Potty Training 101 - Day 2

The boys have done pretty good today. Both had used the potty twice today, although Eli took all of Isaac's Jelly Beans so we had to throw a time out in there. Until noon we were without any "askidents" and then they gained up on me. While Eli was peeping in his pants, Isaac was pooping. Coincidence? I doubt it.

Potty Training 101 - Day 1

9:00 AM
Today is the first day of Spring Break. My parents are on a deserved vacation so I am home with the boys. I have two goals for the boys – to learn at least ten letters in the alphabet and to potty train. I have been seriously potty training for one hour and it is excruciating. Maybe this is Jana’s lesson in patience. Eli and Isaac have been awake for one hour and we have spent exactly 50 minutes in the bathroom.

Scorecard:
Eli – 0.25
Isaac 1.5

Eli has tried 4 times now. Evidently conditions have to be perfect for peeping in the potty. We have tried a variety of combinations. Toilet paper seems to be quite a draw - two pieces of toilet paper in the toilet and three pieces of toilet paper in the toilet. Eli requested that I clean the toilet. He has requested the shower curtain open and the shower curtain closed. We have tried with water running and with it off. We started with magazines on the back of the toilet, and have moved the magazines by the sink. He keeps saying “Maybe I need this, or maybe I need that.” After the 15th request I removed myself from the bathroom and shut the door (I took the toilet paper and the jelly beans – their prize) and told him to yell when he was done. He called for me about 5 minutes later. He says he peed but I saw no evidence. I gave him 3 jelly beans for his effort, but on the scorecard I give him a 0.25.

Isaac peed in the potty as soon as he woke up – he was rewarded with 3 jelly beans. After I got him dressed he pooped, mostly in my hand. Eli was on the big potty so Isaac had to poop in the little kiddy potty, which is disgusting. Eli took one look at the poop in the little potty (while still sitting on the big potty) and said “Oh gross, I gotta get out of here.”

9:30 AM
Scorecard:
Eli – 1.25
Isaac 1.5

With water running in both the sink and the shower Eli finally peed in the potty.

11:30 AM
Scorecard
Eli - 3.25
Isaac - 1.75

Give Eli some time and he can get the job done. I am pretty sure Isaac is peeing solely for the jelly beans.

1:30 PM
Eli - 4.25
Isaac - 3.75

No "askidents" (in Eli speak) yet! They are doing so good. Eli said he actually enjoys going in the potty. Hallelujah!

Time Out

John and I were cleaning up after lunch, the boys were playing together, quitely. We should have known something was up.

Toilet seat drops.

Toilet Flushes.

Two sets of feet scurry away.

Any empty toilet paper roll is on the floor.

Time out.

Good Morning

When I walked into Isaac's room this morning, Isaac replaced his usual greeting "Morning Momma" with "I eat boogers mommy."

Super. And he is supposedly the "smart" one.

Lunch

Making lunch for the boys for school is a difficult task. I'm not sure why. I think because they usually eat hot food so making a cold sandwich seems unappetizing. On Tuesday I got a bit too creative. I used some pita bread I made and filled it with pepperoni and provolone cheese. In the afternoon when I asked Eli about his lunch he said. "I don't know what I had - it was a crazy sandwich and some raisins." Wonder who told him that?


Eli's newest thing is to sneak out of his room during nap time and scare the crap out of me. Today I was on the phone with my parents in the office downstairs, I walked out of the office, turned the light off and he came up behind me (out of the office that I was just in) and said "Hey Mommy." I am not sure how long he was in the office unnoticed. He almost got punched. I screamed, I think my parents thought something bad had happened. Eli thought it was hilarious.

Out of Town

I am in Connecticut this week for work. I am off doing my second job as a consultant for our grant organization HRSA, reviewing another site receiving grant funds. It has been a learning experience. The best news is I got to have a piece of peanut butter pie tonight. I sure miss peanut butter! It was outstanding. That isn't the only good news, I just love food. The site visit is going very well.

When my dad and the boys dropped me off at the airport on Monday Eli was extremely disappointed that there were no ships at the airport. Still can't figure out where that came from. My parents said that when John got home from work yesterday Isaac said "Hey dad" and was sitting there and suddenly jumped up and said "What a minute, where's mommy?" At least I was missed for a few seconds. I am sure the boys are loving all of the attention from Grandma, Nana, Pops, Daddy, and Uncle Joe.

Prayers to the Father

Prayer time at our house is like being at a black church. One person may being say the prayer, but other voices have lots to say. Prayer time last night was especially entertaining. Most of this conversation with God is all happening simultaneously.

John: Dear God thank you for today, thank you for this food
Isaac: (a rhythmic chant of toddleresse) Gah, ye, uhm, ye, Gah

John: Thank for our time together
Isaac: Thank ou fo foo, and for Mater (from Cars)
Eli: Isaac you have to pray for people or food, I'll pray (the boys take over prayer time at this point...)

Eli: Thank you God for school and Sharing
Isaac: we share

Eli: Thank you God for nakins, forks, and spoons
Isaac: foons Gah

Eli: Thank you for Nana, Pops, Kebin
Isaac: Nana Pops
John: Yes Lord, thank you God (caught in the moment)

Eli: Thank you for food and breadsticks (we were having spaghetti)
Isaac: breadsticks

John and Jana: AMEN
Eli & Isaac: And Amen
Eli: See Isaac, you pray about normal things, not Mater.

and we give high fives around, as is our normal after prayer tradition...

How God Works

Since I have had kids my exercise and daily reading routine has been non-existent. Pre-kids I read the Bible everyday and worked out during my lunch at work, running 3-4 miles a day. With two toddlers romping around I have had a hard time fitting these two essentials in. My dusty Bible and belly fat can prove it. In December I decided that it was time for a new day - a renewed physical and spiritual health. I started waking up at 5:30, reading and then working out. I was fairly committed although my reading was just kind of going through the motions and my weight was all over the place. Then in February I went to try dresses on for my brother's upcoming wedding - I had to get real. So - for a month and a half, I have been working out religiously, eating healthy and instead of reading I have been listening to sermons on my "shuffle" while I exercise. I have lost 6 pounds, I feel great, and I am thinking about God more than 10 minutes in the morning.

I have been listening to sermons from three churches Mars Hill Bible Church, Southland Christian Church, and Quest Community Church. The sermons God has lead me to have been powerful and have really got me thinking throughout the day about God, my place in his will, and the need to really get serious about my faith in Christ. In two weeks or so I am speaking at a ladies group on Financial Management, so this morning I wanted to find a sermon on money - and between the three podcasts I subscribe to I couldn't find anything. So I choose an hour long sermon by Pete Hise (Quest Community Church) entitled - "The Power of Everybody - To Change a Culture". I mean how can you go wrong with a title like that. The first 30 minutes blew me away and I was trying to hold it together on the treadmil listening to the life of Christ and how we radically changed the world every where he went and how he passed the torch to his disciples, and through God's word the torch is passed to us. The second half was on posessions. I about fell off the treadmil. Pete transitioned by showing the commercial of the guy on the lawn mower that has it all but "is in debt up to his eyeballs", and then goes into a discussion about how money and possessions drive us away from the cross and away from opening our heart to the world. We are so busy trying to gain stuff that we miss our true calling on earth - to love God and people and to radically change the world with the message of the cross. And I have been missing it.

It amazes me that despite three years of church attendance (and that is about it) God still shows up, he still opens my eyes, and he still leads and guides me where I need to be. He still talks, he still moves powerfully. God is there - he just needs me to show up every once in a while. No - He is waiting for me to show up. It is time that I say "I am here".

If you have the time listen to this sermon. You can subscribe on itunes or here: http://questcommunity.com/media/celebration-series

Wrestling

The boys like to wrestle - here is some footage.



We like how they say "that's enouth" and then tackle the other one as soon as they let their guard down.

Take me out to the ballgame..

Pops has been singing this to the boys since they were newborns...




Music first, numbers next...

A Comfy Night Night

Now that Eli is taller he can turn the light on in his room. Over the past week he has been waking up at 5 AM!!! He turns his light on, sneezes three times, opens his blinds (so he can let the "shunshine in"), and then plays until we wake up. Occasionally he will open his door and walk around the house to see what we are doing, but not too often as he usually gets in trouble for that one. He has interrupted me on the treadmill twice.
Anyway, John and I always check on the boys and tuck them in before we go to bed at night. We are always amused at the positions we find them in. Last night we found Eli asleep in the floor, with his light on, on top of all of his stuffed animals and blankets. What is on top of him you ask? A diaper bad insert with a package of pull-ups in it. Maybe he is trying to potty train by osmosis.

Eli's Busy Day

Too Cute

Isaac woke up from his nap today. He isn't the happiest camper when he wakes up, he always wakes up crying. I went in to get him out of bed and rocked with him while he snuggled himself awake. I said "I love you little Isaac, Do you love mommy?" And he said "a little bit."

Pops (my dad) was strapping Eli into his car seat after a visit to Mamaw's house. Eli said, "Pops, I have a question for you." Attentively we all tuned in, "I just don't know what it is...."

The Chocolates

I have this lovely bag of chocolates that John gave me for Valentines day. I am proud they have lasted this long. The bag has sat in my floor for the past few weeks and I raid it whenever I need a fix. Dark, wonderful chocolate. I have always loved chocolate, but since having the boys I find that I NEED it. This afternoon while I was fixing lunch Eli came in, his teeth were brown. "Mommy I ate a chocolate." He sat on the floor, looking pretty pitiful, I think he felt kind of bad. I was more concerned about what he had gotten chocolate on in the process and how many he had eaten. I went back to the room and asked where he put the paper that was on it and he said back in the "prize bag" - I saw two wrappers in there. I came out and said that this was mommy's present from daddy and that he should have eaten it. He said, "I'm sorry momma, but I just had to, and it was so tasty." At least I have raised him to appreciate the "good stuff".