The Joy of Potty Training.

Since Greyson turned 3 back in March, we've been really trying to talk up going potty like a big boy. His answer to being called a big boy, is usually "I'm not a big boy, I am a small boy." And usually when he's referrenced as being a little boy... he's a big boy.. but only when it suits him lol.

Last week, we decided to try to sit on the potty. He had been nervous about sitting up so high before so it really surprised me when he actually sat there and he went! But that was it.. when we tried again he didn't wnat to, so I let it go.

Today, he found a stray Pampers brand diaper and took off his perfectly good diaper b/c he wanted to wear the "Elmo's World" diaper. Well, I meant to put it on him but I got lost in what I was doing and he ran off to play. All of a sudden Liam (4) runs in yelling, "Mommmmmy Greyson went pee pee on the potty all by himself!!!!" So I ran back to check, and sure enough there he's sitting high up on his throne and he's gone all by himself!

I recently got a bunch of craft supplies off of Freecycle and included were a bunch of fun stickers and paper. So I thought, hey since we have the stuff let's make a potty chart. I made a quick little chart and I let him pick out a sticker and put it on the paper. The he says, "I want another sticker" and runs back to the bathroom!! LOL. So now he's obsessed with stickers. He went 2 more times by himself today too.

He does best when he's naked so I plan on keeping him that way. I just hope he is quicker to train than Liam.. although Liam did the actual training part pretty fast.. only about 2 weeks. It was the wearing clothes part that took 6 months lol.

**Ppffftt* Oh EXCUSE ME! **blush**

Another quickie blog.. my 2 youngest boys, Liam (4) and Greyson (3) are back in the bedroom laughing hysterically. I was tempted to go back there and see what they were doing, however I was afraid of what I might find,

Liam comes out just now to show me what they are doing. He has a little rubber ducky from the bathroom. It's one that squeaks so it has a hole on the bottom.

He's holding it against his tummy and squeezing so that it makes a very loud and realistic farting sound. Of course, b/c he is a boy he finds this absolutely hysterical. And his giggle in turn makes ME giggle.. so I am afraid I will be enduring the "farting" all day long LOL.

Bittersweet Moment :)

First before I go on, I should explain that my kids go to a year round school. If you are not familiar with YRE, the kids go to school for 3 months and have 1 month off. It's really the same amount of days in session, it's just broken up differently. Our school runs on a Multi-Trach system, meaning they have 4 different track schedules so that not all the kids are off at the same time. We also only have 1 teacher and 1 grade per track.

Anyway.. on to my bittersweet moment.

Today is the last day of the school year and my little one's last day of Kindergarten! And he's turning 6 in a week! He is my 3rd child, so I'm not all that misty eyed or anything lol. He's so excited about going to First Grade and I am excited to have another child in school FULL time! He will get to walk to school with his brothers, the only downfall is that the lower grades get out of school an hour before the older kids, so I will have to pick him up. Yeah, Im lazy.

I have all of 10 days to go school shopping before the new school year begins (ours starts the first week of July), although the upside is that I don't have to deal with the obnoxious people who hoard all the supplies and don't leave any for us little people. The downside.. there's no back to school sales on clothes. POO!

Long Day.. Long Blog..

Well, I had a pretty long day today hence the late night blog.

I took Greyson over to my brother's house tonight to buzz his head, he looks so cute and grown up. He still has some bald spots but, it'll grow out fast, I'm sure. My 12 yr old came along too and asked to have his mohawk shaved off. He looks much more handsome now. I will post pics tomorrow.

My little niece is SO stinkin' cute. I could just eat her up. It was late when I got there so she was starting to get cranky and tired but she always lights up when company comes over, especially people she recognizes. She's just turned 1 by the way. Her Mama is about 3 months pregnant right now and she didn't look like she felt too good tonight. She mentioned she needed a break b/c Lexi was trying her nerves, so I scooped her up and took her out to the garage with me to watch the boys get haircuts. God, I know what it's like to not have any peace, so Im glad to help out... plus I love cuddling with Lex. She's so funny.. her newest thing is pointing and saying what sounds like "Dat!", I love this age.

So now I'm home and I just finished catalogging my sales for the past 6 months and I feel like I could just fall over. My eyes started to glaze over about 30 min ago. I should have gone to bed then, but I just HAD to blog.

So, now before I start rambling on another tangent, I am going to say goodnight for now. I will catch y'all in the morning. Have a great night and thanks for reading!

Things That are NOT allowed in my house

I am making a list of things no longer allowed in this house. So far I've only got 2 things I can think of it at the moment because it's Sunday and it's barely 10 am and I am not quite awake yet. So this will be an ongoing list, provided I remember to update it lol.



Thing #1: Scissors




Reason?:












Thing #2: crayons, marker, chalk, etc.





Reason?:







Nuff' Said.

A Note to My Children..

Dear Heathens Children,

As you know, I enjoy being your mother and I love you very much. HOWEVER, I do not enjoy being your maid slave.

I don't really even want you to DO anything other than your normal household chores. There are more things I would rather you NOT do.

I would appriciate it if you would no longer do the following:

• Peeing on the floor. Really, what does this accomplish? It's just more of a (stinky) mess for YOU to clean up. I'm not doing it, I can pee in the toilet.
• Dumping out every single toy you own.
• Shoving garbage under the couch when I ask you to clean up. It doesn't take much more effort to just throw it away in the first place.
• Shoving clean clothes under the bed, all in one drawer, or just piling them on top of the dresser. And you wonder why you can't find clothes when you need them?
• Piling things on top of the dryer. This space is reserved for cleaning products, not pennies, paper, and candy wrappers.
• Leaving said wrappers in pants pockets. It's GARBAGE, it does not need to be cleaned before throwing away.
• Bringing items home from school or friends houses that I do not allow in the house. If i wanted you to have them, I'd buy them myself.
• Last but not least, stop whining everytime I say something. It really doesn't help, trust me it only makes things worse. Playing outside is fun! I swear, Im not out to torture you with it.

Love,

Mom

*yawn* Wishful Dreaming, I know. *sigh*

Father's Day Layout

So, I'm getting a chance to scrap tonight. I just finished this layout of my 5 yr old son and my DH.

Today my son's Kindergarten class put on a special Father's Day production. Each of the dad's got a framed picture and the kids wrote up things they liked about their dad's. I love these things, they remind me of MAD LIBS lol. Anyway, since we do not have a scanner, I typed up what the paper had said. Shown in kid-print were my son's answers.

I think this LO proves that I am the official die-hard Micheline Martin fan.. love her work! I didn't realize just how much of her stuff I used in this LO til I wrote up the credits. 

Paper, glitter paint- Life Lessons Kit by Micheline Martin (Coming Soon to TDS), Messy Stitches by Micheline Martin (Also Coming Soon to TDS), Custom Doodles by Micheline Martin (not available), Flower- from DayDream Believer Kit by Bren Boone and Micheline Martin (TDS), Sequins- Stapled Pizzaz by Micheline Martin (TDS), Sticker- Blythe Evans Sugar Shock Elements (DigitalFreebies), Buttons and tied knot by Blythe Evans, cardboard flowers by Amanda Rockwell, Big Ol' Ribbon Essentials by Micheline Martin, Stick Em In Pins & cardboard frames by Micheline Martin, Poloroid Frames by Stefanie Burt at pocket-pearls, Funky-Bet Alpha and striped paper by Carrie Stephens. Word Art by Tina Chambers at DSP.

TGIF!

Well, it's the end of yet another week. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend ahead of them!
Not sure yet if I'm goiing to be doing anything. DH is working all day tomorrow but nothing planned for Sunday. Maybe we'll go see Pirates 3, been waiting so long to see that!

Getting used to this laptop thing, my wireless mouse showed up yesterday, so it's been interesting designing with it but I think I've got the hang of it. In the package also came the 2007 version of Streets and Trips, which we already have except it's the 2004 version. And with the software came a GPS thingie. So now, not only does my puter have Lo Jack (yes, I said Lo Jack!) but now I've got GPS.. you know... incase my laptop decides to go for a walk LOL!

Thank you and Have a great weekend!

Not just for Seagulls...

Ok, you know those plastic 6 pack soda can holders? And you know how you are supposed to cut them before throwing them out? Yeah, well now seagulls aren't the only thing you'll be saving.

How about saving the 4 yr old.... from himself!!

Enough said? Yeah, but not really. I forgot to blog this when it happened and DH asked last night if I had and I hadn't so here it is now. The other night, our 4 yr old came into the living room with his hands behind his back and says "I'm stuck!". I turn him around and burst into laughter. The child has "handcuffed" himself with this plastic 6-pack holder. How and why, I will never know, because this is the child who was literally born a handful. Really, I shoulda known from the get-go. The child who was born a week early and got stuck (seeing a theme here?) and sent Mommy in for an emergency c-section.

More interesting conversation...

You know you a computer geek when...

You ask your spouse how big his hard drive is and literally mean the actual hard drive, however it still sounds dirty.

I am never moving from this spot....

Unless of course I have to eat or pee. LOL!

My new laptop arrived yesterday, YAY! So, I finally finished installing all my windows updates, installing my ch needed programs, and transferring all my "crap" as DH would say, from the desktop. Now, Im cruising my regular stomping grounds plus searching for neat goodies to accesorize with my new toy.

Right now, I am looking at this GORGEOUS laptop tote on Etsy.com:




Only 59.00 to Etsy Customers! This designer has several fabulous bags and cases in some really great patterns.

Mind you the 59 dollar price is for the larger 17 in monitors, the smaller standard size bags are 49.00

What else do I need? Oooh yeah I need a little software case, it would be fab if I could get one to match my bag lol. And how bout...... ok I can't think of anything else right now, but Im sure given a little time I could think of something. Oh well would ya look at that.. I thought of something. I need a custom skin for my laptop. I was going to get one at time of purchase but I wanted to scrap something special and didnt have anything on hand.

On another note-

My 3 youngest children have taken to overturning their mattresses and making slides. *Insert Eyeroll*. This morning, I heard one of them say "Let's go make a club!" So now Im thinking I should buy them a bed-tent and maybe they'll leave the mattresses alone. Wishful thinking, I'm sure.

I suppose I should get off here for about 5 seconds and get them dressed since I have to take the 5 yr old to school. Friday, is his last day and then Im off the hook for 10 days before he starts 1st grade! WoW! A full day of school, I'm so excited.. you know for him lol.

Anyway, better get going. Thanks for reading.

YEAH!! I am on my way to FREEDOM!

First let me just start this off by saying 3.5 seems to be the magic number!

Ok so we I Haven't been pushing the PT thing with G too much b/c I learned my lesson with the first boy LOL. So, we've just been talking about it for a few months and tried having him sit up there from time to time (we don't do potty chairs) but he's always been scared or didn't want to.

So tonight he took off his diaper twice and told DH that it was "yucky" and needed a new one so the second time I don't even think he was wet so I left him naked for a bit and I was sitting here and I said "Hey let's look at some potty chairs!" Even though we don't normally use them I thought I might have to with him since he's been so skittish.

So we looked and he was all excited and he started acting like he needed to go so I said Let's go sit on the potty! This time he led the way and I had togo too so I said here I'll go first and show you. So I did and he was all proud that Mommy went pee pee in the potty and we had a little party for me. Then I put him up and he said I want to sit backwards! So I turned him around and he sat there and he told me that he wasn't Greyson he was "Mee-Um" and he was a big boy to pee pee in the potty. So I indulge of course lol. After awhile he actually pooped AND peed!! And he was so proud he didn't want to get down LOL! Oh he was SO proud. Daddy was on the phone when he went to tell him so he kept talking and then by the time Daddy was done he forgot waht he was supposed to tell him but then after some prompting he told him and it was SO cute!

Then we got his "treat" which was frosted flakes b/c he had wanted breakfast for dinner but we mean parents made the kid have tri-tip LOL!!

So I guess this means we are starting to train! I sure hope he stays easy like he was tonight. I have LITERALLY been buying diapers for the last 6 years. The last time I was diaper free was the 2 years in between training Alex (11) and Braeden being born, I am SO ready to reclaim that extra $40 bucks a month!!

Here's a recent pic of my munchkin from Memorial Day

Thanks for reading!

Ah Crap, I've been TAGGED!

Heather, I hate you lol.

You know the only reason I hate these things are because I don't know enough people to pass them on to.. ok so I do.. I'm just lazy.

Anyway, Heather is going to make me think so you all can blame her for making you listen to me ramble on like I have diarreah of the mouth.

7 things about me:

1. I hate stupid people. (who doesn't? Except of course other stupid people lol.)
2. I love the color purple.
3. I'm certifiably insane.
4. I love being insane b/c it makes for good conversation.. or at the very least good entertainment.
5. I am addicted to diet coke and junior mints. It actually helps my design mojo and makes me fun to listen to.
6. I hate doing laundry.
7. I am just rambling now b/c I can't think of anything else to say.

Bill Cosby On Natural Child Birth

Part 1



Part 2

My Baby's On The 'Roids....

So over Memorial day weekend, my little one, Liam (he's 4) broke out in a rash. Wasn't sure what from, but it was definately an allergic reaction to something as Benadryl and Hydrocortizone cream was helping. I decided to regularly treat it and see how it went before draggiing him into the Dr's office. I am SO not one of those moms who runs to the Dr office for every little scratch lol. Hell I hate leaving the house.. unlesss Im alone of course.

So, Friday (last week) I took him in b/c it just wasn't going away. When the Benadryl wore off it came right back. So we go to the Dr's and I love my dr.. he's awesome. But this kinda just stumped him b/c he couldn't say "Oh it's this.." no it's just a common rash that as he put it.. "It's like calling a car a car." So he says.. keep doing the Benadryl and cream and an Aveeno bath once a day through the weekend and if by Monday it's not gone then here's a Rx for an oral steroid.

Monday comes, it's pretty much gone so we stop all the meds and just do the cream.. well yesterday he started itching again so I picked the Rx up since I was at the store anyway.

Now, my baby is on steriods for the next 5 days.. hopefulyl it won't hype him up too much. The kid is already naturally bouncing off the walls. After we got home yesterday he colored his nose blue with a marker.

So apparently I am a horrid mother...

My two older boys are (almost) 13 and 11 yrs old.

This morning started off not terribly bad. I was up pretty late finishing up a layout I was working on, so I was tired. I got the older boys to take the little boys to the park for a bit so I could clean the house (which now looks just like it did when I woke, ok slighty better but not by much) and maybe get some work done online.

So off they go for awhile and I get things looking good enough that I'd let someone come in if they dropped by. They come back around lunch so the little ones could eat and take rests and they eat and off they go to a friends house.. and didn't come back til after 8 pm. Now these boys KNOW what time dinner is and they know to be home for it unless they call or come home to ASK to do something else..and if they miss dinner well then, I guess it wasn't that important in the first place.

So, I prepared dinner as I usually do and they did not show up.. 2 hours later they come waltzing in the door like nothing happened. So I said "Goodnight" and then WW3 happens.

Screaming and tantrums commence.. mostly from the (almost) 13 yr old. The 11 yr old gets an attitude which I promptly put in check. Closet kicking and door slamming... mind you about 15 min prior I just put the little boys to bed and they were actually quiet. And then for the next 45 min I get screamed at about how I don't care, and how this they had plans (PLANS??? Did you ASK? Uh no I think not.) to eat popcorn watch a movie and spend the night and it's all my fault.

Then, they act like Im stupid and try to tell me that the clock at the friends house is 2 hrs behind... (Do I have stupid stamped on my forehead??) And everytime I say, I am not talking to you anymore, you know the rules deal with the consequences, stop talking and go to bed. They keep going... like it's going to change anything.. no.. if anything it's making me madder.

Please someone tell me this is normal for this age b/c right now I'm feeling absolutely horrid that I like them better when they are not home. See I told ya... horrid. I hate when Dan is gone.. but I also hate being broke. I hope he's not having any fun... because Im definately not.