Hooray for JM! He's been using the potty pretty regularly!

Of course, we're off to California tomorrow, so it might not have been the best time to get him started... oh, well. Fortunately the Disneyland map has all the toilets marked. =)

Yep...Disneyland. I'm calling this the kids' first trip, because it was only 1 day before, and we were all stressed out. This is a whole week with just us!

We'll bring y'all back souvenirs.

Well, It's been forever since a new post graced this fine blog (lol) but I'm back at it, and with good news!

JM decided he's excited about potty training! He's wanted nothing to do with his cool truck potty that makes cool truck noises when you pee in it, or his super cool Disney/Pixar themed underpants, until now.

Today he decided he wanted to wear the underpants.

I don't know what changed his mind, but he was really excited about it, so I put them on him, we ceremoniously threw away his pull-up (chanting no more diapers! Yay!) and I told him not to pee in them. (wishful thinking, I know. But a little threat never hurt anybody...) And we brought his potty into the living room.

He spent the next hour telling me he'd peed, which he hadn't, sitting on his potty for a few seconds, and then changing into different underpants.

Then I heard it...the sound his potty makes when you pee in it!

He did it!

I gave him a sticker to put on his potty chart, which got him so excited he was dancing around the living room. =)

I hope he sticks with it!


"Look at these cool underpants!"

UPDATE:

He's been using the potty consistently over the last few hours! The only accidents have been poop...that's the frustrating part, I guess.

Ready for it?

I have a confession; I've been listening to Christmas music for 2 and a half weeks now.

I am the one who fights Christmas music. I normally refuse to listen until a couple of weeks before the blessed day.

It seems that Christmas is coming early this year.

And, not just for me...

It all started on October 12th, at the Walmart in Mesquite, NV. As I stood in line at checkout, I realized I was humming 'Ding Dong! Merrily on High'.

Why was this the song stuck in my head? They were playing it over the PA system.

October 12th!!!

And now, my dad - Mr. 'No Christmas until Christmas Eve.' - suggested to my mom that they get out the decorations.

I theorize that we are pretty desperate for something to take our minds off of the state of our world.

I'm not going to claim to be an expert here, only that I know how I feel, and I think I have a good sense for how those around me feel. I have to say, its a mixed bag. Christmas is something solid, reliable, in this crazy rollercoaster we've been on. No matter how much gas costs, no matter who is elected, no matter how dark the night (Knight? lol), Christmas will come.

And with Christmas, behind all the commercialism, underlying all the merrymaking, comes love, hope, and the knowledge that long ago a star shone so brightly that three learned men were compelled to follow it.

We are like those learned men, early seekers of the hope, the love that accompany the season, because they draw us to one another. Seekers of Christ, who will quiet our fears and open our hearts.

He is our Savior.

My Savior.


I beg your pardon for this, since it is only the beginning of November, but...

I wish all a wonderful, peaceful, happy Christmas this year.

Boxtops

Just a reminder to anyone who visits our blog:

Hannah is collecting Box Tops for Education to turn in at school. I have found them on Huggies boxes, as well as some General Mills foods and some Betty Crocker foods as well.

They look like this:


If you collect any, please let us know and we will come get them.

Thanks for your help and support!

Vacation in California!

Our California vacation was a blast! Thanks for inviting us, Ray and Sylvia!






We visited the beach at the Hotel Del Coronado! The kids loved the sand, but hated the water.





There were dolphins really close to shore that were kicking up a lot of fish activity. The pelicans were diving like crazy!

We also did a day in the Happiest Place on Earth, and have decided to go back for a longer visit as soon as we can.

We saw Mickey mouse at Candy Corn Acres:

We didn't get to see any of the princesses up close, only in the parade. It was kind of a bummer, but we're determined to see them next time!

The kids loved The Pirates of the Carribbean ride, and the Nightmare Before Christmas theme in the Haunted Mansion.

Sylvia's cousin met us at Disneyland, and brought her cute granddaughter Ainsley. She and Hannah really had a good time together!

The end of an era

Michael has now been a full 48 hours with no bink.

Its been a bit rough, especially in the middle of the night, and at naptime...basically when he wakes up and needs to be lulled back to sleep.

He kicked the habit out of necessity: he lost his only one.

Not that we miss it too much.

UPDATE:

It has now been a week and a half! He was even sick for part of this time, which would have been a binky-all-day time before!

Looks like binky is gone for good!

R.I.P. Rita

Well, we lost one of the Ritas this morning. We flushed her, then had a family prayer to help Hannah feel better. She's pretty broken hearted. =(