Oh yeah ...

... I'm cute.

(A post a day for a whole week - just for you, Ginnie! :) I don't know what next week will bring, though ...)

Box Day

Cold winter days are just right for curling up and with a pillow and a blanket and reading a good book.

Preferably in a box.

I guess he's ready

So my theory on potty-training is that it's best to wait until the child is ready. I had seen some readiness signs in Alex, and we decided over our Christmas break to try switching to training underwear. I thought I would have more time to work with him and kind of "jumpstart" things when I wasn't trying to divide my attention between potty-training and school.

He wasn't ready. He didn't like the underwear, he wanted his diaper, he didn't want to be a big boy, and sitting on the potty wasn't something he was interested in doing. So our potty-training lasted (approximately) and hour and a half. No big deal - I figured we'd try again this summer.

Well, he's been going with Luke to watch Ethan at his swim lessons. And he wants lessons in the worst way. (Incidentally, he tells us that Aunt Ginnie is going to help him learn. Because she's nice.) Luke's been telling him that he has to be a big boy and wear underwear before he can have swim lessons. Not to pressure him, just matter-of-factly.

So the other day at breakfast, Alex asked to go potty. He sat down, read a couple books, did his business. He's been doing that every day since. Not every time he goes, but at least once a day. Saturday, he went potty, then went and found his big-boy underwear to put on.

I guess he's ready now.

(Edited to add, I wrote this on Saturday night. I started putting him in underwear Monday, and since then his interest has been waxing and waning. It all depends on his mood! For now, we're just letting him take the lead. But if he's not potty-trained next time you see him, that's why!)

The perfect place to play

Perhaps you remember our list of what I cleaned out from underneath the table one day. This time I took a picture.


Alex loves to load toys up in grocery bags and haul them around. This day he took them under the table and then pushed his box underneath it as well. Ethan was under there with him at one point, but he had moved on by the time I took the picture.

Avanlea Lynn

Avanlea Lynn joined our family on Tuesday, January 19th! Isn't she pretty?

Ethan is 8

Ethan turned eight yesterday! He's been counting down the days since ... oh, about Christmas. He got to open presents in the morning because that way he could play with them until we left to go to Grandma and Grandpa's in the afternoon. Being the forgetful mother that I am, I forgot to take any pictures of that. He got a game of strategy called Cathedral - which is really fun! - and this remote control Zoob set. He's been enjoying them both, and as soon as I charge my camera batteries I'll try to remember to get pictures of him playing.

(By the way, I know I never posted pictures of our Christmas gift opening. I don't have very good pictures, and I keep thinking I will take pictures of them playing with their favorites. I just keep forgetting.)

(So if you doubt that I'll take pictures of Ethan playing with his new things, you may be right.)

We took supper and went to Grandma and Grandpa's. Ethan wanted an angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream for his birthday cake. It was a lot easier than, say, a dinosaur cake or a digger cake, but it's a little sad to see him ask for such a grown up dessert. He opened presents at Grandma and Grandpa's, but I forgot to take pictures of that, too. I take some small comfort in the fact that Grandma forgot too.



Happy Birthday, Ethan! Dad and I are very proud of the young man you are becoming, and we love you very much.

Clothes ... who needs 'em?

I made the mistake of staying at the table for a few minutes after the boys were done with lunch yesterday. It wasn't long, but it was long enough for Alex to remove his clothes, hide them, and write on himself with marker.


Doesn't he look sorry?

Funny

Ethan was sitting at the table one day this week. Suddenly, he began chortling. Amused, I asked him what was so funny.

"Well," he said, "I was just thinking. You know what would be funny? If I looked up the word 'dictionary' in the dictionary."

Then he laughed some more. And I laughed with him, because I can understand why he thinks that would be funny.

A quirky sense of humor is a good thing, right?

New Year's Celebration

We began our New Year's celebration with tacos for dinner. Why tacos? Because it was easy. :) Ethan helped by shredding cheese, Alex helped by tearing lettuce, and the dog delayed supper by having a seizure. Good thing I had so many helpers, or it would have really been late before we ate! Then we did quick baths and jammies, and went downstairs to dance to old records.

And turn cartwheels, in Ethan's case.


The boys like using these ribbon rings, and just being generally silly.


We had noisemakers and poppers, and we shouted "Happy New Year's!" numerous times. It was only 8:00, but that's midnight somewhere, right?

Then we had "spicy juice" (homemade sparkling juice) and graham crackers, and the older two went "camping" in the livingroom. Then Mom ruined the fun at 9:00 by making Alex go sleep in his bed. But that was because he had the entire contents of the toy basket on his sleeping bag to play with.

Happy New Year's to all of you!