The Poo Entry

Potty training is proving to be the trickiest part of parenting to date.  Of course I'm probably only saying that because I'm up to my eyeballs in it at the moment.  I've probably also said that about all the other challenges and new phases we've faced with Sam during his short, three year long life-span.

I have to admit--nothing has made me happier or angrier or crazier in the past month than poop.  Yup, that's right.  Because what I've realized is that when you're teaching someone how to go to the bathroom in the proper place, just about everything you think about has something to do with poop.  

Ready to go to the store?  Wait, did you use the potty yet?  

Here's your apple juice!  Note to self: he's got another eight ounces of liquid working his little bladder...did I water that down or is it full-strength?!

Who farted?  Dude, you stink!  Get in there on that potty!! 

And the bribes, holy cow!  The bribes!!  We started a few months ago with M&Ms, then moved on to ice cream sundaes followed quickly by *anything* covered with whipped cream.  Then it just became whatever he seemed interested in at that second:  

Sam:  "Can I have some of your seltzer?"

Me:  "Sure, as soon as you use the potty!"

Anything it takes to get him in the bathroom.  There are stacks of books and magazines waiting for him.  And usually if he asks to bring a toy in with him, we oblige (don't worry, I sanitize like my life depends on it).  Whatever you want, just go go GO on the potty!!  (Yes, we cheer him on and sing whenever needed too!)

And after all this work and build-up, it's just now, after five months, getting to the point where we can trust him just the teensiest, weensiest little bit, to leave the house wearing his coveted big boy underpants.  Just for a short time anyway.

But with anything new comes setbacks.  He hasn't number 2'd in his pants in a while now, but when he did it was always such a struggle for me to stay calm and not be angry.  Somehow though, poo smells SOOOOOOOOooo much worse when it's anywhere other than in the toilet.  So changing messy undies gets me gagging like no hershey-squirted diaper ever did, and that may have sent me over the edge a few times.  I always told him I love him though (albeit usually through clenched teeth) and tried my best to let it go as soon as he was all cleaned up.

But PHEW! what a workout.  And even though the hubs and I might be doing it *completely* by the seat of our pants, he's doing it.  This smart and adorable little guy is mastering this skill...just one of the many he's already mastered and just a drop in the bucket of stuff he's going to figure out in his lifetime.  For all of our stressing and bribing and cheering, he's actually getting it, and I'm blown away.  

Weird, huh?  Getting so emotional over using the toilet successfully?  Being a good parent means putting my all into helping him reach goals too.  I just hope he knows I'm (we're) doing the very best we can too.

Now if you'll excuse me...I've got to restock some magazines in the bathroom.

Gray Hair #4,211

Ah kids.  You know I love 'em.  Always have.  They're why I was *the* best baby-sitter back in the day and why I'd have six or seven if only the hubs green-lighted the idea.

But there are moments when I think I'm not going to make it with my sanity completely intact.  Most days have them and luckily for me I'm able to laugh about them later with the hubs.  But today!!  Gahh!!  Me and the kiddies had a few errands to run.  Nothing major, just here and there's.  We were out for a few hours and along the way stopped and met the hubs for lunch where my oldest inhaled a fruit punch juice box with his meal (I *swear* we ordered apple juice, but the straw was already in by the time I realized their mistake.).  Anyway, fruit punch has a way of climbing on top of him and turning him into a whirlwind of excited naughtiness...today was no exception. 

Fast forward a few hours to my near-call-the-police moment.  We got home and he raced all the way up the stairs to the front door like he always does.  I took a few moments to collect bags, baby, purse, etc and met him at the top.  He has this goofy little thing he likes to do where he squeezes in between the front doors and pretends to hide (even though the outer door is mostly glass and therefore the worst hiding spot ever).  When I make it to the top of the stairs and see him and all his cuteness standing in between the two front doors I did what I always do when we play this getting-home game:  first, my obligatory  and goofy "Where's Sam?" (just like always) before finding him by announcing loudly, "Oh THERE he is!!" (just like always) and whipping open the door while laughing...only this time he actually locked the front door.  Locked himself in between both front doors.  Locked me and Max out in the freezing cold.  And I don't have a key to the front door because it's not that kind of door.  And oh my the thoughts and panic that ran through my head!  I immediately had visions of fire trucks and broken windows and crying, freezing cold babies!  Aye!  But I calmly (okay, maybe more firmly and loudly) asked him to unlock the door.  He giggled (rather maniacally I might add) and looked at me.  I asked him again.  Same response.  Okay, I'm seriously hearing the sirens at this point.  Then I yelled.  At which point he obliged, asking me, "Mommy?  Why is the door locked?"  When we got inside, we had yet another "Doors Are Not Toys" discussion and then it was nap time.  End of story.  Mommy was done.   And so was Sam, since he slept for three hours.

My sweet baby boy is turning into quite the big boy with ideas and plots all his own.  I need to keep him little and sweet for as long as possible!  No fruit punch until college. 

And I will now have a key to the back door on me at all times.

Laundry & Giggles, Oh My!

Oh, Laundry Day!  Remember when you used to only come *maybe* once a week?  Back before the house and kiddies when it was just the hubs and me in our tiny apartment?  Why are you practically every day now?  You exhaust me and make me frown and I don't like you.  Okay, now that that's off my chest, let's talk about what made me smile today!  (And by the way, I MUCH prefer Laundry Day(s) over Washing The Floor Day, or Clean The Bathrooms Day...vomit.)

So, today's Thursday.  I love, love, LOVE Tuesday and Thursday mornings when Sam goes to nursery school.  Okay, wait, that came out wrong.  What I mean is, I love seeing my big boy get so excited about it.  I still can't believe he's old enough to go to nursery school and it kills me to hear him talk about his teachers and his friends when I go to get him.  On Tuesday afternoon he came running to greet me in the hall and then proudly picked out his artwork from the wall: a painted candy cane.  I could tell he loved making it because he went to town with the red paint!!  Let's just say it's one big red stripe. But I love how proud of it he is and I adore how it all looks hanging from our kitchen cabinets!  Bit of a tangent there, huh?  Getting back to hearing his little kid retelling...

The best part of picking him up is always the car ride home.  He is such a little chatterbox!  Today all he wanted to tell me about was playing with his friends in the sandbox, interrupted by fits of giggly explanations about someone jumping really high.  I know...reading it over his material seems so, well, not funny.  But that's why it's so hysterical to me!  He laughed and talked the whole way home, while taking off his hat, coat, and shoes, and climbing up the stairs and into bed for naptime!  The seemingly smallest things crack him up and he loves telling us all about it.  If only I could bottle up the genuine joy that pours out of him during these moments!

As tired as I sometimes find myself while taking care of our little family (and our enormous amounts of laundry!!), it's moments like these that give me huge surges of energy and boost my mood immediately.  I kinda can't wait for him to wake up and tell me more!  Okay, maybe that's not completely true...what I really meant to say was I can't wait to hear more stories after he wakes up from his three hour nap!

Hello Creativity...nice to see you again!

So here I am, the newest blogger on Blogger.  I'm 33, married to the terrific guy I've loved for 17 years, and mommy to two of the happiest boys I know:  Sam (three years old) and Max (5 months).  I put in for extended leave from work in June and now I'm lucky enough to be with them all the time.

I'm finally living my dream.  Some people are just born knowing what they want to be when they grow up.  I've always known I wanted to be a mom.  Now that I've been at it full-time for a few months, it's time to start keeping track of our shenanigans.  Because let's face it:  kids are funny and goofy and messy and great.  And I want to be able to remember these moments when they are both too big for me to give them lots of kisses.   Life is so tragically fleeting . . . I was once told that you don't realize how quickly time flies until you have children.  I'm soaking it up (and writing it down) while the gettin's good.  Plus my creative bones need a re-alignment and an outlet if ya know what I'm sayin'.

Can't wait to see where this takes us, but I'm hoping the ride's an exciting one!