PT success!

I'm pretty sure I can call Noah trained! He has been dry all day for a week, aside from 2-3 minor accidents. And to brag even more...he even has woke up dry from overnight a few times. I am THRILLED to officially have one out of diapers :) Less laundry for me WHOOHOOO!

Potty training..again

If you remember, we were potty training Noah last fall. He just got really interested in the potty and he was pretty much trained for awhile. He would even tell us when he needed to go while we were out and about. Then he got pinched in the potty chair and refused to use it, started having more and more accidents and hiding when he had to go. So we just backed off for awhile. He would use it occasionally but was back in diapers for the majority of the time.

Fast forward to last week. Noah started coming to me and saying "I'm wet/poopy, change me" and would bring me diapers. He is also obsessed with hotwheels/race cars/etc so we got him some car underwear and decided to give it another shot. So far he has done great! He has been totally dry and accident free for 3 days. He even stayed dry while we were out shopping Tuesday evening. He is very aware of when he needs to go and he knows that if he has an accident he has to take his "racecar underwears" off so he is trying so hard to keep them dry!

So, while I don't want to jinx it, I am really hoping this is it for him! Diapers aren't a huge deal for us now, but it will mean we can go an extra day between diaper laundry!

HAIR!

Eli now has enough hair to have the worlds smallest mohawk

My little machanic

Here's a picture I was able to snap quick while Noah was working on Eli's ATV. He's quite the little Mr. Fixit :)

The Children's Museum

These are a few weeks old, but this was from our last trip to the local Children's Museum

Going Green

So...you all know by now that we switched to cloth diapers last fall. So this year when making a "resolution" I decided I would try to find simple and easy ways to cut back on waste and become a better steward of our Earth. While I have never actually made a resolution that I worked on past Jan. 2nd, this one is not one I am going to give up on! So far I have noticed a huge decrease in our waste (judging by the trash we set to curb each week) with just a few simple changes. So here are a few things we have done to cut back (which is also helped our budget much more than I thought!)

1. No more napkins! We switched to cloth napkins for our use at home. We wont save a ton of money doing this...but it will hopefully make an impact environmentally.

2. Flannel baby wipes. Last week I made some baby wipes to use with our kids (I still use disposable with the day care kids) and last night I bought another dozen and our cloth diaper store's big diaper sale. So far...it cuts back about 3 dollars a week which isn't a ton...but will add up!

3. Trying to avoid paper towels. I love paper towels, which sounds really silly, but I do. They are so easy and make messes less messy! But I am trying to not even have them out on the counter. I keep them in the pantry for the really icky messes or when all the dish towels are in the laundry. Again, paper towels aren't that expensive...but we were going through a roll a week so over time we will save money and cut back on a lot of waste! (think 52 rolls added to the landfill every year from just our family! Yikes!)

4. Recycle! I know this is the simplest thing for anyone to do...but we hadn't had recycling bins since moving here and had been throwing away a lot that could just be recycled...which I felt really guilty about! So I finally contacted the city about getting bins and we have been recycling all things paper/plastic/metal. I didn't realize just how much I was throwing away that could be recycled until we got the bins and started using them. Our trash can is never overflowing now, and our 2 recycling bins (one for paper, one for everything else) are always both full to the top! I hate that it took me so long to get this simple thing done.

5. This one doesn't really cut back on physical waste, but I have been trying to line dry clothes. Brandon hates the feel and smell of line dried clothes so his will always be machine dried, and since it's winter and cold a lot of our clothes/towels/sheets/etc are still machine dried, but I got a few drying racks (mainly for the diapers) and have been using them on the kids clothes. This spring I will (well, I will make Brandon) put up a clothesline outside for mine and the kids clothes and our towels, sheets etc.

So...that is what we are up to. I know they are all really small and simple changes, but I'm trying, and feel really good about them!

sick of snow

I can't wait until spring! It's really not fun being stuck inside all day everyday. Noah hates playing in the snow, and Eli really isn't a fan of it either, so we don't venture out often and I'm starting to feel the walls closing in on us! Thank goodness we are not in our tiny condo anymore!

Thankfully, there is quite a bit for us to do on the weekends, the mall has a children's museum we have gone to a few times, and there are other play centers nearby. We are also trying to stay sane by doing crafts and baking projects and reading a lot of books (and watching more tv than we should). I just signed both boys up for a Saturday morning music class too. So that will be a fun way to meet other kids (and moms!!!) and get out of the house for a bit.

I am having fun planning Eli's first birthday party. We are just having a family party for him. He's more of a quiet kiddo than Noah, so I don't think he would really appreciate a huge party. But it's keeping me busy.

Well, that's about all that's been going on with us. I won a free cloth diaper from Oh Katy today which was exciting (the definition of excitement certainly changes after having kids). And I am looking forward to a sale at our local diapering store Tuesday (also more exciting for me than it should be for anyone). My sister is equally excited for that, so I feel a little less like a loser having someone to share in the excitement.

What are you all doing to keep busy this winter?

1 year pics.

These are just a few of Eli's pictures that were taken today. I am very pleased with them!

One??? Really???

It doesn't even seem possible, but I am planning Eli's first birthday already. We aren't doing anything big...just a family party at the house. Eli is more of a laid back guy and doesn't really care for lots of commotion so we are keeping it simple. :)

He also has his 1 year pictures on Saturday. I just can't really believe he is almost 1. This year has flown by so quick (even with the 10 sleepless months) ;)

Just a SAHM.

I have heard this a lot. People ask what you do for a living and the reponse is "I just stay home with the kids".

PS...for those who aren't familiar with the abbreviation SAHM=Stay At Home Mom

Ok...back to the point. I have been guilty of saying it too. "Just a stay at home mom". But the fact is, there is nothing "just" about it! My work days run from 12am to...12 am. I am always "on duty". There isn't a lunch hour, and no 15 minute breaks. I used to be on the computer messing around on facebook or whatever more...I used my nursing time with Eli to get on and dink around. But now that he is weaned I really am only able to get on a few minute while they are all eating meals or snacks. So anyway, for those who think I am "just a stay at home mom" here is what my day looks like!

up at 6:30-7 to shower as fast as I possibly can before Eli wakes up
Get Eli breakfast
Noah gets up and eats breakfast
Kids play while I clean up breakfast and start laundry
read with the kids/do a craft/work on skills
Snack for the kids
Eli goes down for nap
playtime for Noah while I do the housework
Lunch for the kids/Eli is up
laundry/clean up lunch
sit with Noah and play for a few minutes
Nap time for Noah
Entertain Eli since Noah is sleeping and can't!
Eli goes down for second nap
20 minutes to eat my lunch/do housework/relax
Noah is up
Eli gets up
Snack time for everyone
Play while I start dinner/work on laundry/housework
daycare kids start leaving
Dinner
bathtime
story time
bedtime
clean up dinner
relax a few minutes
bedtime for me!

So yeah. I'm not "just a stay at home mom".

How I trick my children.

Into eating veggies that is...and really Noah is the only one that needs to be tricked :) as Eli eats anything...whenever he can.

As a mom to a picky eater, I am always looking for good ideas for new ways to hide veggies, so I thought maybe I would share mine.

1. I use a cheese grater to finely shred carrots and add it to just about any hamburger dish

2. Use sweet potato baby food and add a tablespoon to yogurt. You can buy yobaby yogurt with sweet potato added...but it's cheaper to buy store brand yogurt and add the sweet potato yourself. I also add a little sweet potato puree to his oatmeal, applesauce, and pancakes. If you can get it really good and runny (which is much easier if you buy stage 1 babyfood rather than using homemade baby food) you can add a little to juice.

3. When making things like sloppy joes, I add a can or two of V8 veggie juice in addition to shredded carrots. This wont add a lot of veggie to a serving...but it wont hurt! I love using the spicy V8 in spaghetti too!

4. Mix in spaghetti squash with regular spaghetti noodles. Noah will not eat spaghetti squash on its own, but if I mix some in with regular spaghetti noodles he eats it.

5. While this is the least healthy trick...it is another way to add in some of the nutrients from veggies! I buy the chips (like potato chips) that are made from radishes, carrots and sweet potato. They are still fried like regular chips, so not exactly the healthiest choice, but definitely a better option than regular chips.

I have found it is a lot harder to add green veggies to a dish without altering the flavor too much so I mostly hide things like carrots, sweet potato and squash. Occasionally I will cook in some fresh collard greens to a dish too, but too much and he (and my hubby) will refuse to eat it!

I hope this post helps someone with a picky eater! Please feel free to comment with some tricks you use to get your picky eaters to take in some veggies!

MVI_0065_1.AVI

Just for fun I posted this video with the video of Eli first starting to walk below...see how much progress he has made in the past several weeks!!!

MVI_0010.AVI

Thinking about having kids?

Lesson 1



1. Go to the grocery store.

2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.

3. Go home.

4. Pick up the paper.

5. Read it for the last time.



Lesson 2



Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...

1. Methods of discipline.

2. Lack of patience.

3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.

4. Allowing their children to run wild.

5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.

Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.



Lesson 3



A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...

1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)

2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.

3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.

4. Set the alarm for 3AM.

5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.

6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.

7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.

8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.

9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)



Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.



Lesson 4



Can you stand the mess children make? T o find out...

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.

2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.

3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.

4. Then rub them on the clean walls.

5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.

6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?



Lesson 5



Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.

1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.

2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.



Time allowed for this - all morning.



Lesson 6



Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.

1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.

Leave it there.

2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.

3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.

4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.



Lesson 7



Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.



Lesson 8



1. Hollow out a melon.

2. Make a small hole in the side.

3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.

4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.

5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.

6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.



You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.



Lesson 9



Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.



Lesson 10



Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.



Lesson 11



Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.



This is all very tongue in cheek; anyone who is parent will say 'it's all worth it!' Share it with your friends, both those who do and don't have kids. I guarantee they'll get a chuckle out of it. Remember, a sense of humor is one of the most important things you'll need when you become a parent!

Christmas 2010

Eli's room

Here are a few pics of what we worked on last week. There are still some things to do to it...but so far it's looking pretty cute I think!

The secret is out.....

I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNT AGAIN! Brandon's brother and sister in law are expecting baby #2 this summer!

Productivity!

Since Eli has been sleeping through the night for a week now...I have been so productive! Tasks that just seemed too overwhelming to tackle are easy as pie to work on now. This week I painted/decorated Eli's room, including sewing fitted crib sheets for his bed. I got caught up on my giant pile of laundry, cleaned the house top to bottom and ran a mile long list of errands I needed to get done (including Noah's first dentist appointment). I feel great. For the past 10.5 months I had been averaging 3-4 hours of sleep everything with some occasional 6-7 hour nights...as well as some occasional 0-2 hour nights :) This week I have been getting 8 uninterrupted nights almost every night. It's just amazing to feel so good again! I know some people do great with 3-4 hours of sleep every night...but that's just not me.

And a side note...pictures of the room and new pics of the boys will be up as soon as I get my camera back. I left it at Brandon's parents house last week so I haven't been able to put up any of our Christmas pictures :(