Warpaint

Who's Training Who?

The Haiku to POTTY TRAINING

Potty Everywhere.
Hold it! Wait! Uh Oh...Change Clothes.
Look at Mommy Run!


I started potty training Saturday morning with Ally. It was a disaster. In undies all morning and not once went potty on her toilet. We'd sit on there for 30 min. at a time, reading books, playing board games, just trying to get her to relax and go. Never Happened.
She even asked for her diaper once just before a big spill, so I knew she was just very worried about going on the pot. The only time I ever grab her and whisk her off to the toilet is when I could tell she is pooping, and she'd fight it tooth and nail. So as far as she knew, she just didn't want to have anything to do with this toilet business.
We didn't try at all yesterday, we were just very busy and out alot. So today was ground zero again.
Started right away with her special undies, and gave her a big glass of milk. That'll do the trick, right?? :) Well, it did. She held it longer than I thought she could, but finally, enticed by a tootsie roll, she pottied in her toilet! Three times by 10 o'clock, and no accidents! So three tootsie rolls in the AM, and with a dry diaper and a big potty after her nap, a lollipop in hand, we decide to brave the park.
-oh, and she was one proud potty girl!-



We arrive at the park and she takes off running full force for the swings. She got about 8 feet from them and stopped dead in her tracks and look at her feet. Poor thing was so excited about her swings that she forgot all about this potty business!
So I change her into one of the three extra shorts and undies I brought, get her cleaned up, had her sit on the potty (yes, I brought it to the park!) just to make sure she was finished, and off she goes. This time for a slide. She gets to the edge of the slide and stops...and does the oh-so-common "potty grab".
Now I had just barely recovered from the first episode. I had JUST made it to the table with our group of friends and unloaded the potty, the newly wet clothes, some craft supplies (including a dozen loose feather headbands), our backpack and wipes container, all of which I somehow had balanced in my two arms.
So I do what any other training mom would do, right? I lunge off the bench for the potty, ready to head her way. I'm yelling, "I'm coming, A!", "Don't potty, Mama's coming!"
Well, this was a great plan. What I didn't plan on was the darn seat falling apart when I grabbed it. The lid flipped off. I struggled to juggle it while trying to slow my momentum. The basin fell out. The top half of my body is quickly getting ahead of my lower half, seeing how my lower half is being slowed up by the quicksand-like park pebbles, and the toilet I'm trying to hurdle! All I can see is gravel, and somewhere shortly after imagining explaining my roadrash face over the Thanksgiving Break....I slide in next to A, whisk her shorts down, and plop her on the pot. Right in the middle of the playground.
Luckily all her bodily functions seemed to halt during the commotion, and we made it in the potty!
Whew! All in a days work, right?
Actually, two false alarms later, I've decided she just like to see how fast she can make me jump. I'm like Pavlov's dogs now-I see any sort of pause or grab and I jump-it's relfex, I tell you!
Hey-one little accident after we got home, but she had an AWESOME day!! Off to a great start!

P is For Pretzel!

Today we hosted Miss A's age group's cooking playdate. In honor of letter "P" month, I chose an easy pretzels recipe. It was a big hit!
Everybody got to mix:



Then Knead:




Then we formed our initials with the dough!



Brush on some egg and a sprinkle of salt:



Bake for 10 min., Eat and Enjoy!

A Long Week!

Oh, where to begin?
Our Thanksgiving feast and program was scheduled for Thursday and Friday of this week (Nov. 15&16). So of course Monday, Nov. 12, I woke up feeling really lousy. Achey all over, an incredibly bad sore throat, and just no real appetite.
I chose to ignore it.
I had plans.
I was going to E's school to eat lunch with her and then serve in the cafeteria to the rest of the school. And I did.
E was so proud to have us there! After we were served and seated, she says, "Mama, I would like you to meet Charlie.", and gestures to the quiet blonde boy sitting next to me. (pause enough for me to say hello and nice to meet you to Charlie, then continues) "Charlie, I would like you to meet...my Mom."
How Sweet is she!?! I was so proud of her good manners!
Anyway, I didn't eat much, then stood on my feet for over an hour all decked out in a plastic apron, gloves, and hairnet! and was in charge of the dressing and roll distribution. I felt good about my contribution for the day, headed home to clean up and change, and get ready for a craft playdate at the park after school.
Had to wake A at 3:30 to go to the park. She was not happy about this, but we were bringing the craft supplies, so we had to get there.
Once we arrived and she made it to the swing, she was ok. Until she had to get off of the swing. Not ok. After kicking and screaming, wailing, and some attempts at pummeling...she settled down and had some more fun. She and the other kiddos took an impromptu hike up a really big hill and long path, running, falling, rolling down and getting really worn out. Fine with me, I thought-easy to bed tired kids-'cuz I'm really not feeling well (but still ignoring it).
We get home and I crash on the couch. Tell Miss E to make herself some cereal and something else for dinner and scrounge something for A. Somehow got the kids bathed and in bed, called J to tell him to grab something to eat on the way home, that I was in no way up to cooking.
I fell into bed feeling pretty much run over. Take a load of Motrin to try to dull the knives I feel in my throat every time I swallow.
Wake up a little after midnight and make a run for the bathroom-and so begins the vomiting. Which continues about every hour on the hour until about 9 AM.
Ruth came over to get E to school and entertain A for the day. J called in sick for me around 6, when he got up.
Remember our program this week?? yes....oh, the phone calls I got...."do you have lesson plans ready?", "where are the CDs?", "do you have a copy of the lyrics for the 3s song? they don't seem to know it very well.", "can you copy and email the sign language descriptions for the 4s song?", "we changed the 3s song to something easier", and then..."will you be in tomorrow???"
"I think so", I reply-"I haven't thrown up in awhile"..."but my throat is killing me!"
Ahhh...."you might have Strep".
Oh yes, I had Strep. Seriously. For the first time in 15 years or more! Not fun.
So I call my connections (thank you, Aunt D!!) and get some meds and am on the mend. But, I can't go in the next day. Not until I'm on the meds for 24 hours. So I have zero time with the kiddos before we perform on Thursday. Trying not to stress.
I make it to work and we do get to rehearse during the morning assembly. Not too bad. And it really went ok.
I was the only one singing during the 2s performance. One sweet pea did a couple of the movements for our turkey song, but did not sing. And another raised her dress over her head about 6 times. :) A stood on the stage for the first song, then matter-of-factly walked down the three stairs and plopped in my lap for the 2nd song. She's never been much of a follower. :)
And the 3s and 4s did really well. I was very proud. All of the parents enjoyed the show and the special goodies we made for them.

And I survived another week.

Did I mention we hosted a cooking playdate too?? another post....

TGITB!!! (Thank Goodness it's Thanksgiving Break!)

Miss E and her Grammy in line for the Tday "spread".



The Line Up, Day One.



Little A really enjoying her Pilgrim Hat cookie.



My Turkey.



Little A and her Grammy, Spread #2!

No More Moomies....

When Ally gets tired and doesn't want to be tired...her attempt to try and get out of her nap is to ask for a movie. Actually, it's, "I no Want to take a Nap! I want to watch a Moomie!".
Well, today she very clearly and distinctly asked to watch a Movie!!
I almost cried.
All these changes and new skills are wonderful, but my baby is growing. Let's face it. My baby is no longer my baby. I know, I know...she'll always be my baby, but she's my THREE year old baby now. Wow.

Proud of Me

After today, I am excited, for the first time, for our Thanksgiving program at the preschool. Last week....eh..a *little* nervous. :) But after my second day working with the kids, I think I can pull it off.
My favorite song is one that goes like this:

There are many things I am thankful for, I can find them near and far.
There are many things I am thankful for, let me tell you what they are.
I am thankful for the Earth.
I am thankful for the Sea.
I am thankful for my Friends,
and I am thankful to be me.
There are many...(repeat)
There are many...(repeat)
I am thankful for the Son.
I am thankful for each Tree.
I am thankful for my Home
and I am thankful to be Me.
There are many....
There are many...
I am thankful for my Food.
I am thankful to be Free.
I am thankful for the Stars,
and I am thankful to be Me!

I looked up an ASL dictionary online and found the signs for all the key words (earth, sea, friends, etc. ) and started teaching the kids today. They are really catching on! I would tear up just watching them in class today. Funny how seeing them all lined up, following my lead with the signs, and singing in their best and sweetest voices, wanting to make me proud, makes the moments of wanting to pull my hair out fade (just a little...)!


Oh-I should mention-the 2 yr. olds are not doing this song. No, Ally's class will be singing (to the tune of I'm a Little Teapot):

I'm a little turkey, plump and wide.
Feet on the bottom, wings on the side.
When I walk I wobble, to and fro.
Hear me gobble as off I go!
(followed by silly 2 yr. old gobbling!)

How Much is Too Much?

I made a yummy dinner last night of Lemon Pepper Tilapia, rice pilaf, and steamed broccoli. I had to practically pin Emma down to keep her from eating Jason's helping of tilapia-the child ate one and a half fillets, plus her rice and broccoli! Ally did try the fish. I got her to eat three bites before she was "done" with that. She didn't try the rice, but did eat ALL of her broccoli! Then asked for more! And ate all of that.....then asked for MORE! Yes, three good helpings of broccoli! Which leads me too ask...is it too much for one sitting? I didn't notice any unusual side effects, but was really wondering, you know? Since that's all she consumed for dinner, I didn't know what it might do to her tummy! Hey, I'm am not letting that stop me. We really have broccoli about 3 times a week now that Ally has chosen it as her only vegetable intake. It is jam packed with good stuff, though! Yay!

A Day for a Dig!

This was such a fun day for Ally and me. We were supposed to meet some playgroup friends downtown for a dig at the Dino Pit (it's letter "P" month, and we were going with a "prehistoric" idea), but all of our friends were either under the weather or chickened out due to the chilly morning :). I almost always travel anywhere out of town ("town" being the LCP area) with my good friend, M. I'm not afraid of taking on the big highways or the sky high flyovers, it's after exiting the fast paced routes that get me. I can't keep straight all the one ways, this ways, that ways, and no ways! I cannot go anywhere without at least one wrong turn. Today it was two (even after a call to M to double check the exit #), but we got there....and we had so much fun!
It was neat to just be Ally and Mom. I let her lead the way. We ran down dirt paths, walked across dry creek beds, dug for about 30 minutes for dinosaur bones before a herd of elementary school kids on a field trip took over. Then we visited the rescued animal area, and the reptile/amphibian/arachnid house with all the creepy crawlies. We had a little snack lunch then loaded up to head home. We visited and looked at the sites over the long-ish drive to keep A awake in the car. She talked about our adventures of the morning and told Daddy about it later. A really neat time!
Oh, and I took a *few* pics.... :)