soon as breakfast was over we got all bundled up (a 40 minute process with 3 toddlers, LOL) and went outside.

The kids had a BLAST and I had so much fun watching them. Here are a few pictures, and the girls next door were out so they had "big kids" to play with, which they loved even more.

Santa pictures

We took the kiddos to the mall today to get santa pictures. The kids did really good while we waited in line for about 45 minutes. The boys were REALLY excited to see santa, until it was their time to go and see him. Cassie was a little put off about the idea from the get go. Poor santa, it took all his strenght to hold cassie in his arms. He told me, "she sure is a live one" to which I just started laughing for I know all to well...

So, here is the picture. I would have loved another try, because I think Cassie looks... well, not like Cassie. But santa had all he could handle!!!




And wouldn't you know, as soon as we were done paying for and collecting our pictures, Ryland took off running back towards santa and almost into someone elses picture. Silly guy...

My office had a Kids Christmas Party today and each child got a present from Santa. The boys had a blast, they were all about santa, Cassie however....that child clung to me like nothing I've ever experienced before. If she could have crawled inside my skin, she probably would have.

Here is a video, and some pictures:

Out of the mouth of babes....

Have you ever tried to teach your child to say PLUM, as in the fruit, or the color? Or in our case, the little plastic play fruit to go with their new kitchen? Regardless of what kind of plum we are talking about, I just thought I would share that it's quite hillarious, and Mark and I were nearly rolling on the floor this afternoon as we were trying to get Cassie to say PLUM.

It went something like this:
Mom: Cassie, say plum
Cassie: cum
Mom: Plum, it's pppppllum pppplum
Cassie: cum, cum cum cumcum
Mom: hysterically laughing, can't speak, can't breathe
Mark: Cassie, it's PPPlum, PPPPPPPPP Plum
Cassie: Cum, cumcumcum
Mark: try parachute
Cassie: ***alarmed perplexed look on her face***
Mark: ok try pepper
Cassie: pepper
Mark: plum, can you say ppplum
Cassie: cum, I say cum

More hysterical, tear filled laughing and then we decided to give it a rest. It's amazing the things that amuse me these days!

I haven't seen Mark laugh that hard in a while.

We decided for the next few years, maybe we'll just call it a prune. That is a word she can say.

Thank you Marie!!!!!

Marie and her family are moving overseas, so they GENEROUSLY gave us this kitchen for the kids to play with. They love it and were playing with it all evening. They haven't quite figured out the basketball hoop, but are sure fascinated by it.

Thanks Marie!!!!!!!!!!!

Just for today

This morning I went to check on one of my favorite websites, Tripletconnection and learned of the devistating news of another mom loosing her babies. She had this one request for the rest of the mothers: Please do us a favor today and kiss and hold your beautiful babies. Love them more than anything even when they are crying non stop or getting on your nerves. I would have given anything to hear them cry and change their poopy diapers.

Just For Today by Sally Meyer

Just for this morning, I am going to smile when I see your face...and laugh when I feel like crying.
Just for this morning, I will let you wake up softly in your flannel p.j.'s...and hold you until you are ready to stir.
Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear...and I will say how beautiful you are.
Just for this morning, I will step over the laundry to pick you up...and take you to the park to play
Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink...and let you teach me how to put your puzzle together.
Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off...and sit with you in the garden blowing bubbles.
Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck...and I will buy you one, if he comes by. Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up...I will simply love you for the joy you bring me.
Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me make cookies...and I wont stand over you . . . trying to 'fix things.' Just for this afternoon, I will take you to McDonald's and buy us both a 'Happy Meal'...so you can have two toys.
Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you the story of how you were born...and how much we love you.
Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the bathtub...and I won't get angry when you pour water over your sister's head. Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late...while we sit on the porch swing and count all the stars.
Just for this evening, I will bring you glasses of water...and snuggle beside you for hours...and miss my favorite t.v. show.
And tonight when you are sleeping safe and warm in your bed, I will think of the mothers and fathers who mourn for the children they have lost. I will remember the parents who sit by hospital beds,watching over the little ones they love. I will weep for those parents whose children are cold,hungry and suffering, and .... this evening, when I kneel down to pray, I will simply be grateful for all that I have and not ask for anything...except just one more day.

© copyright 1999 Sally Meyer(written for her autistic son, Dhylan)

I got this off another mom's blog and thought if very poignant

In loving memory Krieger Titan ZAR Raysbrook

As some of you might know, about a month or so ago I gave away Krieger and Bodhi to a new home. I just couldn't handle taking care of all the animals, the kids, the house, work and school by myself. Something had to go and it wasn't going to be the kids, the house, my school or my work - so that left the animals.

I found them a good home with an older couple who own some acerage in Everett, and they offered to let me visit anytime and gave me weekly (sometimes daily) updates on the boys. The boys had lots of property to roam and someone who was home with them almost all of the time.

Yesterday I recieved a phone call, Krieger had been hit by a car and killed. She was leaving to go run an errand and down at the main road (from the road to their house it's about 1/2-3/4 of a mile) there was a man pulled over and out of his car looking into a ditch. She went to check it out and it was Krieger. Whoever hit him, must have done so very hard because part of their bumper had been left behind in the road.

I'm very sad, I cried about it a lot last night. I know I gave him away, so maybe my sadness doesn't make sense, but gosh I loved that dog. He was a handful, and at times so very frustrating. But he was also so funny and so loving and VERY loyal! I just hope he went painlessly. Here are a few pictures of him