weekend wrap-up.

Where does the time go? Seriously. Our weekends feel like they get shorter and shorter! Hopefully when I am done with this class, then they'll seem a bit longer...doubt it though! :)

Yesterday's awesome party was no deterrent to Nathan going to bed late and waking up early. I am hoping for an awesome nap today! Since we were both up and hungry, Nate and I went for a breakfast date at Panera and took this incredibly cute picture. Love him!

Parenting Reflection: When out alone with a potty-trainer, anticipate shorter than normal visits to anywhere you go. We got our food (a croissant and milk for him, a bagel for me), took this photo, and had about three bites before Nate got a look of absolute terror. "Mommy.Potty.NOW!!" This resulted in quickly stuffing everything into a to-go bag, putting a carton of milk in my purse (which thankfully did not spill!), and running his little booty to the bathroom. We made it! Reward for making the dash: a (free) cookie at Harris Teeter, which was the next stop on our errand list.

I also broke out a new toy for Nate that he received for Christmas -- a little set of dump trucks with a carpet with roads on it. It's so much easier for him to concentrate on toys when he's not overwhelmed and toy rationing is very helpful in keeping his attention! I love that he is getting so into creative play right now - making up his own little stories and talking through his little characters. So cute!

endless energy.

Just when I think that I've gotten a handle on how to channel Nathan's ridiculous amount of energy each day, he stumps me again!

The whole family went to a birthday party for one of Nate's friends today at Pump it Up and had a great time! Nate and Chris played on all of the bouncy houses and inflatables, while trusty 'ole mom took photos. Naturally! :)

There was also a 'Cyclone Blast' machine that was essentially a wind tunnel that you could stand in, with winds that whipped up to past 70 mph. Nate loved it so much that I think we did it four times. Chris and I got in on the fun too, but I must be getting old -- it blew my glasses off and that was disorienting. 

We also ended up going to a cookout at the family's house and had such a great time! We don't have a lot of friends who also have kids, so it is incredibly refreshing to be able to hang out with people who know how to multitask having a good time and child wrangling all at once. It's funny how I see lots of these parents every day when dropping off or picking up at daycare, so spending some time to get to know them was great. I thought for sure that Nathan was exhausted and wanted to leave pre-meltdown, but finally just got him asleep at 11:30 p.m. Yikes!

Parenting Reflection: Spending time with families with kids helps you to feel semi-sane because you're all going through the same thing together! Seeing parents who use similar parenting tactics and approaches that you do, very affirming! Makes me feel a little less green about this whole thing. Also -- no accidents while we were gone! Potty training is getting to be so appealing now!

mud day, shopping, and batman.

Have you ever had one of those days that was great, but felt like it lasted for several days? Good. Me too, and today was one of them! I think when I combine work with lots of extra-curriculars, then it makes the time fly by too fast!

Nate's school celebrated Mud Day today and he was very excited before he left this morning! I sent him in clothes that I was okay with not seeing again, but when I picked him up he looked pretty clean. I'm not sure if he ended up playing in the mud at all (he has an aversion to his clothes being wet), or if he ended up streaking (this option is just as likely!). In any case, this was Nate before leaving for school this morning :)

 

Once I was done with work for the day, I had some friends stop by for a short visit that turned into a five-plus hour shopping spree, or at least for our purposes I'd like to label it as 'retail therapy'. For hitting multiple stores with a potty training toddler, I think that we did awesome! Also, I'd like to point out that we only hit up retail-discount stores (Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, and Homegoods), so we got some awesome deals.  No 'accidents', saved some money, and no toddler meltdowns. Love it! 

Parenting Reflection: This was the very first time that I took Nate on errands without a safety net (diapers, pull-ups, wipes, extra clothes, etc.) and it was so LIBERATING! 

Nate was absolutely okay with the shopping because I got him some new things for his superhero obsession and all of the stores had enormous mirrors so that he could admire himself.

As a reward for good behavior, because we had spent some money, and because it was super late, we had dinner inside of McDonald's. Other than Nate crashing his chair over and face-planting on the floor, we had a good dinner. Good news is that he didn't cry....just shook it off and started eating again. I've found that my reaction to things that happen helps to control his reaction most of the time!

 

Once we finally did make it home, the first thing that Nathan did was scoop up a hand full of kibble and try to eat it. Why?! He then told me that it was 'isgusting and spit it out in the toilet. After a quick bath to wash off any Mud Day residue, I dressed him up in the cutest P.J/underwear set in the world ... although he has the same thing, only as Spiderman. 

What an unexpectedly fun Friday!

potty training, vol. 2.

Another Disclaimer: This post is about potty training and therefore is inherently gross. I am documenting my child's journey through this milestone and if you have a weak stomach, lack of interest, or think that this is sharing too much, skip it! 

Nathan has been working on the hard-core potty training regimen for eight days now and I am so incredibly impressed with his progress. Nine days ago I was changing diapers and now I'm (neurotically) encouraging potty time and praising him like crazy when he goes.

I am incredibly grateful for his teachers at daycare, we love them! They have been incredibly supportive and encouraging to Nathan (and me!) through this process. Professional potty trainers, for sure!  That being said, Nate's track record at daycare is much better than it is at home but it's not for lack of trying. I set the alarm and when it beeps, I ask him to sit on the potty or if he needs to go.  Number One is not an issue. It's so close to being checked off the list. It's the much dreaded Number Two that is putting our washing machine to good use and keeping me on my toes (consequently he refuses to do this at daycare, must like the home field advantage?).

Here comes the grossness that the disclaimer is for. This is your second warning. I want my little guy to read through this one day :)

Incident #1:
First day of potty-training regimen. Nate did a great job at school and then came home, took off his underwear and pooped in our linen closet. Faaaantastic! 

Incident #2:
Over the weekend, Chris and I decided to remove the baby gate to our upstairs level to give Nate easier access to the bathroom. Nate ran up to his room, telling us he needed to get a toy. Not thinking much more of it, Chris and I stayed downstairs.  I should have been clued in by the silence, but I was distracted with homework.  All of a sudden I hear lots of thudding. Nate had decided to poop in the potty (hurray!), but didn't think to tell us that he a.) needed to go and b.) was done and needed to be wiped. Bunny hopping down the stairs left a horrific mess. I feel like we could do a commercial for Clorox.

Incident #3:
Last night Nathan was calmly eating his dinner and looked up at me with fear in his eyes. "Mommy, I need da potty for poop". YES! Okay, let's run!  He made it, he finished and we got through the whole process with no mess. Praise the Lord!  When we were done re-dressing and washing our hands, I called Chris at work to brag on our little guy's accomplishment. Turns out, Nate wasn't done. He proceeded to finish in his underwear and then what I affectionately call 'booty dropped' me while I was on the couch. It.went.everywhere. After screaming and launching my phone, I marched Nate up to the bathroom where I had to spray him down in the tub. It was that bad!  Let's just say that an entire couch cushion, my clothes, his clothes, and an unsuspecting blanket went into the wash on the sanitary cycle.

And we're still waiting on incident #4. There's been no 'progress' today.

movie theatre.

Nate is no stranger to watching movies and is amassing quite a collection! We've held off on taking him to an actual theatre for a movie because, let's face it -- he's not quite three years old. Finally a movie came out that he was psyched about, translation: I had to rewind every commercial that I saw for it, and we went to see Monster's University over the weekend.

I'm so proud of my little guy. He posed for pictures (because what photo-obsessed momma isn't going to bring a camera or two to her little man's first movie?), sat in his seat, and chowed down on popcorn. The one time that Nate did try to get up I asked him what he was doing, to which he replied "I have go home". Umm, what? "I need to go potty". OHH!! Win for movie going and potty training all at once!

I love our family adventures. Movie, lunch, and then Nate came home and promptly took a nap!

potty training.

Disclaimer: This post is not for the faint of heart. If you're easily disgusted, don't care to know the ins-and-outs of potty training, or just want to skip, then do it. You've been warned!

Nathan will be turning three this August and in order for him to move up to the three year old room, he has to be completely potty trained. At face value, that is a daunting task -- especially given that we have less than 2 months to get this finished.  We've made several halfhearted attempts to introduce the potty and the idea of potty training to Nate (i.e. buying his own potty, a potty adapter for the real toilet, stepping stools, potty books, potty DVDs, stickers and candy for bribery, etc.).  We've tried encouraging him to go, letting him observe (overshare?), and peer pressure ("Your friend ___ uses the potty. Don't you want to, too?"). Nada. No dice.

Last week, the teachers at daycare asked if we wanted to try moving directly from diapers to underwear, effectively bypassing the pull-up phase. Considering how many kids they potty train on a rotating basis, they are the experts so I absolutely agreed! Not to say that I didn't do a little research of my own! There are a ton of blogs out there about potty training, but I've gotten so that I reference Babycenter pretty often because there are so many articles and with lots of opinions on how to approach new challenges.

Day 1: 

We started this great experiment on Monday. I went overboard with supplies, as per usual, taking in 10 pairs of underwear, 8 pairs of shorts, extra socks, and 2 extra shirts, as well as some pull-ups in case they decided to throw in the towel. As much as I wanted to call and check in on Nate throughout the day, I wasn't going to be that parent, so I resisted temptation. At pick-up, I was ecstatic to find out that Nate had only two accidents all day! His teacher was so proud of him that she gave him a cupcake before he went home: 

Fast forward to that evening, Nate came home, took off his underwear, and promptly pooped in our linen closet. UGH!! #lifesbleachablemoments 

Day 2: 

An even better day! Only one accident at school and Nate used the potty for me at home until it it was time to go to bed. No poop in random closets or accidents of any kind! The trade-off is that Nate expects candy and/or cake for his good behavior. I'm apt to give into what motivates him at this point.

Day 3:

This brings us to today and to the point where I need to learn a good lesson in patience. Another great day at school with only one accident! However, once we got home, I feel like there was a bit of regression. From not wanting to sit on the potty, to puddles on the floor, to a pair of soiled underwear soaking in my bathroom sink, it's been quite an evening. It's at this part of the night where I step back and think about all of the amazing progress that he's made in three days....and that his stubbornness is an inherited trait from his momma. :)

Hopefully tomorrow will be another great day of learning for Nate on this new adventure. I am so looking forward to not having to buy diapers!! To all the parents out there who are getting ready to take on this challenge, just remember that it takes time, patience, consistency, and some bleach!

father's day.

Chris celebrated his third Father's Day this past weekend! Nate and I went to some good lengths to make sure to pack the weekend with a few surprises. First of all, we started off the celebration on Friday afternoon. After I picked Nate up from school, we surprised Chris with a few awesome gifts.  Nate made an adorable Father's Day project at school that was by far the best gift that Chris got because it had photos, a footprint, and a hand drawn picture. We also got Chris a personalized travel mug from Shutterfly and a bar cabinet for Chris's man room.

We played in the backyard for a long time this weekend and Nate spent a lot of time cooling down in his little pool and the sprinkler. Nate and Chris spent lots of time running back and forth through the sprinkler and I got a lot of awesome photos!

Fun Fact about Nate: he has a strong aversion to getting his clothes wet. If he gets one drop of water on him, normally he wants to change clothes. That being said, trying to convince Nate to stay in a wet swimsuit was pretty tough. Finally, he decided that he didn't need to wear anything, so he ran around in the backyard buck naked and (much to to my chagrin) discovered the joys of peeing outdoors.

Fun Fact about Chris: the man loves costumes! You may remember that Nate loves superheroes right now, so Chris dressed up like Batman out of the blue and made Nate's day.  Little smarty pants knew that it was Chris and almost immediately asked to put on the costume himself.

We spent Father's Day evening out to dinner with my parents, brothers, and grandparents and had some yummy food at Outback. All in all, a great weekend! Finally, a little tribute to my dad who is probably the most patient person that I've ever met  (unless it involves technology, HA!) and is always there for me :)

picky eater.

I've had the hardest time lately to not only get Nathan to eat balanced meals, but to eat a meal at all. I won't lie, I can't remember the last time that he ate a vegetable. Nate used to love broccoli. I had him take a bite of it a few weeks ago, which prompted gagging and vomiting. We've tried giving him foods in certain orders so that he gets his favorite things last: fail. We've tried bribing him: fail. We've tried hiding vegetables in his food: fail. We've tried sending him to bed hungry: super fail, because he was more than happy to do so.

Things Nathan will currently eat:

• Cheerios with milk
• Raisin Bran with milk
• Apple sauce
• Mandarin oranges
• Yogurt
• Kimbap (Korean for rice with seaweed)
• Cereal bars 
• Goldfish
• Animal cookies
• Raisins
• McDonald's chicken nuggets (I currently can't drive down the main street in town because he knows where the nuggets come from, even though he only gets them every once in a while as a treat)

I'm hoping that he outgrows this stage soon! I worry that he's not growing, though I definitely can see that he is. We also tried gummy vitamins to help supplement what he may be missing, but he tells me that "dey 'isgusting" (Nate's pronunciation of 'disgusting'). I tried those gummy vitamins and they're quite tasty.  Maybe it's time to start him on PediaSure.

In any case, I worked a miracle tonight and got him to eat spaghetti! Carb central, I know -- but at least he's branching out from the breakfast food and snack diet...for today anyway. Tomorrow will be a whole new story :)

i am spiderman.

Nathan is currently obsessed with superheroes and Chris is loving every minute of it! My little guy is turning into all boy and it's hard to keep up! Right now, the most favorite superheroes are Spiderman and Batman. Nate has been watching some old school cartoons and then I got suckered into buying him some action figures...because he needs more toys, right?!

I felt like the best mom ever over the weekend when I went to Target and came home with both a Spiderman shirt and a Batman shirt. Nate has worn both to school this week and gets very excited about getting dressed in the morning. It's so much easier than the "I-don't-want-to-get-dressed-or-wear-a-diaper-so-you-can-try-to-catch-me-at-7am".

Yesterday was a rainy Monday and when Nate got to school, he ripped off his raincoat and screamed "I AM SPIDERMAN!" (of course, wearing his new Spiderman shirt). Those poor teachers. I can't keep up with that level of energy in the morning!

Today Nate wore his Batman shirt and was very excited to show it off to his friends. When I picked him up this afternoon, I mistakenly asked how his friends liked his Spiderman shirt. Nate promptly gave me 'the look' and indignantly said "Mommy, I wearing Batman. This is not Spiderman. Not. Spiderman." Like I said, I need to be more on my game as he learns about superheroes.

In the meantime, this is the only little superhero for me :)

train festival.

We took Nate to the annual railway festival again this year and like last year, we had a lot of fun.  I'll be the first to admit that we cut the day short because I couldn't take the heat, but we did pack a lot of fun into the couple of hours that we were there.

First of all, we decided to take the plunge and buy tickets for the VRE excursion this year. Nate (still) loves trains and understands that people, like Pop Pop, ride on them regularly. The train ride was about 45 minutes long from Manassas to Clifton and back. Nate's initial reaction was priceless, screaming "this is amazing!" (probably to our fellow passengers' chagrin).  My grandfather and his father before him both worked on the railroad, so it's sweet for me to see Nate take such an interest. This is my little guy while we were on the train:

We also walked around to see some of the model train displays. Nate was particularly fond of the Lego trains and the kid table that had an interactive Thomas the Tank Engine.

I'm always hesitant to bother a stranger to take a family photo of the three of us (and then walk them through how to use my camera), so we have some mommy-Nate and daddy-Nate photos.

I also took an adorable photo of Nate on the caboose today and then remembered that I have a similar one from two years ago. I can't believe how much he has grown!