Potty Training

So this morning I sent my son to his room to play...

• I discovered quickly upon entering his room that he had done something in those "big boy" Thomas the Tank Engine underwear that we have discussed so many times that he should not do...
• Sent him to the bathroom to wait for me while I collect myself and vow not to take my frustrations out on him...
• Manage to clean him up, while calmly explaining to him how big boys should also poo-poo in the potty not in their shorts.
• Send him to his room, and (joyfully) begin the task of cleaning the big boy shorts
• Son appears and announces that he just got pee on his favorite doggy
• Take doggy and toss him in the load of laundry I just started, while son sits on the toilet to see if anything else could possibly be left (I did not realize he was holding his favorite train)
• Return to the bathroom to discover favorite train in toilet and son crying
• Frustration definitely getting the better of me... send son to his room, again, and dive in the toilet after train (remember, I was cleaning out big boy pants just prior to this)
• Wonder for the 1000th time how some parents blissfully proclaim that they are able to potty-train in one week, perhaps they are concealing the fact that poo-poo training takes considerably longer? Or maybe I am just blessed with an unusually stubborn son.

As I am later researching in vain for any pointers on how to make this training process easier on both of us, I realize that this season will pass and at some point my son will learn what I am trying to teach him. Hopefully, I will gain some more patience as well and perhaps learn a valuable lesson about comparing myself to others. After all, they are worth it...

Advent Calendar

So, I know it has been more than a year since I last blogged, and I may at some point post a synopsis of the past year. Today, though, I am just going to talk about my advent calendar.

One of the fond memories I have from my childhood is dragging out the felt advent calendar every December 1! My brother and I took turns every other day, pining the ornament for that day to the felt Christmas tree. Someone had carefully crafted that calendar and spent quite a bit of time making the felt ornaments that reposed in each pocket. My brother and I would secretly find our favorite ornaments and put them in the pockets that corresponded with our day to pin it on the tree.

I decided that this would be a fun tradition to continue with my children. In researching advent calendars, I was overwhelmed by all the fun ideas! I have created an advent calendar that is much like I remember, but without a pattern and with my impatience to complete the project, it is far from perfect. So we will use it this year to get us started and maybe next year we will try another idea.

I sewed beads onto the tree so that my Little G can actually hang the ornaments himself, instead of having to mess with pins.

I also purchased tiny ornaments, because I certainly do not have the time and patience to craft 24 tiny ornaments.

The pockets turned out to be much more roomy than I had originally intended them to be, so I may put a piece of chocolate in each pocket as well and combine a couple of calendar ideas.

A New Erb!

Congratulations to John and Drina, on their new very handsome little man (aka Mag-lite)!!

Happy Father's Day!

Jason's idea of a really good Father's Day...

I am so thankful for God's blessing of a terrific husband, who is a wonderful father!! Thank you to Papa and Mimi for setting such a godly example!

One Year!

Happy Birthday, Little G!

The Swimming Pool

Jason was pretty excited this past weekend to have the opportunity to take Little G to a swimming pool.  Little G is a HUGE fan of bath time so he should love the pool....right?  If you cannot make out Little G's expression in the pictures, let me tell you as traumatic events in his life go, it ranked right up there with his visit to the barber shop.  We are hoping that he will learn to love it sometime this summer, but I guess there is always next year.

Can you guess....

...what new event would turn this...

...into this...

...Little G started walking this week!  He is very busy exploring and making messes.  Here he is in action...