Potty Training

I have just finished training Alli to stop going in the house. Now I am lucky enough to start teaching Nicholas not to go all over the house. He is trying very hard to "go go" on the potty but we're not always able to make it there in time. Needless to say, I have cleaned up endless messes over the past couple of days. Today has been much more successful, though. I think the bribe to call dad at the office helped tremendously! I just hope we have seen the end of the smearing of the poop all over the walls. Hopefully by the time we arrive at Nana and Poppy's on Friday things will have greatly improved. If not, at least they will be there to help us!

Should I even write about this?

Our curious little boy has come up with a new way to say "Hey mom, my diaper needs changing!" This may make some of you gag but I am going to tell the story anyway. Nicholas has started to put his hand in his dirty diaper and decorate the walls with it. The first time I could forgive, the second time was annoying, but the third was just ridiculous! The first time I was a little nervous about upsetting him and causing him to have issues with his bowels. I have been reading too much about what happends to kids when they are potty trained but not ready. The next time I was upset and kept telling him it was disgusting and NOT to do it again. The last time I was highly upset because it was everywhere in his room. This time I yelled, something I hardly ever do, and for now it has stopped. So our next step is potty training, time to get rid of the old diapers!

Father's Day

This Father's Day, Nicholas made a T-shirt for his dad. We put his handprints on the front and wrote "World's Best Dad, Hands Down!" It is just the cutest thing I've ever seen. We took Jason out to breakfast at IHOP and then went over to Outdoor World in Orlando. Nicholas played his first arcade game. It was some type of driving game so Nicholas used the steering wheel and Jason hit the gas pedal. They were just too funny!

Summertime

Yesterday was our play group day and we brought Kailey with us. Courtney is teaching summer school so Kailey has been spending Fridays with us. Since it is so hot here, and it has finally stopped raining all day, Kristen put out a sprinkler and two kid pools. The kids had a great time swimming and spraying each other with the sprinkler. We put the slide into one of the pools and Nicholas taught all of the kids how to go down head first! The kids had watermelon for their snack and loved it! Nicholas kept going back to eat the other kids' leftovers! (Sounds like something his Uncle Markie would do, even now!) Kailey started out eating it correctly but then decided that the rind was much better! We are going to be so sad when they move in a couple of weeks. At least Jacksonville is only a car ride away instead of a plane ride!

Big Boy Bed

Yesterday we bought a brand new bed for Nicholas. It's a twin size bed with guard rails so it can one day be transformed into a bunk bed. Although it looks adorable in his room, it makes me very sad to look at it. I just can't believe that it is already time to change his room and take apart the crib! Jason and Nicholas picked out a truck comforter and sheets so the room has completely changed. Jason painted the walls a darker blue and so the bears that Nana so lovingly stenciled are gone. Every time the tears welled up in my eyes, Jason would laugh. He thinks it is great that Nicholas is growing up so fast, he can't wait to take him hunting and fishing. I can still remember Nicholas sleeping peacefully in his crib, only a week old, while Nana worked on the stencils.

Rain

Will this rain ever stop? Poor Nicholas is dying to go outside and ride his front end loader. Even his friend Kailey wasn't enough of a distraction today. Instead of having fun with her, he is grumpy and wants to be outside. Poor Kailey had every toy she picked up taken away from her. After several trips to time out, Nicholas started to give the toys back after taking them away. He even gave her a good kick in her shin. The poor girl is never going to want to come here again! If only the rain would stop and we could play outside again.

Monkeys

Nicholas' favorite book is Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Dr. Suess. When he wants us to read it to him he says "mokey, mokey" and hands it to us. He likes to repeat the little sayings like dum ditty dum ditty or whack whack whack. He just cracks us up. Part of the fun is that he has to play with Playdoh while we are reading to him. We are not allowed to touch the Playdoh, just the book. Each sitting requires us to read the book at least three times sometimes more. Since he loves the monkeys so much and they are a welcome change from the trucks, we decided to take him to the Zoo. He was so excited to see the orangatang (which we ofcourse called a monkey) that he was jumping up and down and pointing. We toured the rest of the zoo and even touched the sting rays. He loved touching the sting rays with dad like a big boy!! Anyway, when we went to the gift shop to find a monkey Nicholas wanted the orangatang instead!! I guess on the next visit we will clear up the confusion by seeing real monkeys and buying one, too!

Play Group

Almost every Friday we get together with a few moms and all the kids for a little play group. This week wasn't any different except that it has been raining here for four days straight. This might not seem like a big deal to most people, but for us Floridians it is huge. This is the land of sunshine where a quick shower refreshes our lawns and causes a few hundred car accidents. It then moves on towards the other coast leaving behind more sunshine and a perfect ending to the day. Needless to say, our little ones are feeling the effects of this weather. If the kids weren't fighting over the train then it was the cars. When the juice boxes came out the claws were flying, whose is whose? Then Nicholas was pushing and grabbing and the other kids were too. It was just chaos. All of us mothers looked at each other wondering what we had done to deserve this torture. Then a miracle happened, the rain stopped. We rushed the kids outside despite the gray sky and finished the play date relatively calmly. Where oh where is Mr. Sunshine?

Our New Arrival

Our new puppy is a hit! We have renamed her Alli, Sunny just wasn't working for us. So far she has only had two minor accidents, knock on wood! She is so sweet and listens incredibly well for being so young. Nicholas calls her Jabu, who is actually Markie's dog. Hopefully he will figure out that she is not Jabu but for now it doesn't really matter because she doesn't know her name anyway! Nicholas loves to go out in the backyard and throw the ball for her. She brings it right back to him and then he thinks about throwing it again. If he takes too long she lets him know by bumping into him! They are just too cute!

Nicholas' New Best Friend

After a year of debating the positives and negatives of every breed of dog possible, we have finally chosen one. Last night we bought a beautiful Golden Retriever and we named her Sunny. We are picking her up tonight and our baby girl will be spending her first night in her new home with us. She is so gentle with Nicholas it is incredible. She does not nip or chew on him, she is just as sweet as can be. Maybe by the end of the week I will be singing a different tune but for now I am excited and so is Nicholas! Luckily, Nana and Pop will be here on Sat to help out with their newest grandchild! I'll keep everyone posted on how her training goes and how Nicholas likes her!

Nicholas' First Crush

I don't know if he is old enough yet but I would definitely say that Nicholas has a crush on his new babysitter. Our new sitter, Loren, recently turned 13. We had just lost our regular babysitter so I was eager to ask her mom if she would be interested in sitting while I am at the Y. We worked out the details and her first day arrived. Nicholas was cautious and cried just a bit when I scurried out the door. By the time I returned, it was as if they had known each other forever! The next time came and as soon as she came in the house Nicholas pushed me out the door! Never in babysitting history has this happened! In the past we had to bribe him with toys, food, drinks, or video tapes to make it to the car. Each day she comes I tell Nicholas that she is on her way and he rushes to the window to watch for her. As soon as she is in the front door it's almost as if I don't exist. A quick kiss is all he has time to give his mom! When it is time for her to leave he walks her to the door and then to the corner of our street so we can watch her walk home safely. He waves good-bye to her as she walks away and looks up at me as if to say, "Thanks mom for leaving me with such a great sitter!"

Favorite Shirts

For as long as I can remember I have heard stories about my cousin Melonie and her favorite frog shirt. The gist of the story is that my parents went to Puerto Rico and brought home frog shirts for everyone. Mel became extremely attached to hers and it was the only shirt she would wear. Unfortunately for my poor Aunt Wendy, it was not possible to run to the store to buy more. She had to continuously wash this shirt for Mel. This story was never very significant to me until Nicholas became obsessed with trucks. We are now living the same story with only a few twists. Luckily, JCPenney has several different patterns so I was able to buy a few hundred allowing me to use the washing machine far less than my aunt. Also, although Nicholas can distinguish between brands, he will allow us to put him in the red, green, or gray truck shirt from JCPenney. I can now sympathize with my aunt and I truly see what pain she must have gone through. At Markie's graduation, my mom, dad, husband, and I all tried to put Nicholas in a cute outfit but to no avail. He was insistent upon his truck shirt for his uncle's graduation! I am just happy that he is not obsessed with only one shirt with one frog on the front!

A Sweet Story

Last week I had the pleasure of watching Kailey for three days because her grandmother wasn't able to. In the weeks leading up to this event, I was not sure what to expect from not one but two almost two year olds. Had I have known how wonderful the two would play together, I would have volunteered to take her forever! Nicholas and Kailey spent every day sharing toys, laughing at each other, and talking together. It was a little like watching an old couple walking through the mall sharing their little secrets and helping each other along. Nicholas would take Kailey's hand and lead her towards the crayons. Then he would show her, as if she doesn't already know, how to draw all over the paper without getting it on the table! At times the two of them would be sitting down, each busy with a different toy. Then Nicholas would look over, get up and hug and kiss Kailey! It was just the sweetest thing to see! I should mention that Kailey did not want any part of the kissing but she somewhat tolerated the hugging. It was just so sweet to watch them interact! We really miss you Kailey!

A Toddler's Eating Habits

When Nicholas was just beginning to eat regular table food, I thought he was going to be the best eater ever! He would have vegetables, meat, fruit, and usually some type of bread. He would gobble up everything on his plate and be ready for more. Now that we have entered what seems to be the early terrible twos, nothing is the same. For days in a row the only thing he will eat is a hot dog. Then all of a sudden the hot dog is tossed on the floor with the toys as if to say "What is this! Why on earth would you make this for me?" He used to love every vegetable including peas. Now the only one we can get him to go near is corn on the cob! One would think that he would also eat the same corn we do, but that is not the case. Only corn on the cob will do! He spits out chicken, turkey, steak, hamburg yet today he ate a whole piece of "ham" off of an Egg McMuffin sandwich! Does this make any sense? How can you eat the so called ham from McDonald's of all places but not any other kind of meat??

A Nightmare, I mean Haircut!

This morning was the fifth haircut for the Nicholas. We were ready in plenty of time. I had all of the snacks packed and off we went with enough time to stop for gas. We looked at the trucks, named all the construction equipment we passed, and were generally having a grand time on the ride over. The problem began when Nicholas saw the building. It was as if eight weeks had not passed since the last time we visited Amy for a haircut. He began saying no over and over again. When I unbuckled his car seat, the kicking and screaming started. Then he threw himself on the ground and refused to move. I picked him up and carried him into the building. Amy was still with a client so we quickly went back outside. I thought for sure a little trip outside would calm him down. He could not be distracted by anything! We looked at birds, a dead snake, the gutters, the pool, and leaves. Nothing worked! Finally, I dragged him, kicking and screaming, into the salon. For the next twenty minutes he clung to me while swinging his head from side to side and letting out an ear piercing scream. When we decided to give up, he finally quieted down. I stood up and he ate a cookie while Amy finished trimming what she could reach. His hair is shorter but not perfect. Maybe next time will be better!

Preschool

Nicholas has not even turned two yet but already everyone is thinking about preschool. All the moms at Gymboree are engaged in lenghy conversations about preschool and I am standing there wondering why in the world they are already talking about it. During my eavesdropping, I learn that most preschools have a long waiting list and that this fall is the right time to choose a school and get onto the waiting list. Even though this boggles my mind, I quickly joined the conversation because I must learn the secrets to finding the right one and being able to get in. Some moms are hoping that the new public preschool law will go into effect right when it is time for our children to start but I pointed out that the children have to be four not three for that to apply to them. Then it was onto the list of local schools - Montessori Llamas and Learning, Montessori of Brandon, Nativity Church, and St. Stephen's. All are considered the best, but each different in price. So, I took a deep breath and decided that I would wait until the fall, visit each school, and make a decision. If the waiting list is too long then, horror of all horrors, maybe he won't start right away when he turns three! Or we will choose another one. Since he hasn't even turned two yet, I am not going to think about it anymore until the fall!

The End of the Pacifier

I would have never, ever guessed that getting rid of the pacifier would be so easy! When we changed the crib from the toddler bed, I removed the bumpers. This led to all of the pacifiers getting stuck between the wall and crib and landing under the crib. On Tuesday of last week, I was just too lazy to look for one while Nicholas sat screaming in his bed at nap time. Instead, I quickly ran out of the room and he fell asleep. This accomplishment led us to try bedtime without the pacifier which led to SUCCESS! Just one more example of how quickly is changing from our baby to our little boy!

Finally - Sleep!

It has been quite some time since we have had a real nights worth of sleep here! Mr. Nicholas learned how to climb out of his crib! This led to night after night of his waking up and walking out of his room and into ours! One morning Jason found him asleep in the kitchen on top of the mat with all of his little blankets curled around him. Jason came up with idea to lay with him until he feel asleep while we were at my mom's for Christmas. This led to Nicholas coming to get us everytime he woke up. This continued at home and through the new year until my mom suggested locking him in his room. We just couldn't do it at first, so we continued to lay with him night after night, almost all night long. At last, my common sense has kicked in. What did we do when he was crying in his crib and he couldn't get out? We left him in there until he fell asleep. So, I put a safety doorknob onto the inside of his door and after one night, he started staying in his room when we put him to bed and sleeping through the night once again! Hurray!

An Uncle's Adventures in Babysitting

Last night we went to the beautiful wedding of our dear friend Justin. While we were off having a wonderful time, a certain uncle was here with our munchkin. All things considered, they had a marvelous time while playing outside, watching TV, and going for a bike ride. There was only one incident that caused a frantic call to Nana. Let's call this incident "The Messy Diaper!" Poor Uncle Markie was covered as well as the changing table, clothes, and the little guy. After several thousand wipes the baby was clean but the leftover mess was still lurking in front of them. Luckily, Nana suggested throwing everything into the washing machine and all was well again!

A Trip to the Zoo

Yesterday we went on a family adventure. We packed up the sippy cups, snacks, pacifiers, diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, and snacks that are all necessary for a successful outing. We arrived at the Zoo at 10 and right away our little guy was not interested in getting into his stroller. So we decided to be exciting and let him roam around on his own. We started off in the children's area where the exhibits are "interactive." First we tried the pony rides but as soon as the pony licked his hand that was the end of that! So off we went to see the kangaroos. The kangaroos must have had a rough evening because there wasn't any action there and we were quickly bored. So we tried the path to Africa. My two brave men went off to ride the camel through the desert. At first we thought the trip was off due to screaming and kicking (I know what you are thinking but it was Nicky not Jason) but as soon as the camel started move, the clapping and petting began. We spent the next hour or so following behind our miniature guide who was mostly interested in what was on the ground, what was behind us, or what he could climb on. Our journey ended with a splash in the fountain and one soaked yet happy little guy!