More of the potty training chronicles

Well this week we've made some big progress. We still have a long way to go, but I feel like he's finally starting to get it. It still takes M&Ms, stickers, coaxing, pleading, begging and bribing sometimes, but it's getting there. Yesterday he did pretty well at school and then did great at home. This morning he woke up and we watched our "cartooms" and he wanted to eat breakfast. I told him we'd have to go potty first, and amazingly he got right off the couch and headed to the bathroom. In record time, he decided while in the bathroom that going potty was a good idea, so I'm already going to call today a success, no matter how many accidents might occur. Mornings for us are SO tough because we have to get up earlier than either of us wants to. Fighting a screaming toddler over the potty is not really my idea of starting off my day well, so I try to wake us up a little earlier so he has time to wake up and make his own decision that he has to go. If only I didn't have to be at work until 9!

The Potty Training Chronicles

I love being a parent. Specifically, I love being Hayden's parent. He is so energetic and full of life, so full of laughter and silliness. He is willful and independent and his own person at 2 years old. I learn new things from him every day and I love to watch how he handles challenges and obstacles. It's amazing to see his little brain working around a problem until he has a solution.

So it is no surprise to me that potty training is frustrating for us both. Some days, he's 50%. Others, he's 0%. Everything in between pretty much sums up daily life. Some days he comes home with three bags from school of dirty clothes; other days he's fine all day at school and loses it as soon as he walks in the door. What's a mom to do? We don't want to force him, or be too lax. We have M&Ms on the back of the toilet, we have a potty seat and a stool so he can decide "how" to go, we have a sticker chart and fun undies. We limit drinks at a certain point in the evening, and one day last week we sat in the bathroom at 6:30 am and I said "I don't care what time I get to work, we'll stay in here until you decide you're ready to potty." Luckily for me it was a Thursday and he knew Zoe would be at school and he didn't want to miss her.

Today, we have a victory. The war is not over, but in this conflict I need to win a battle or two here and there. He used the potty all day at school and came home with a special sticker. He was so proud of it! About an hour after he got home and had had his snack and juice, I convinced him to use the potty. Success! I'm hoping the bedtime potty routine is easier and more on his own decision making, but I'll take what I can get! Tomorrow is a new day and we'll keep trying!

Happy Father's Day!

Hayden has the best dad! To celebrate father's day, Jay wanted to go out to eat...and to buy Hayden his first bike. After much deliberation at Toys 'R Us, and convincing Hayden we were NOT there to buy a motorized car, Hayden picked out (who could have guessed) a Buzz Lightyear bike!

He's gotten really good at steering and braking, just have to work on pushing the pedals to go forward!

Some beach, somewhere...

A few weeks ago, Jay decided we needed to get outta dodge for a few days so we took a quick trip to the beach. We packed up on Friday, with clothes and toys and Oscar and Hayden, and headed out with Jay in front on the bike. We enjoyed a weekend of sun and sand, shoppping and relaxing. It was exactly what we needed!

Hayden was not a huge fan of the ocean. He loves the sand, but the crashing waves and sand being pulled out from under him due to the current is not his idea of fun!

He really liked for Jay to build a mini-castle so he could kick it over!

Gentlemen, start your engines...

In May, I entered into a contest through 104.1 WTQR. They were giving away race tickets to veterans, so I submitted a little bio of Jay's time in the Army. I kind of forgot about it, so I was really surprised when they called to tell me we had won tickets to the All-Star Shootout and the Coca Cola 600. They called on Thursday, before the race that Saturday night. While I was driving to pick them up, I called to make some arrangements for Hayden Saturday night and then called Jay to tell him a) we had tickets and b) we had a babysitter. So all he had to do was show up!

The All-Star race was a shorter, evening race so we decided to take the bike for the ride down to Charlotte. Neither of us had ever been to a Nascar race, so we were interested to see it all play out. We got there in a decent amount of time on the bike, and found that parking is much easier when you're taking a two-wheeled vehicle! We had a lot of fun people-watching as we headed to our seats. What a fun night we had! The race was more exciting than the normal, longer ones because the drivers were racing for $1 million, and it wasn't too crowded. We decided for the next race that we'd make a day of it, but were just fine with our short evening out.

The Coca-Cola 600 we knew to be a long race, so we made more arrangements for Hayden, packed up the mini-grill and burgers and sides, towels and sunscreen, coolers and snacks. We showed up in the early afternoon to grill, enjoy the sunshine and atmosphere. The race was on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, so there was a thick air of patriotism and pride for our men in uniform that have sacrificed so much.

After we grilled we made our way into the track. The pre-race festivities were pretty awesome! They had several veterans and even some Medal of Honor winners there. For the driver introductions, they had active duty service members on hand and some taped introductions from soldiers downrange. Darius Rucker was there to sing the national anthem, and at the end a stealth bomber flew overhead. It was amazing! They had members of the 82nd Airborne parachute in. They had a general there to present an Army wife with an award for her service. Little did she know (nor the rest of us!) they were surprising her with her husband's early return from Iraq! It was a really great way to spend Memorial Day weekend, and I was glad to be in the presence of so many that appreciate our military, even though they don't wear the uniform.

Last night, I was in the shower shaving my legs. I only got to finish one before this exchange...

H: (pulling back curtain) Mommy shower?
Me: Yes mommy is in the shower.
H: I take pants off. I shower,
Me: Oh no baby, you already had a bath, you don't need a shower.
H: (taking pants off) No, I take shower too.

(turned water off) (still only one leg shaved) (wearing a skirt today)

Oh the life of a toddler mom...

An old classic

A few weeks ago at dinner...

H: Mommy, I more potato heads?
Me: Oh Hayden those are MASHED potatoes, not potato heads.
(pause)
H: Mommy, I more MASS potato heads?