Founder's Day Festivities

Jonathan had to work today, so Christian and I headed to Verrado's annual Founder's Day Community Picnic. They had a bounce house there ... and guess where we spent most of our time?

Since Jonathan missed the festivities, we had a little picnic of our own when he got home. They weather was perfect, and nobody else was at the park. Gotta take advantage of this beautiful weather before it gets too hot.

Today's Temperature

It was a bit warm today, as you can see.

It is a little early for temps this high, and thankfully it starts cooling off tomorrow. And thankfully, the temps are still quite cool overnight.

Wordless Wednesday - March 30, 2011

Presenting ... "Christian the Preschooler."

This week was Christian's first week in the preschool class! He's left the two year old behind and now joins the three and four year old kids.

He didn't eat much for lunch this week ... and we had to work with him on going potty in a new room. But, he was a star and didn't have any potty accidents!

Each day after lunch, the kids gather in a circle and do show and tell. The teacher lets Christian go first, since we are leaving. He was pretty timid, but I made sure he bought something every day and then helped him show it to his friends.

Christian now gets to take his backpack to school each day, and he's very proud of that backpack that he can wheel around.

We are really looking forward to watching him learn and grow and become more confident around all those "big kids."

Here are some pictures from his first day. (click the photo to enlarge)

Wordless Wednesday - March 23, 2011

Muffin Monday with a Twist - March 21, 2011

Today's Muffin Monday had an exciting twist! When the boys returned home, Jonathan noticed that Christian was trying to poop. So he took Christian to the potty and saw with him for a long, long time, and kept him entertained with watching Curious George on the portable DVD player.

And after a long, long time ... Christian had pooped in the toilet. YES! YES! YES!

As of today, our rewards have gone from chocolate chips to M&Ms. He just wasn't too into those chocolate chips anymore ... and since M&Ms are still small, and he just gets two, it's not too bad.

The other reward for all of his potty training successes is that this week, he'll start the big transition to the preschool room at school!!

Spring Training

Auntie Liz invited us to a Spring Training game that was close to our house ... the Cincinnati Reds and the Colorado Rockies.

It was a mighty fine day for baseball ... warm, but not hot and a bit overcast.

Muffin Monday - March 14, 2011

Today's Muffin Monday found my boys at a sporting goods store (which is next door to a Joann craft & fabric store).

Jonathan bought Christian a baseball mitt and baseball, and Christian was ecstatic! Jonathan began to imagine how much fun he and Christian could have at the park ... playing catch, hitting balls. Quality father and son time.

As they walked out of the store, with visions of baseball in Jonathan's head, Christian immediately said, "Go to Joann's!!!"

Jonathan's vision came crashing down ... our boy wonder didn't care about baseball any more. He wanted to go to a fabric store. Ha ha ha ha!!!

A Day Out With Thomas

This weekend we drove to Globe, Arizona to spend "A Day Out With Thomas."

A kid's perspective: We got to see a big diesel train, and ride on it, too - and the conductor walked through the train and said hello to all the kids. And we got to see Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt. And they had a big tent with all sorts of Thomas things to buy so we got a t-shirt, bucket, and train whistle.

The parents' perspective: It was a long drive (100 miles each way), and Christian wasn't feeling well, but handled it like a trooper. We bought tickets in advance ($100 for four of us) and arrived just in time to get on the train. It was a big diesel train pulling several passenger cars, and Thomas was at the very back. We couldn't even seen Thomas from where we were.

The train ride was simply a very slow-paced 12 minutes through town (and not a very picturesque ride at that), and then the train reversed and took us back to the station. Afterwards, we got off and tried to see Thomas, but were cut off and told we could walk no further.

So, we made our way to the street and watched Thomas go by as the next train took off with its passengers.

But, the bottom line is Christian had a good time (despite feeling a little under the weather). And that is what's important.

Click to enlarge photo

Peter Piper Pizza

We live five minutes away from a Peter Piper Pizza, and at long last, we decided it was time to visit for the first time.

We weren't sure how Christian would react, as it's a busy, noisy place. But, he loved it! He wasn't frightened by all the activity of the other kids, and he didn't cover his ears from all the noise. A few months ago, he would have begged us to go home.

He surprised us by heading to the arcade area, not caring where we were (we were always with him, of course). He loved seeing all the games and bright lights ... loved watching the other kids run all over the place.

He even wanted to get on the mini merry-go-round. I held his hand the first time and walked with him, but after that, he let go and was happy to do it by himself. And so afterwards, we fetched papa so he could see.

We are so pleased that he's breaking out of his shell and exploring the world!

Click photo to enlarge.

Boys Will Be Boys ... and Mommies Will Be Horrified

Today was a very nice day ... the high was 80 degrees, so after Christian's nap, we headed out to the park. But Christian got bored and wanted to walk up the street to "Christian's Mountain." It is a home site at the foot of the mountain where excavation once started, but was abandoned. There are plenty of dirt and rock piles - a dream come try for a little three year old boy.

I was nervous about what might be hiding under all the rocks he was picking up to throw ... spiders, snakes, scorpions. You never know what is lurking in the Arizona desert. One funky-looking spider made an appearance, but that was it.

Ever curious, Christian was picking up everything of interest ... rocks, sticks, dirt. I was walking a few feet ahead of him, and heard him say, "Look, a big stick!" I turned around to see him holding what appeared to be some tubing from the landscaping drip-line. UNTIL I SAW IT MOVE!

Christian had picked up a LIVE SNAKE by its tail and was holding it up high. I was horrified!!! I yelled at him to drop it, which he did ... and rushed over to pick him up. The snake went about its business.

Our saving grace was that it wasn't a rattlesnake - thankfully, those guys make their presence known immediately. I don't know what kind of snake it was - not a clue. But I thank God it wasn't aggressive.

My panicked tone gave Christian quite a scare, which I felt badly about. But, it is a good thing because he needs to be aware that picking up a snake is dangerous. So while we were still in the moment, but the snake was gone, I quietly but very firmly told him that snakes are dangerous.

Sitting High

For a while now, Christian has been sitting in a regular chair at dinner. He outgrew the seat we had for him that put him at the level of the table, and we don't have a booster seat.

Tonight, Christian informed us he was going to get his "red pillow" and he got down and walked away. Jonathan and I were confused: #1: What red pillow and #2, why wasn't he wanting one of us to go with him (he usually insists somebody goes with him to get something).

He returned with the red pillow from his bed, put it on his chair and got back in - sitting a couple inches higher.

We were impressed! We've never put anything in his chair to get him up higher, so the idea was his, and his alone.

He sat there for a bit, rather pleased with his accomplishment. After a few minutes, he said, "Get the white pillow." So, he got down ... walked to his room again and returned with a large, white pillow and put it on his chair to get himself even higher up.

What an industrious little lad!!

Wordless Wednesday - March 9, 2011

Glory Be!

Just as we had hoped, Christian used the potty at school ... TWICE!

They even called me the first time it happened to let me know. :)

He went on the potty twice this morning at home, so I was surprised he went twice at school, too. At home, Christian didn't even ask for chocolate ... and when I offered, he wasn't even interested.

So ... maybe the chocolate thing was short-lived? I'd be delighted if that was the case (three year olds certainly don't need a regular dose of chocolate), but the stash of chocolate chips is handy if he ever wants the reward.

So proud of my little guy!!!

C H O C O L A T E is a Miracle

Why are these parents so darn tootin' happy?

Because chocolate is a miracle, I tell ya!

Chocolate is a huge motivator around here. This weekend, I asked Christian, "How do you get chocolate?" The answer should have been, "Go pee pee." But, he cracked us up when his answer was, "Open the package." Ah, toddlers ... they are so literal. "Why yes, you open the package to get chocolate. But, to get chocolate you have to go pee pee."

What a difference a week makes. Last weekend was full-force potty training: underwear all the time. A few accidents ...

But all last week, and this weekend, Christian has been a pro at peeing in the red cup ... and even telling us when he needs to go. We haven't had a single accident.

Christian is still wearing pull-ups at bedtimes. Overnight, he's been consistently dry. But, during the day at nap time, he'll usually pee while sleeping - and naptime is when he usually poops. We'll tackle the pooping issue (both at nap time and during waking hours) a bit later down the road.

Today was especially exciting for us. Before the boys headed out to Muffin Monday, I asked Christian if he wanted to pee - assuming he didn't because he'd already peed out everything from overnight. But he said yes, and then said, "Want to pee on the potty!!"

Be still my beating heart ... he ASKED to go pee on the potty. And HE DID! When the boys returned home, he asked again, "Want to go pee pee on the potty." AND HE DID ... AGAIN!

Hopefully doing so today will help him to pee in the potty at school this week.

We couldn't be more pleased with the rapid progress our lil' guy is making!!! And it is all because he's motivated to get those chocolate chips!!!

The nice thing is that the school has started billing us for the preschool classroom that he'll be moving up to once they are satisfied with his level of potty training. And that is almost a full $100 off each month. NICE!

The Newest Lesson - Headstands

This evening, Jonathan taught Christian how to do headstands! Here's some video action

Click to enlarge image below

Daisy Mountain Railroad

This past weekend, we drove up to Anthem, a town north of Phoenix, to check out the Daisy Mountain Railroad. It's a cute little mini-train that travels around a large community park.

Given Christian's obsession with all things vehicular - planes, trains and automobiles - we knew it would be a thrill for our little kiddo.

He loved the train, and he loved the park with its awesome playground and exciting play structures with multiple slides.

Over the past few weeks, Christian has certainly become more adventurous. I used to describe him as a child who didn't take risks ... who wasn't too adventurous. Little by little, he's been getting used to slides, and at school we'd occasionally hear that he'd gone down the slide by himself.

On Friday night, we went to Chick-fil-A and they had a play structure where the kiddos could climb to the top and then go down a tube slide. I went with Christian the first time (yes, a full-sized mommy in a structure designed for small children - crazy, I know), and then after that, he went up all by himself - over and over again. Jonathan and I sat watching in shock. Since when did our little boy get such a sense of adventure?

At the playground in Anthem, there were some pretty tall tube slides, and Christian loved them.

That's my boy ... now filled with adventure!!

Click to enlarge

Delusions of Grandeur and Moments of Surprise

Two nights in a row of Christian peeing in the red cup had me awfully excited and hopeful. I thought he'd start doing it nearly every time ... I thought he'd tell his teacher at school when he had to go to the bathroom. I thought we were all set for complete - and rapid - success.

Um ... no. Yesterday at school, he had two accidents. Last night, he refused to pee in the cup and just played around about the whole topic of going pee.

This morning, he woke up with a dry diaper ... and when I picked him up at school at noon, he was STILL DRY.

We got home from school, and he told me he needed to go potty. He was really giddy about it, so I assumed he was just playing around. I give him the choice of the potty or the red cup. He chose the red cup, and actually peed in it.

HOLY COW! He held his urine all night, and all morning. He could have peed into his pull-up at any time, but he waited ... and he told me ... and he went into his cup.

So, lesson learned: it's a process. There will be successes, and there will be setbacks. There will be good days, and not-so-good days. One success doesn't mean total success, and one failure doesn't mean total failure.

And as my sister likes to tell me, "I can assure you Christian won't be going to high school in diapers."

An update: Christian also came up to me after his nap and told me he wanted to go pee pee in the red cup ... and he did and got the usual supply of chocolate chips. A few minutes later, he told me he wanted to go pee pee ... and I thought surely all he was trying to do was get chocolate. Sure enough, he produced more pee! And hence, he got more chocolate. He tried really hard a couple of more times during the next couple of hours - but nothing came out (what was left??). So, it appears that chocolate is a FABULOUS motivator! :)

Another Newsletter Photo Op

Christian made it into the school newsletter again this month. The day of the photo, they put mousse in the kids' hair ... and made Christian's all spikey.

Wordless Wednesday - March 2, 2011

An Encore Performance

After last night's extravaganza, we were hopeful about today. Chrsitian woke up with a dry diaper, but despite our best efforts, we coudn't get him to pee before school. Reluctantly, I sent him to school in underwear. 45 minutes later, he had an accident and wasn't bothered enough by it to tell his teacher.

After his nap this afternoon, I encouraged him to try again - without success. Jonathan got home and took over the "pee watch." As we were eating dinner, Christian got up to wander around and we kept asking if he needed to go pee pee and he declined each time.

However, eventually, he made his way over to me and said, "Go pee pee." I reached for the "red cup" and he started pulling down his underwear ... we knew success was near! Christian quickly headed towards our foyer, where he peed in to the cup last night. Jonathan followed, and within moments, the urine was flowing.

AN ENCORE PERFORMANCE!

Hope it happens again tomorrow ... and the next day ... and the next day ... ! :)

At last ... SUCCESS!! Yay for the Red Cup!

On Friday, the powers that be at Christian's school decided that since he's been staying dry at school, he could visit the coveted preschool room. I reminded them that he's not actually going potty, and so our potty training is not actually working. But, they are satisfied that he's staying dry. So he got to spend about an hour and a half with the preschool class.

So, Friday evening, we decided we were going "cold turkey" on the potty training. And that meant underwear all the time - except at bedtime and naptime (no need in interrupting successful slumber!). And I also declared that while we were "out and about," we'd use pull-ups. However, Jonathan reminded me that we really need to be using underwear - even when out and about.

On Friday, we went out to eat and Christian had no accidents. Saturday we went to a town about 45 minutes away, and had lots of fun, and had no accidents. Yesterday, we went to a bookstore and lunch and remained accident free.

At home wasn't so accident free, so we spent all of our time at home focused on potty time. And if Christian wasn't focused, we sure were ... always watching his underware for signs of wetnesses. Always asking if he need to go pee pee. Always waiting for an accident.

It was frustrating. He'd hold his urine for hours, and we'd KNOW he has to go ... and then we'd hang out on the potty and nothing would happen. Put the underware back on him, and he'd go.

Today was Muffin Monday and Jonathan braved a morning of the outside world with Christian in underwear. They went to several places today, and Christian stayed dry. They came home and convinced that Christian was going to go pee any minute, Jonathan stayed with him like white on rice.

We've got a "red cup" (a small red pitcher) that Jonathan keeps nearby in case Christian starts to go. Jonathan was either in the potty or watching Christian like a hawk ... for a LONG TIME. So long, in fact, that I suggested we just put a pull-up on Christian so he'd go (he hadn't peed all morning, so we KNEW he had a full bladder). At long last ... at long, long last, Christian started going pee and Jonathan captured it in the red cup.

So we praised Christian like crazy and gave him chocolate chips. Our motto, after all, is "chocolate for pee pee.

But, wait ... the success doesn't end there!!

Between waking up from naptime and dinner, Christian hadn't peed. After dinner, we were playing around - ever watchful to see when Christian indicated he might be ready. I was out of the room when Jonthan whistled for me to come.

And here's what happened:

Christian, "Want to go pee pee."

Jonathan, "Oh, okay!"

Christian, "Pull down my underware."

Jonathan pulls it down.

Christian, "Get the red cup"

Ever handy, Jonathan positioned the red cup ... and Christian peed in the red cup!

AT LAST! He recoginzed he had to pee, he told us, and he peed. He actually peed!

I can't tell you how absolutely thrilled we were!! He got lots of hugs and kisses and praise ... and of course chocolate chips!!

We are VERY HOPEFUL that this evening marks the beginning of continued success.

YES YES YES YES YES!!!

Muffin Monday - Homestyle!

One of the many reasons Jonathan and Christian go out for Muffin Mondays is that I'm at home working.

Today I had a Dr. appointment way out in Scottsdale (now there's a long drive!), and since I wasn't home, it was "Muffin Monday - Homestyle!"

My men did some arts and crafts together and then went and climbed a mountain and played in dirt and rocks. Boys will be boys! :)

Potty Training Update

Last week's surprising potty time got us all pumped up for full-blown potty training. We were certain it meant good things were coming our way, and our patience would soon be rewarded.

We spent lots of time in the bathroom this weekend - one and off the potty.

We even bribed our young son with ... chocolate. Yes, we are who are opposed to our child having sweets, bribed him with chocolate. Our new mantra: "Chocolate for pee pee!"

Jonathan managed to catch some of Christian's urine in a cup (after sitting on the toilet forever with no action, Christian moved to the floor and let if flow within minutes - Jonathan was watching like a hawk and caught it), and as such, we rewarded Christian with chocolate chips.

And we hoped that was the beginning.

Not so much.

We keep a potty in the living room in front of the TV, hoping we can convince him to use it. I walked into the living room, and found he'd poured a bunch of powder in the bowl (which was dry and clean), and had been playing in the powder.

We'll, at least he's using his Elmo potty! :)

Yesterday we started putting him in underwear at school. His teacher suggested it, and said all the kids have accidents, so it is fine. I was hesitant, but tried it yesterday and he stayed dry all morning.

Same thing today - dry all morning.

So, after school, we rush home and spend some more time on the potty. Earlier this week, a couple of drops escaped, and Christian was confused, "Get some paper" he told me. I praised him like crazy and told him that was pee pee ... and to pee some more. But he just didn't get it.

I gave him a chocolate chip anyway ... a couple of drops count!

So we'll keep working on it.

Muffin Monday - February 14, 2011

Today's Muffin Monday took my boys to "Five and Diner," one of those fun throwback to the 50s diners.

After breakfast, the boys went to a nearby bowling alley. It was "Senior League Day" and so the place was filled with elderly ladies oohing over Christian. He did get a bit cranky that he couldn't roll a ball, too ... but overall, the boys had a fun time!