Every year, central NC waits on pins and needles to see if the forecasters predictions of snow will actually prove true. More times than not we wake up to the see the same brown grass of winter. But not this time. This time, Van Denton got it right and we received about 2-3 inches of the white stuff. I won't even go into how dysfunctional NC gets about snow. With the sighting of the first flake (this may only be a slight exaggeration - but its mostly true), business close their doors, school buses cease to run, and the whole city (with the exception of the necessary emergency personnel and Wal-Mart) closes down. It's downright humorous.
Truthfully, we just don't have the equipment to handle large amounts of snow (and yes, 2 inches does seem to qualify as a large amount of snow). I can hear you laughing Tracey P. Go ahead and get a good chuckly on our account!
No matter how much snow we get, you can be sure to find us out in it. This wasn't the first snowfall we've had since the redhead was born, but this is the first he might remember. After his nap and a trip to the potty, we bundled up and headed outside to play. By this time the snow had stopped falling and it was the warmest part of the day - even if it was a cool 27 degrees outside.
Its been a full week since we began our potty training adventure and I'm exhausted. Its not like newborn baby exhaustion though - I still remember that all too well, but nonetheless, I'm bushed! We have had our ups and down, poops and pees, good times and bad, but he's potty-trained. The last diaper worn was the one I removed last Monday morning. My brain can't function enough to calculate the savings thus far on not having to buy diapers, but I'm sure it is a lot!
This process has probably been one of my biggest challenges as a parent so far. It might have been the method that we used (http://3daypottytraining.com) - it was very intensive in that I had to be by his side and watch him like a hawk for the whole 3 days (something I'm not used to and worried how it would happen cause I LOVE my space!)
However, despite the constant physical proximity to an underwear-wielding toddler, I learned quite a bit about both of us.
* The redhead is very smart - this I already knew, just got to see again firsthand. He picked up on telling me he had to go potty by the end of the first day.
* He has a wonderful spirit and a great sense of humor - this I already knew too, but got to appreciate again as we spent much time in the bathroom (check out his angel face as we wait out another pee).
* Only God can give us patience and He showered it on me this past week in an incredible way. I was able to be supportive and encouraging in the middle of the night while changing wet bedsheets and a urine-soaked toddler.
* I truly enjoyed not blogging, but instead spent precious time playing with my son and seeing his imagination and creativity.
* I also saw the importance of both parents in this process. I had two appointments I had to keep last Monday and Tuesday and it worked out that Mr. Baseball could be home with the redhead. He picked up right where I left off and did a great job while I was gone.
* I learned that M & M's are a great reward for potty-training. They're also a great reward for tired mommies!
* It feels GREAT to have a potty-trained child. Each day gets better as he continues to "get" it. Our night have been good too - he just woke up dry for the 4th morning in a row. Of course we still have had to get up in the middle of the night with him when he needs to pee.
Redhead, your daddy and I are so proud of the big boy you've become and we're soooooooo proud of you for using the potty! We love you!
Well, we've made it to day three sans diapers! Here's a small recap of each day:
Day One - definitely the toughest so far!
* All 19 pairs of underwear/boxer briefs were wet within the first 4 hours.
* Cleaned up lots of pee-spots on the carpet and couch
* Stayed dry through naptime (1.5 hours) - this was big!
* Finally started to "get" that he had to tell me when he needed to potty - usually it was when he couldn't hold it any longer.
* Had a crying fit prior to a HUGE pee; received a matchbox car for being so brave
* I got so frustrated at one point in the day I slammed my hand down in karate kid fashion on the floor whilst whispering the F-word. No permanent damage sustained. This moment was not witnessed by the redhead.
* Two accidents over the course of the night, a small disruption in sleep
* No poops
Day Two - much better than day one
* Only went through about 6 pairs of underwear
* Got pretty good at telling us when he needed to potty
* Still got a little scared when he felt the real "urge to go" - lots of encouragement and praise will be needed for a while on this issue
* Kept underwear dry for longer intervals
* Stayed dry for another 1.5 hour long nap
* We got poops! - his reward was a meal from Chick-Fil-A!
* Only had one accident overnight (we did wake him up to take him potty)!!
Day Three
* so far so good - no accidents
* one Big pee with another one expected any moment.
Thanks for all the positive encouragement. Even though it is a 3-day program, his training is far from over. It is still going to take a lot of diligence on my part to keep him in line. I'll post another update soon.
** Since I've been chasing the redhead around all day and rushing him to the pot, I haven't had the chance to take any pictures of his cute tushie in underwear, but maybe I can get one soon. It is adorable!
Next Wednesday will mark one year that my precious grandmother has been in heaven. Even though she is sorely missed, I am thankful to know that she is no longer living with Alzheimer's Disease, not knowing the faces of those who were closest to her. Now all she sees is the face of Jesus and those she loved who preceeded her entry into heaven.
Over Christmas, my dad and mom, along with redhead and I, spent one night (it would have been two if it hadn't been for the dreaded stomach bug...again) at my grandparents home. The house holds many memories for me - staging childhood plays with my cousins, playing piano for a captive audience of aunts and uncles, my first viewing of "Pinwheel" on Nickelodeon (we didn't have cable when I was younger), the list could go on and on.
Once vibrant and full of life, the house now stands dark and lifeless. The two that made the house their home have passed on from this life into the next and now it simply holds their precious belongings, most of which are slowly being divided amongst their four children and 11 grandchildren.
I have been fortunate enough to receive several items of great sentimental value from my grandparent's home. My collection includes three paintings that hung in various rooms of the house, a salad plate from their everyday china that we always ate off of, a crystal serving platter and vase, and some necklaces from my grandmother's collection. All of these items hold tremendous meaning, but three items in particular are the most special - a Revere Ware stock pot and two frying pans.
I realize it probably seems a little odd for me to cherish pots and pans as sentimental items, but allow me to explain. These pots and pans are by my best guess at least 30 years old, but probably older than that. They are the only ones I ever remember my grandparents using.
I can still picture my grandfather in his bathrobe and slippers, hair unkempt from a good night's sleep, standing at the stove scrambling eggs and frying bacon in the frying pans. He always made cooking a big breakfast a priority when we came to visit and by-gosh even if you weren't hungry for a big breakfast, you were going to sit down at the table and eat something.
After breakfast was over, someone - either my grandfather or grandmother would get right back in the kitchen and scrub those pans for their next usage.
To say the pans have been well-worn is putting it mildly.
This past weekend my mother-in-law and I were in her kitchen when I noticed that the pots and pans she was using looked similar to the ones I had just inherited, with the exception being that the bottoms of her pans boasted a shiny copper color. I asked her about it and she said that her mother was meticulous about shining her cookware. And I have to say, for about 50 years old, these pans looked almost brand new. I asked about products to bring back the shine on my pans and she shared with me her secret weapon, which I immediately tried to find when I arrived home. I wasn't able to find exactly what she had, but what I did find did the trick (even if it did feel like it was singeing the top layer of my corneas).
Here is what the bottom of the large frying pan looked like before:
Happy New Year! - at least to the two people who read this blog. I kind of feel obligated to write something today 1) because its New Year's, and 2) because I've been gone quite a while.
But I have no idea what to write.
I could write about all the things I learned in 2008, but it's too early to think that deeply - and besides, its a holiday.
I could write about all the things I hope 2009 will bring, but Obama's already told us.
I will say though, I am quite enjoying being able to fill up the Jeep for only $30.00. Glorious.
We were visited with another round of the stomach bug while traveling over Christmas. Thankfully, nothing exited unexpectedly from my body or the redhead's, but I still felt a bit crummy.
And thanks to my parents and other family playing with the redhead 24/7 over the week we were gone, his expectations of me have become somewhat skewed. He needs a sibling...
We are traveling again this weekend to do Christmas with Mr. Baseball's family, so I'll be back in full force on Monday. Next week (or the following week) will bring some new challenges as we enter the realm known as........................................................................................Potty training (cue music - duh duh duh...).
I think he's ready - at least I've got two things going for me. He doesn't like his diaper changed, and he HATES for his clothes to be wet. We'll see...
I'm off to play with my tot, but Happy New Year to you all! What's going to be new in your '09?
