Like a Lamb to the Slaughter

Better said, it would be like a mom to the slaughter. If you know me well at all, you know that I am not a fan of potty training. I don't push the kid, I just wait until they want to do it. I go along with their interests so long as it lasts and when they pull back and it becomes more of a struggle I pull back and wait for their cue. Maia cued me on Monday. She had a perfect day. I was so cautiously thrilled. But I wasn't expecting a perfect day on Tuesday. She had 3 accidents, all 3 times she wet or messed herself while wearing clothes and underwear. So it was very minimal mess. No big deal, I was expecting this. She apologized, I said it was fine, encouraged her and cleaned up.

This morning, she gets dressed, she decides to go commando under her shorts which is fine by me--it is a favorite potty training method of mine anyway. She goes potty just great and then about 15 min later, I am finishing Olivia's hair and I see that Maia has changed shorts. I go into the living room. I see water all over the floor and the baby with wet hands and knees. I, unwittingly, asked Maia where she got the water from and why she poured it on the floor...and then something clicks. Remember that scene from Disney's Tarzan where the elephant looks at the watering hole and says, " Is this water sanitary? It looks questionable to me!" Bells began to ring in my head.

I ask Maia what that is, she confesses uses the hardwood floor as a lavatory. Oy. This where the frustration steps in. After losing my temper, cleaning up the baby and wasting a perfectly good, but useless, lecture on a 3 yr old, I calm down, apologize for losing my temper and have her help me mop it up. We have a little motivating talk and raise morale. Things settle down. It isn't even 9am yet. Oy vey. Heaven grant me wisdom, calm and a great potty cheerleading attitude today. Although, I am thoroughly convinced that Maia lead me into potty training under false pretenses, I think this is it. I think if I stick with her over the next week she will get it down and get used to the world without diapers. Again, I pray for a merciful, encouraging attitude and a cooperative, motivated child.

On a good note, as I was down here writing and clearing my system via writing the girls came down and said, we have something important to show you! I went upstairs, they escorted me into the kitchen and with a enthusiastic TA DA! they show me that they unloaded the dishwasher! Olivia's daily stewardship is unloading the utensils from the dishwasher and put them away. This time both girls took everything out of the dishwasher and stacked them neatly on the counter for me. They were so pleased and proud of themselves and rightly so, they did an awesome job. I now close this post with one other happy announcement--Maia just used the potty. Woo Hoo! Perhaps I am not being lead like a lamb to the slaughter after all--this mother can only hope.

Fancy in Panties

At least that is what we are working on. This is a secret, I wouldn't want to jinx us. So shhhhh!!

My Maia has peed and just now POOPED in the potty ALL DAY LONG. She was naked under her princess dress until about 2 hrs ago until she said she wanted panties. She now has her fancy dora mermaid panties on. She has gone every single time on her own accord and initiative. We were even outside and she came in on her own. The poop she did in the middle of watching dora with panties AND a skirt on. Whenever I reminded her she'd just say "no thanks, mom." she says she is all fancy with her painted nails, toes, necklace, bracelet and fancy frilling edging on her panties.

Feel free to pray that my girly continues with this desire to wear big girl panties. She was just rewarded with some candy and if she stays dry all day we are having a ice cream sundae party. So far so good! Either way, this is progress! *seriousmommycrossingfingersaction*

New House

Our family has moved! Sam and I closed on our first home just 3 weeks ago. We moved 45 minutes closer to Sam's work and we are very happy he doesn't have to commute to work any longer. The neighborhood is great, the neighbors and our church members have been very warm and welcoming. We love the cul de sac that we live on. It is very kid friendly and quiet--well it was until our energetic girls arrived but the neighbors say they are happy to have kids on the circle again. Olivia is enjoying her new school, she says her new teacher, Miss Hardy, is very good and nice but that she still misses her first Kindergarten teacher, Miss Werner. She has made a new friend who is in the same Kindergarten class. We are very, very grateful for that. She lives just around the corner and they get along swimmingly. We are busy doing some fun things to the yard and flower beds. Sam is a regular Paul Bunyon, he has cut down TWO whole trees on our property. I guess that makes me his Babe, huh? He has now declared that he needs a chainsaw--guess I know what I should start window shopping for his birthday, Christmas and/or Father's Day.

Here are some pictures that our realtor took of our family in the house just before we closed.

One of Michaela because I have been remiss in posting pictures of her.


And at the end, Olivia and Maia made themselves at home my playing in the mud in the carport. My girls sure do love the mud. I think I need to do a history of mud in pictures when it comes to them. At least they won't be able to say that I never let them get dirty when they are grown.

Today and Tomorrow

Today was a emotional sort of patchy day. I wasn't the best kind of mom or wife. I tried. There were good moments. I did tell the kids the story of Christopher Columbus at the dinner table and I shined in that motherly moment, if I do say so myself. I gave them my heart and my enthusiasm in those moments. I forgot that there were boxes to be unpacked and dinner dishes to wash. It didn't matter that I was 4 minutes late to pick up my Kindergartener when I read her that story at bed. Somehow the day ended better as I cuddled with my handsome husband on the couch and watched "Good Eats". The shutters arrived today and Sam did do a great job at putting them up. It was almost surreal to stay up after everyone else was asleep and soak in the quiet I was desperate for just 5 hrs ago. Who knew I wanted to pull the hair from my head at certain moments as I let loose and danced to the song "Footloose" in the dark family room in the glow of the computer and TV.

Tomorrow, I will try very hard to not care that I have a literal mountain of laundry lurking in the bottom of the linen closet and I will smile and play with my children. Today, I kissed Olivia's cheek as I buttoned up her coat and sent her running off to Kindergarten late and the tender softness of her cheek was soothing to my somewhat stressed lips and soul. Tonight, she was radiant in her Little Einsteins pjs as I told her how lovely she was and her honey eyes just sparkled at me and in that moment she forgot that I lost my patience with her for asking me her millions of endless questions. Tomorrow, I will turn the music on in the morning and dance with my little princesses. We will roll on the floor together and play "Break the Ice", we'll practice walking with Michaela. Today, that yummy baby is 11 mos old. Somehow I am sure I will likely feel like pulling my hair out tomorrow but I will remember this day only happens once and I will try harder to keep my voice kind and my daughters just might do the same in return.

Tomorrow maybe Maia will poop on the potty. Tomorrow maybe I will go to bed with a clean kitchen at my back. Tonight, I will not. But I will remember to smile at my dirty kitchen and be glad that I have one of my own for the first time ever in my life. Tomorrow maybe I will wake up just early enough to honor my body and do some pilates after I honor my spirit by reading my scriptures. Today was hard and tomorrow will require plenty of work and energy but tomorrow I will be more joyful as I do it because today I am deciding to do so.