Potty Training

We’ve had a couple of potties in the house for over a year.  Sometimes the kids like the potty, sometimes not, but until the last week no one ever did anything in the potty.  A few months ago we tried a little more hardcore potty training.  It was a complete failure.  About a week of effort turned into no one ever actually doing anything in the potty, and we decided to wait and try again later.

One week ago, on Wednesday morning while we were on the way back from the kids’ dentist appointment, Miss Sally and I decided to give potty training another shot.  We put real panties and underwear on the big kids, pulled out their potties, and I conveniently left for work. . . .  I’m sure it was a really long day for Miss Sally, but at the end of the day, we finally had some real action on the potty.  The final count at the end of that first day was that Piper got three tee-tee treats, Rosemary got two tee-tee treats, and Henry got one.

Maybe they’re finally ready.  We’ll see. . . . 

Now, typically, each of them has an accident each day, but the accidents are usually when the kids are at the potties trying to get their pants down to use the potty.  That’s not too bad.  I’m hoping we’re on the way to being done with diapers – for at least three of our kids.

In the meantime, everyone is happy to show off their new big girl panties and big boy underwear!

Vacation Day 7

The last day of vacation.  Not much blog-worthy happened this day.  We got up and packed.  And packed and packed and packed.  Then we loaded up the car.  Just to extend the fun part of our trip for a little bit longer, we stopped and had breakfast lunch at The Donut Hole on the way out.  At The Donut Hole, we had some donut holes for an appetizer (of course) and Penelope flirted with a man at the table next to us.  And he just loved her.  Who wouldn’t?

We left The Donut Hole around 11:00.  We stopped for snacks at Sonic around 3:00 (I love the cherry limeades!), and made it home around 5:00.  We unloaded, Gary bathed the kids while I fixed dinner and straightened up, then everyone ate and we went to bed.  Exhaustion cannot possibly describe me at that point.  I honestly, seriously considered sleeping on the couch just to avoid walking to our bedroom.  But it was great to be home. . . .

Vacation Day 6

The Saturday before last was our last full day on vacation, and our seminar was only scheduled for during the morning.  Papa took Sydney and Laramy to the beach first thing in the morning, then we took everyone to the neighborhood pool.  Of course, Penelope took a nap.  And Henry spent some time sitting with Papa watching all the girls swim.

After the trip to the pool, everyone got baths then we all went to eat lunch at Stinky’s Fish Camp.  We all really enjoyed it, and the kids especially enjoyed getting some ice cream for dessert.

Before we left, I managed to get a photo of all six grandkids sitting on the bench outside the restaurant.

After that, Papa took Sydney and Laramy back home.  We all took naps, then got ready to have dinner at The Red Bar, which is probably my favorite restaurant in the area.  While we were waiting for our table, I took a photo of all four kids (not a good photo – but just getting a photo of all four of them is not easy).

Then Nana took a photo of the whole family!  Again, not a great photo, but pretty good as far as photos of the whole family go. . . .

Dinner was awesome, and the kids really loved it.  Even Penelope really loved it!

What a great day.  And all that’s left is to pack up the next morning and drive home. . . .

Vacation Day 5

I had to take a couple of days off from blogging.  We’ve been busy celebrating Father’s Day, getting ready for the kids’ big third birthday party coming up next weekend, and potty training.  So, back to our regularly scheduled vacation blog posts. . . .

Friday before last was our fifth day on vacation.  It was also the day that Gary’s and my seminar started in the afternoon (our trip was really half work).  That morning we got up and ate breakfast (fried eggs and some fruit for the kids), then we headed to the neighborhood pool.  Same thing as every other day, and this time I didn’t even take photos.  The only difference is that after the pool on this day, Gary and I both got ready and left while the kids were eating lunch with Nana to go to the seminar.

Papa had decided that he was coming down on Friday.  He called us that morning to let us know that he was on the road and that he was bringing us a surprise.  That surprise was my 5-year-old niece Sydney and my almost-2-year-old niece Laramy.  After our seminar that afternoon, Gary and I got home and discovered that during the kids’ “nap” they had downed a huge potted palm that was in their bedroom.  And there was potting soil EVERYWHERE in their room.  Gary and I had to do a full cleaning and wash the sheets and everything.  The amount of potting soil that we found in that room looked like far more potting soil than would have filled up the pot in the first place.

After that, in connection with the work seminar, a “family cocktail reception” was scheduled.  We took the kids to the reception while Nana, Papa, Sydney, and Laramy went to the beach and to eat.  Since our reception was poolside near the beach, we decided to go early so that I could get some beach photos in our nice clothes.  Unfortunately, it was about an hour too early sun-wise and there were way too many people on the beach to really get good shots.  Something totally takes away from your daughter’s soulful gaze out at the water when there is someone right behind her wearing a bikini (who inevitably is someone who shouldn’t be wearing a bikini).  I ended up with a few decent shots, but next time we go down I’ll put a little more thought into it beforehand and schedule things out better.  At least the kids had fun chasing birds and making face-prints in the sand.

We didn’t stay at the reception very long because we could tell that the kids were fast approaching “that point” (you know, where everyone has meltdowns), so we left and stopped at a Sonic for some cherry limeades and milkshakes. 

And the beach photos. . . .

One more full day left, plus the travel day. . . .