Dylan and Potty Training

We are just now at the beginning stages of potty training for D. He is so funny... his idea of "sitting on the potty" is pulling his pants down, SOMEtimes pulling down his pull-up, sitting down for a millisecond - as long as it takes to flash a clever smile - and then he's done.

His teachers at daycare have said he's tinkled a couple of times, and he always seems proud of this. He seems, to me at least, to be more interested at school then at home. But he IS starting to be more interested than ever before. In part because big sister Maryn is such a pro.

Rachel sent me to Dollar Tree yesterday to get prizes for the Prize Box. It worked really well for Maryn. Dylan just has to grasp the fact that in order to receive, he must deposit. Just sitting doesn't cut it.

Last night right before bed he had (how do I put this delicately) a little piece of poo poo that he managed to squeeze out, but it was stuck between his big J.Lo cheeks. I ran him to the potty to attempt to go and get a prize. He was all for it, wanting to get his chances at the Prize Box. We sat and we sat - he pushed in a very inexperienced way... and before too long the little turd fell into the water. So poo poo in the potty - technically NO - but it was enough to make him think he did it, and he was very proud. He got his prize!

We took them to bed and not 5 minutes later he was walking down the hall butt-naked from the waste down, with his pajama pants in one hand, a pair of Spider-Man undies from his drawer, and his pull-up no where to be seen.

He was ready to put on his big boy undies now that he went potty (just like sis wears her big girl panties.) Rachel went and checked and he has put his pull-up in his drawer next to his big boy undies.

I was so scared he would be crushed when I explained that although he had gone to the potty, he still wasn't quite ready for the big boy undies. He took it rather well, and I promised that he could wear them when he came home from school. It was so funny (and heart-warming.)

We'll get there!

Birthday H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks PLUS Easter

First, before I begin lamenting birthday cake, let me say:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARYN!!!!
Hard to believe you're 4! (All Photos)

HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE!!!
(All Photos)

Okay... on with the belly aching...

We had the kids' joint birthday party last weekend, between Dylan's actual birthday on March 28th and Maryn's on April 7th. On their actual birthdays, we typically do a small cake at home and a present, so each one has their own, special day. We did this for Dylan, including taking cupcakes to his daycare class at lunch. So, it was now Maryn's turn.

We decided to do her birthday on Friday, April 6th instead of Saturday, April 7th, so that we could do the cupcakes for her class, but also because Papa's 80th birthday party was on the 7th. Plus, Easter is on Sunday. So we just wanted her to have her own birthday DAY, and to separate things out.

I can tell you that as of this moment (5:36 PM on Easter Sunday) I could care less if I ever see another birthday cake. And our poor kids... I would like to say that they feel this way, too. But Maryn was proud to answer the doctor on their annual physical just 4 days ago when she asked what Maryn's favorite food was with "Cake!" Rachel and I just looked over at the Doctor like, "Duh, we're great parents!"

Cupcakes at lunch on Dylan's birthday, another slice that night; cake on their birthday party last Saturday; cupcakes at lunch on Maryn's birthday day on Friday, FOLLOWED by a bunch of Easter candy that same day that their day care teachers gave them, followed again that evening by another slice (as I write this I'm thinking, "How stupid/ abusive/ irresponsible/ fill-in-the-blank am I?"); then another slice of cake at Papa's birthday party yesterday, plus some Easter candy from their party at day care on Friday; and finally, Easter basket candy today. I want to puke, and I've only nibbled on a little here and there.

Some of our pictures accentuate the horror, even if its really just poor timing on the part of the picture taker...

Bye Bye Poppy!

Last night was Dylan's first night without his poppy! He never uses his poppy during the day and he naps at school without it. The only time, for a year now, that he has used it is when he goes to sleep at the end of the day. Although, it has been limited for quite a while, he was still very attached to it. He would wake up several times in the night to find it and still on some occasions would cry until Rex or I came in to find it for him.

He generally would hand it over to us for safe-keeping just before breakfast and would never miss a beat in asking for it just before bed. Needless to say, we were very worried how he would handle it.

We decided to do the same thing with Dylan that we did with Maryn since it worked so well. We got a little gift bag and for a couple days counted down with him how many more nights he had with poppy. On Friday morning, we loaded up all his poppy's and put them in the gift bag and took them to school to give to the babies in the infant room. He was so brave and happy to be of such service to the new little babies. That night, we could tell that he knew, but he asked anyway for his old friend. The silent tears starting rolling before the answer came. He knew what had to happen. It was time to be a big boy and he wasn't sure he wanted to do it. But he did it!!! He laid down with some tears, but went to sleep quickly. He came to our room for a snuggle around 3AM and when I took him back to bed, he didn't ask for it at all!!

YEAH! I am so happy and proud! Next to go.....Pull-Ups!!!!

Happy Birthday Maryn & Dylan!!!

See all photos here

We have been celebrating birthday non-stop this past week. We started out taking cupcakes to school for Dylan on Wednesday, which was so adorable. He was not too happy to find out he was not going to be going home and that mommy and daddy had to head back to work, but he genuinely enjoyed having cupcakes with all of his friends. We ended that day with a little mini-celebration at home and let him open one gift from us.

On Saturday, we had their joint party (Cowboy/Cowgirl theme) at Grandmama and Papa Bear's house. They got to ride around on the Papa Bear hay ride, chase the baby goats, dig in the hay for hidden prizes, and what seemed the best fun of all.....bobbing for apples.

We put gummy worms in two of the apples and whoever got those won $5, so everyone was really into it and got soaked. I was not at all expecting the little ones to even care about sticking their faces in cold water, but after they saw the big kids doing it they all got into it. It was truly a great day and I hope everyone had as much fun as I did!

Both of the kids got their first big kid bikes. Maryn is a pro on hers already. Dylan was much more interested at the party, and he made several attempts to "get it". However, he seems to have lost his will to keep trying and relents quickly back to his speedy tricycle.

It's all about the cornering with Dylan, if he can't take a corner at mock speed he will say it "needs batteries". This is what he says about everything that does not work to his highest of standards. Yesterday, he said our slow-to-move cat, Sammy, needed new batteries!



It is so hard to believe that my kids are 3 and 4 years old. Maryn has taken on this sweet, sweet personality. She loves to play pretend and is extremely imaginative and artistic. She is all about princess everything and is totally in love with the castle daddy built for her. She is so excited to have her party at school this Friday with her friends - and has clearly requested it be "princess"!

Happy Birthday!!!
M.A.D.L.Y