"Try potty training the twins"

I'm going to get in so much trouble with Kate.

One of the items Kate had suggested we put on the summer to do list was Try Potty Training the Twins, and I tried it today... without her.

We had given potty training a five minute try early in the summer, but Kate and Anna's help made it just too chaotic to have any chance of success.  So, when I was thinking of how and when to potty train them, I thought these two days that Kate and Anna are spending up with my parents might be perfect.

So, today was the day.  True to my nature, I tried an all or nothing approach.  Yesterday, I'd told Luke and Ally there would be no diapers today.  This morning, I brought the potty chairs down to the playroom, took off their diapers, and gave them "bottomless" cups of juice.  I let them pick which "little toilet" they wanted to put their potty and poopy in today, and we decorated their toilets with stickers to celebrate.  After a while, I moved the party outside, where I gave them salty snacks (to make them thirsty) and continued the endless supply of juice.  The more they have to pee, the more chances we could pack into one day.  My little piglet Ally drank almost six 8 oz. cups of juice this morning.

I put them on the toilets every 15 minutes or so, and tried to entertain them with songs and books to keep them on as long as possible.  I also gave them an M&M every minute or so that they sat there.  It is awful to bribe kids with food, especially junk food, and junk food with food dyes no less; no good mother would ever do this.  :)

Of course, this became a little game, me trying to keep two toddlers sitting on a toilet, and them trying to get up.  I bet you can imagine who scored more points.

Very early on, Ally had a little accident while playing the playhouse, which distressed her quite a bit.  I told her it was no big deal, and set her on the toilet.  Nothing happened, so I broke out the water toys for them to play with.  (This is my favorite summer activity of all time:  two medium plastic bins with some plastic cups and random plastic toys.  Just add water.)  It was a fun way to pass the time, and I thought all the water splashing and the bending over couldn't hurt, either.

They were playing and I got bored and started to zone out.  Suddenly Ally was complaining, "Ewww, ewww," which she said when she peed in the playhouse, I snapped to reality, grabbed her and ran her over to the toilet.  I soon realized she was actually grossing out because Lukey was pooping down his own leg.  Sigh.  So I ran Luke over to the toilet, but it was too late.

A little while later, Ally told me, "Poopy coming," and she walked over, sat on the toilet, and after a moment peed in it.  We had a celebration.  Lots of cheers and hugs, five bonus M&M's, and then we went and watered the plants with her potty.

A while later, Ally announced "Poopy coming," with repeated success.  An hour or so later, she was a moment too late, but got most of it in the toilet.  And a while after that, she had a fourth success.
During all this time, I was setting Luke on the toilet every 15 minutes, but he never peed, not once.  It seemed like he really needed to go.  He must have; he had almost four cups of juice.  But, he just couldn't let it happen.

After about four hours, I gave them a little lunch and put them down for naps.  Ally wore princess underwear (Pull-ups) to sleep in.  She was one proud little girl, just beaming from her success!  Luke was begging for a diaper.  I knew he had to pee so badly, and he was so exhausted.  I popped a diaper on him, and read him a book while he relieved himself.  Then I changed his diaper and let him get some rest.

Ally woke up first, ready to try some more.  

She kept going back to the toilet; sometimes nothing would happen; sometimes it did.  She had a small accident while playing with our neighbors, but it was as she was coming to the toilet.  Later she had another incident where she peed in the toilet, then stood up, thinking she was done, and accidentally peed all over the floor.

By dinner time, the closest Luke had come to success was a few drips in the toilet (which I'd rewarded like crazy).  I put him on the toilet once more, and when he got up, I went to make dinner.  From the kitchen, I heard him moving the toilet around and came back to find he'd peed in the toilet was trying to open it up to empty it.

The last hour and a half of the day, neither had peed, and I tried to get them to go one more time while reading them books before bed, but they were simply too exhausted.  They were both just clinging to me.  Luke was begging for a diaper.  I didn't want to ruin the success we've had.  I told him he could wear special Lightning McQueen underwear (Pull-ups).

Ally finally told me, "Ni ni."  Fine.  That was enough for one day.  I brought her upstairs, slipped on her princess underwear, telling her, "No more diapers for Ally!"  She repeated, "No more diapers for Ally," lay down and snuggled up with her babas, a big smile on her face.

When I went back downstairs to get Luke, he said was holding out a diaper, telling me, "Diaper.  Nap."  You bet, buddy.  I put the diaper on him, gave him a big hug telling him how proud I was of him for how hard he tried today, and put that little sweetie to bed, too.

I think we're moving in the right direction.  I guess we'll see what tomorrow brings.

My adorable idea

So, what are these?

They are four failed attempts at making this coffee cup sleeve I saw on... yeah, yeah, on Pinterest.

When I first saw this reusable cup sleeve, I fell in love.  I thought it was the best idea ever, environmentally friendly, easy (well, it looked easy), and totally adorable.  I just had to make some of these, one for my super-"green" friend (because it was so up her alley) and more as gifts.

It only took me two tries to get the one for my "green" friend right, and after that I thought I had the it down.  Dave looked at what I was making and asked what it was.  I proudly explained, "It's a reusable coffee cup sleeve!"  He just shook his head.  I said, "What?  They're all over now."  He just mumbled, "Sure they are."

I came up with the perfect person to give my next one to.  I'd recently found out another friend was pregnant.  I was so happy for her, and I had the perfect idea for a sweet little "thinking of you/ congratulations" gift.  She loves decaf lattes, so I'd make her one of these sleeves and wrap it around a $5 Starbucks gift card, just enough to buy a decaf latte.  I was so excited.  I literally lay in bed that night thinking just how adorable a gift the cup sleeve wrapped around the gift card would be.  I was seriously proud of my idea.

I bought the gift card yesterday, and last night I set to work sewing the sleeve.  I messed up first one I made.  Then I messed up the second.  And, the third... I messed that one up worse.  I revamped the pattern, and got the fourth one just perfect.

Today I wrapped the sleeve around the gift card, just like I'd pictured, and secured it with a little tape.  Then I stuck it in a gift bag with some tissue paper.  Then after nap today, I loaded the kids in the car, drove over to her house, and proudly left it at the door.

A few minutes later, I got a text.  I was giddy to see what she thought.  When I hit a red light, I read it:

"Omg, is that a pants extender thingy? Did u make it?  I'm dying, so cute!  

Things have really changed in five years!! Haha!  

Thank you.  You are so thoughtful!"

Pants extender thingies

The light turned green, and I started driving.  Soon I had to pull over, though; I was laughing so hard the tears were clouding my vision.  Sometimes I'm such a dork.

Almost done with our summer list

We have a handful of things left to check off our Summer To-Do List, and I've been trying to get them all done this last week before school starts, because Kate (is a little too much like her mother and) has been kind of neurotic about finishing them all.

We checked off Make blanket forts in a big way.  I'd found this Make-Your-Own Deluxe Fort Kit on Pinterest, and I made the kit for the kids and then the six of us went to town turning the entire living/dining room area into an enormous fort Sunday afternoon.  We're looking forward to doing that many more times.

This afternoon we changed  Have a dress up photo shoot to Have a photo shoot wearing your first day of school clothes.  This definitely "killed two birds" for me.  Kate got to check it off our list and I got pre-enactment first day pictures.  Our school implemented a staggered start for K4 this year which means Anna's first day will actually be the second day, and Kate and Anna won't be starting the same day.  So, I wouldn't have pictures of them in their first day of school outfits together.  This way, I got those.

Tonight I realized it was actually just about dark at bedtime, and although it was a sad reminder that summer is passing, it was the perfect opportunity to do the Glow-in-the-dark bubbles we still had on our list.  I told Kate and Anna if they were in bed by the time I got the twins to bed, I'd have a special surprise.

I'd been warned by a friend that the bubbles didn't work when she tried them, but since they were on my list I gave them my best shot.  I'd bought a huge glow-in-the-dark necklace, so I dumped that in our bubble solution and hoped for the best.  The solution glowed wonderfully, but we didn't blow a single bubble.

The girls and I thought it was pretty funny how I was completely aglow from the bubble solution splattered all over me, and I had an idea.  I painted a big K and A out of bubble solution on the girls' carpet, and then I let them paint their pajamas and my clothes.  I kept reminding myself the package claims the stuff is non-toxic and that they could change their pajamas before they went to sleep.  Then Anna had the genius idea that we paint her nighttimes (pull-ups).  We saturated those things with glow-in-the-dark bubble solution, and then they took turns wearing them and doing a "shake your glow-butt"dance.  It was pretty darn fun!

And, although it's not on our Summer list, I have to share this little idea I found on I-won't-mention-where.  It has been loads of fun for the girls these last couple days.  

I just printed off the people and animals on card stock (the downloads are right on the site) and stuck a whole bunch of useless fabric scraps in a gallon size freezer bags.  I gave the paper and bag or scraps to the girls, told the girls to grab gluesticks and my sewing scissors, and let them go to town. 

Kate's first two creations.  (The one on the left is named Tarzan, if you didn't notice.)

Kate's friend made this today while over for a playdate.

Anna and I made this together tonight.  I had a lot of fun!

Okay, Baby!

I was swinging in the hammock with the girls.  Ally was sitting on my chest.  Ally looked at Luke playing next to us, and she told him, "Blih gahb lide an fhif" or something like that.  It was just a bunch of gibberish to me.

Before I had a chance to decipher a single word, Luke responded,  "Okay, Baby!" and went down the slide.  Ally was happy.

Kate, Anna, and I all looked at each other.  I said, "Did you understand her?"  They both laughed and said, "No!"

Luke knew exactly what she told him to do.

Bologna

Anna went through a stage where she was constantly making stuff up.  I'd tease her and ask, "Annie, how high are you filled up with bologna today?" and we'd put our hands at a level between her chest and her eyeballs to indicate how much she was making up.  She's kind of passed that stage, and now her ridiculous statements are more subtle... and more funny.

Dave took the girls canoeing on Sunday.  Kate had gone with him last summer, but this was Anna's very first time in any boat (an important point of this story).  Dave and Kate had been paddling them down the river, and Anna wanted to try.  Dave handed her the oar and, of course, she was really struggling with it.  After a while, she explained, "I'm just used to the boats where the oars are attached."

Another Anna story:  I hurt my foot the other day (because I'm a ridiculous klutz), and it was bothering me a lot this morning.  I was sitting there with my foot elevated and iced when Anna came over to give me some advice about how to feel better, and she prefaced her advice with.  "I don't think that I'm really a doctor, but I'm kind of like a doctor..."

Ya' gotta eat fast in a big family

Growing up, my parents (both from families of six kids) would explain that they ate quickly because growing up in a big family, you had to eat fast if you wanted to get any food.  I never thought too much about it until this afternoon at lunch.

I'd made a batch of maccaroni and cheese and divvied it up among the four kids.  When Kate asked for seconds I'd told her there wasn't anymore but that she could have more peaches or tomatoes if she was still hungry.  A minute later, Luke finished his macaroni and cheese and asked, "Mo mac cheese."  I told him it was all gone, and told him to eat his other food.  He said, "Mama, mo mac cheese!"  I took the pot from the sink and showed him it was empty, saying, "There's no more mac and cheese.  It's all gone."  He pointed over to Anna, still enjoying her lunch and said, "Mo Anna mac cheese."  I laughed, shaking my head no, and he persisted, tapping the spot on his plate where the mac and cheese had been, "Mo Anna mac cheese!"

Ally

I was looking through my notes of things I'd wanted to write about in a post and I found this story about Ally from about a month and a half ago.

Our family had been having a little watermelon party with the neighbors in their backyard.  Ally was being naughty.  I don't even remember what she was doing, but I finally decided to take her home.  If I hadn't been so exhausted, I'd probably have phrased what I said in the positive, "If you want to play you have to be nice."  But, I said, "You can't play if you won't be nice."

I walked her into the kitchen to clean her up before I brought her upstairs, and she pointed over by the sink and said, "Nize."

I was confused.  I looked over to where she was pointing and asked, "Knives?"

"No," she said, shaking her head, and pointing again to the window over the sink.  "Nize.  Connoh."

My little girl who wasn't yet very verbal was telling me she wanted to go back and play with our neighbor Connor, and that she was going to be nice.

I brought her over, and she was just as sweet as pie.

A simpler place

People often refer to a simpler time.  Obviously, that simpler time is gone, but, thankfully, as I found out this week, a simpler place still exists: a campground.

Once we could afford it, Dave and I abandoned the work of camping for the ease of hotels.  We hadn't camped in almost ten years.

But, I felt we couldn't deny our children the experience of camping, so I dug deep for my courage (and my tent, camping stove, sleeping bags, and an entire trunk load of supplies I'd forgotten one needs when there isn't room service) and took the girls to Point Beach State Forest.

It was the perfect place for two young kids... and their mom.  It truly was like being able to spend a few days living in that simpler time.  The kids happily entertained themselves like kids should, by running around in the fresh air, exploring in the woods, and creating things to do.  Family time was all the time, whether we were setting up the tent, making meals, cleaning up meals, sitting around the fire, or playing cards.  The kids chipped in with all the work, not because I made up stuff for them to do because "chores are good for kids," but because their help was needed.  I was more attentive and relaxed because I had no distractions, no extraneous stressors, since we'd accidentally chosen a campgrounds that didn't have phone or internet signals, and (once I stopped walking around holding my phone in the air, practically bumping into walls like a puppy with a cone on my head) it was wonderful.  When we walked places, the kids got to run ahead, without me yelling for them to stay in my sight and stop at every corner.  Everyone we came across was friendly and relaxed, and the pace of life was just slower.  And, possibly my favorite part of all, we snacked on wild blackberries which were everywhere when we were hungry.  

I'm not saying camping isn't a lot of work.  It is, but it's a fulfilling kind of work that refreshes the soul.  I'm so glad I did this for the kids; it's just what I needed.  We will be returning often.

Way too many pictures below:

Redheads have less fun

I was doing the kids' hair up in the bathroom the other day, when Kate commented, "I wish Luke didn't have blonde hair, and I wish he had more curly hair, so that he fit in more."

I knew this comment stemmed from the ridiculous impertinent woman in Costco who'd just blurted out, "Is the boy yours?"  Then, in response to my astonished look, continued, "I only ask because he has straight hair."

I'd previously discussed with the girls all the ways Luke is similar to his sisters, so I just joked around.  "Well," I said, smiling at Dave, "Lukey says blonds have more fun!"

Kate just stared at me.  "What?" she asked, "Why do blonds have more fun?"

"It's just a joke, Sweetie," I assured her.

"Oh!" said my little redhead, thinking she may have solved the mystery, "because they don't always have to get compliments and say 'thank you' all the time?"

Weird kid

I always thought Anna was my "weird kid," which I absolutely love her for, but she's got some stiff competition.

Ally has a pink bear Baba, which she takes everywhere and sleeps with.  It always seem slightly odd that she constantly sucked on the ribbon around its neck while simultaneously rubbing it's bottom with her pointer finger, so much so that a hole developed in that spot.

But, now she's doing something even weirder.  She reaches into Baba's hole, takes out a tiny bit of stuffing, blows on the stuffing, like she's blowing out a candle, and then puts the stuffing back.

Weird kid.

Anna
I'm not saying she's isn't still a contender for the title of "My Weirdest Kid."

Ally

Baba

Inappropriate

When I was driving the girls up to go camping last week, I asked Kate and Anna if they might want to stop at a zoo I'd seen a sign for.

Anna nearly lost her mind at the thought of such a ridiculous question.  She yelled, "No, I don't want to stop anywhere!  I want to go camping.  Why don't you hurry!?  Drive faster!"  

I took a breath and began, "Anna, that is inappropriate..."  

Still frustrated, she retorted, "That's not 'inappropriate.'  I didn't show my breasties or my bottom!"

(You might be able to tell that we've had some discussions about things that are inappropriate before, but it usually involves a certain other issue.)

Anna, once we finally made it to the campgrounds.

Gratitude project

A while ago, I mentioned I was working on a project with the kids to help us all remember how much we have.  It actually has two parts.  One of the parts is this gratitude board.  I bought some letters and a big dry erase board at Michaels (40% off, of course!).  I wanted the one with cork board, so we'd have the option of pinning things to it, but I didn't like the brown, so I painted the cork silver when I painted the letters.

When the kids think of something for which they're grateful (or when I think it's a good time that they do... for instance when Kate was in tears because Anna got a pair of hand-me-down shoes from her cousin and she didn't) the kids go and write on the board.

The second part of the project also helps us think of all that we have but by consciously give up some little material things.  This gives us an opportunity to focus on the big things we already have and to help others who don't have any where near the blessings we already have.  Little material things bring us a moment of joy, but true joy comes from being grateful for what we already have and from helping others.

Here's how it works: 

Sometimes when we're about to indulge by buying something we don't need, we don't buy it and we write the money on a heart instead.  We say, "Sure Luke might like that bulldozer, and although he doesn't have a bulldozer at home, he does have a bunch of other trucks.  Let's give that $12 to a child in another country who doesn't have shoes."  Or, "Sure, I'm tired and a Starbuck's chai might be delicious, perhaps the most delicious thing in the entire world and it'd be so wonderful to sip it while I drive and  feel so relaxed and then have the energy I need to... (um, sorry) but I will make myself a chai when I get home for about a quarter and give the three dollars I save so a kid can have a couple days worth of food!"  At the end of each month, we're going to total what we saved and decide as a family which charity to give the money to.  

It couldn't be more perfect, really.  We're learning to appreciate what we already have while avoiding more clutter and calories!  Helping others feels so much better than excess... even better than a delicious Starbucks chai!