Party of Five

Pirates Of Lewes

2009-07-17T20:08:00.010-04:00

Okay, I know, it's been wayyyyyyyy too long since I have blogged but I promise to do better! :) I had it in my mind to try and catch up from the point I left off, but that made me delay even more so I have decided to just start with the present and fill in the past when I can, or else I'll never write anything!

Today we took the kids on a pirate adventure. Uncle Justin volunteered to stay home with Baby Lily and Addison (Thank goodness!!) so me, Shane, & Kristin packed up Chloe, Jackson & London in the van and sped to the dock and arrived only five minutes late. (I really didn't think we would make it there by 9 am but somehow we did!)

First on the agenda was getting the kids dressed in pirate gear. That went pretty well, Chloe was a little hesitant at first, I think she thought the pink skull vest wasn't quite "bootiful" enough but once he added the gold tie that matched her dress, she seemed okay, lol. Next was face painting and accessorizing with bracelets, gold earrings, guns, and swords.

After everyone was dressed and painted, the head Pirate told them the rules of the ship.....

Not sure what he is saying here but from the looks of Jackson's face he didn't want to hear it! ha

Taking the Pirate Pledge.....

Now it's off to the Pirate Ship....

Everything was fine until right about now......

From this point on, Jackson was no longer a participant in the Pirate treasure hunt :(

Overall the Pirate adventure was pretty cool. London had a really good time and Chloe had a pretty good time too. There was a point in the trip where a bad pirate (Pirate Pete) comes around on a smaller boat and tries to steal the treasure resulting in a water battle on deck. Our ship had water cannons and he had one too so it was a pretty intense battle! Shane decided to shoot Pirate Pete in the face with one of the water cannons resulting in us all getting soaked lol. Hopefully I haven't scarred my poor little Jackson for life, he was up twice last night asking if Peter Pan (aka Pirate Pete) was going to come :/ When you ask him about the trip he talks as if he liked it so hopefully he got some enjoyment out of it even though he didn't budge from his Dad's lap the entire time!

The Doctor Store

2009-02-15T19:44:00.014-05:00

Wow....it's been a while since my last post!! Unfortunately, updates will most likely be scarce until April 15th arrives.

The flu, colds, strep, etc. have been running rampant this winter and we all remained pretty healthy..... until last week. Jackson started running a fever on Wednesday and clearly felt awful. It is so pitiful watching a usually active boy just lay around with a sad look on his face. Friday morning he still wasn't up to par so I made a Dr appt for him for 11am since the weekend was quickly approaching. I was hoping to drop Chloe off at preschool before that but her comment was "No, not today, maybe tomorrow I'll go to school" and didn't seem too interested in getting out of her favorite princess nightgown coupled with her pink tutu. So I decided dragging sick Jackson and Addison while dropping off Chloe (who may or may not be willing to go without Jackson), wasn't worth the trouble. So I started gearing myself up for a trip to the doctor with all three in tow. The minute I mentioned the doctor, Jackson started crying and said he didn't need to go because he felt fine. Ugggg, this wasn't going to be easy. I finally get him calmed down and dressed, get Addison dressed and then turn to princess Chloe....getting her out of her "bootiful" nightgown is no easy feat. I decide I will try getting her into clothes but will not waste too much energy with that battle and just bring her in her nightgown/tutu getup if necessary. Surprisingly she got into her Hearts sweatsuit (with silver sparkly shoes) and we were ready to hit the road. I get Addison & Jackson's coats on but Chloe doesn't want hers on...and now has to go potty. Great, we WERE running on schedule but things are already starting to fall apart. She finally finishes going potty and we resume the coat battle. She isn't budging and I decide I'm not either. So I get Jackson & Addison buckled in the car, come back and wrestle Chloe's coat on and carry her out kicking and screaming to the car.

While making the Dr appointment I find out that the office we usually go to in our town is now closed. Thanks for the letter letting us know this! I had been wanting to switch and go to one of the Drs from that practice that opened her own office but have not gotten around to switching all the records. That will now be on my priority list, as I kick myself in the butt for procrastinating. So, we have to go to the office 1/2 hour away, which isn't that big of a deal, but I am not the best navigator, especially when under stress. I make it to the city okay, (it is a small town) and cannot find the darn office. I end up calling the office three times for directions (and it is one of those lines where you have to push 1 for this, 2 for that so its not like I could get right through to talk to someone). So we finally make it there (five minutes late) and Jackson starts crying and doesn't want to get out of the car. After much reassurance, I finally get all three unloaded and finally on our way into the office. I don't see a sign with the name of the Dr we are seeing so I ask people on their way down the ramp if that is the Dr, and they only speak Spanish! So I decide to barge in there and hope for the best. It turns out they share an office with a family therapist and don't have their name on the sign yet.

Once we get checked in, Addison takes over the waiting room showing off her award winning grin and dancing to her new favorite cartoon which just happens to be playing....Barney. I immediately notice a girl in a Tu-tu!! ha Chloe & Jackson admire the juice display and keep asking me for one (it is a display of sodas/juices with cups of sugar next to them showing how loaded with sugar they are lol) They keep referring to the office as "The Doctor Store"....not sure where they got this! We don't wait long before Jackson's name is called and of course he starts crying and I have to carry him AND Addison while lulling Chloe to follow us. He is apprehensive at first with the nurse but luckily loosens up a bit and doesn't completely freak out like he has in the past. A bag of Gerber Yogurt bites keep everyone occupied for a few minutes but is quickly devoured....almost time for lunch!

The patient table is shaped like a school bus and Jackson thinks it is a ride and says "no money" and won't go near the thing. (He doesn't like rides lol) Chloe climbs up on it and now he wants me to put money in it because he wants to watch Chloe ride it! Finally I convince him it is not a ride and he gets up there too. The doctor comes in and things go pretty smooth, he seems fine at this point, no fever, (figures!) and she does a strep test just to be sure. Chloe makes it clear to the Dr that she is fine and it is Jackson who is sick...I cracked up!! While waiting for the test results Addison discovers the stairs on the bus and becomes obsessed with climbing up and down so I spend the rest of the time trying to keep her from hurting herself or falling off the table....she is overdue for a nap at this point. Work calls during this time with a problem....just a little more for my crazy plate!

The Dr comes back in and the test is negative so it's time to head home. They decide they want to stay and play in the waiting room!!! I finally get their coats on and with a promise of a sticker get them heading to the door. The lady gives us ONE sticker....ummmm thats not going to work....hello, there are TWO two year olds here! Chloe asks for a Snow White sticker...and gets a Belle sticker. This leads to a complete meltdown. Just when I thought we had "made it", she loses it. I somehow get us all through the door and outside...she throws herself on the ground, throws her purse, kicks her shoes off. So I carry Addison, drag Chloe, leaving shoes & purse behind and somehow manage to get them all to the van and buckled in, then drive back around to get the purse and shoes.

And finally, we are on the road back home. I did it!! I am pretty proud of myself for keeping my cool and making it through the Doctor Store trip....I feel like doing the Dora "we did it dance" :) Yeah, it doesn't take much for me to impress myself these days!

Ga-ga's Christmas Party

2009-01-09T11:14:00.021-05:00

Shane's Mom (Ga-ga) had her Christmas Party the 23rd this year which was perfect because we didn't have to travel on Christmas. The party was chock full of fun for the kiddos!

Here is beautiful princess ballerina Chloe in her "sparkly party dress" checking out Ga-ga's chic tree and all the presents :)

Jackson hanging out with Grandfather....I wondered how he got him to sit on his lap for so long..the answer is that big tub of snowballs (aka cheese puffs)!

Pretty party girl with her baby....
Santa took time out of his busy schedule to pay the kids a visit!!

Addison bullying cousin London for his sippy cup....

Opening gifts......TOTAL chaos!! All the kids just ripped open gifts...sometimes not even theirs lol. I have no idea who gave them what!

One of Chloe's favorites...a beautiful white dress... now to keep it clean...hmmmm

Chloe in her Dora car....looking a little confused because they had gotten in the wrong cars at first. Unfortunately we haven't been able to get them back home. They had a great time playing crash em up derby in Ga-ga's basement before we left the next day :)

Jackson looking even more confused than Chloe lol.

Aunt Kim getting the kids fired up for the pinata'

The adults help the kids out after a while....or maybe they just want to be kids too :)

Grabbing as much candy as they can!
Last but not least....pin the nose on Rudolph :)

Jackson stuffing down candy.....Hmmmmm....I'm not feeling too well but I better eat as much candy as I can before my Mom takes it away!

Thanks for all the fun Ga-ga!!!

Christmas Day 2008

2009-01-09T11:14:00.018-05:00

Merry Christmas!! My parents came down to visit Christmas morning which was great because it meant less travel for the kids. They brought a deli & veggie tray so we didn't have to cook and could just enjoy the kids playing with their presents. They also brought a Christmas cake which Chloe & Jackson are still talking about :)

Chloe & Jackson were really into ripping open gifts this year. It didn't really matter what the gift was....once they finished unwrapping one gift they moved onto ripping the next one open. I tried to get some pictures before they tore everything open...it was tough for them to hold back so I had to make it quick!

Climbing the mountain of gifts....

Okay.....can we open the presents NOW?????

After they were done ripping open the presents in record time, they wanted each and every one of them out of their box. Why the heck do they make getting toys out of their package ridiculously hard???

Here is baby Chou Chou...one of the ugliest babies dolls I have ever seen. She grows teeth. ewwwww! haa Despite her scary looks and tooth growth, apparently she is a very popular doll. Grandma got her for Chloe.....

But the minute Addison saw it....she wanted it!

Grandma comforting Addison while Chloe takes baby Chou Chou. Addison followed Chloe around the rest of the day and if Chloe put that baby down for a second she would grab it and run! Needless to say Grandma is looking for another baby Chou Chou for Addison lol.

Addison got a Raggedy Ann doll which was my favorite doll as a child. Unfortunately this picture was the only time she touched the thing before throwing her in the corner and neglecting her. I guess she just didn't compare to baby Chou Chou.

Jackson enjoying a gingerbread man....sorry Addison, it doesn't look like he is interested in sharing!

Sorry Grandpa...I don't have time to sit around....I'm a girl on the go :)

Here's Addison looking a little rough....she wasn't feeling well and refused to take a nap. She tried to have fun but on top of being overtired and having a runny nose, she has 3 more teeth coming in. Poor girl!

Visit to Santa's House on the Boardwalk

2008-12-21T20:38:00.011-05:00

Okay, this will be our last visit to Santa this season! Santa has a house set up on the boardwalk where he flies in from the North Pole on weekends to meet all the good boys and girls :) The first time we went to see him he had just flown back to the North Pole for some sort of toy emergency.

Our next visit was much, much colder so everyone was bundled to the max...

This visit with Santa was very laid back. It was just Santa in his house calling the kids in to sit on his lap. No assistant, and luckily no line. Of course the highlight was getting a bag of cookies from Santa :)

Afterwards we took a quick walk down the boardwalk to look at the Christmas lights....

And we ended the evening with pizza at Nicola Pizza. Actually, we had fries for an appetizer and ended up taking the pizza home because none of the three were being very cooperative. The whole "Santa is watching" thing doesn't seem to work too well for us!

Three Years of Santa

2008-12-20T15:04:00.009-05:00

Chloe & Jackson's First Christmas: 2006

They were a little leary of Santa but cooperated.

Addison's First Christmas: 2007

Addison was cooperative (maybe because she was two weeks old? ha) Chloe was semi-cooperative and Jackson was having no parts of sitting on Santa's lap. Therefore, I had to hop on Santa's lap and physically hold Jackson there with one arm and Chloe with the other. I would have tried to look a little more presentable had I known I'd be having my picture taken with Santa!

Christmas 2008

No more fear of Santa...Chloe & Jackson ran right in. Addison was indifferent. It turns out Chloe & Jackson were more interested in Santa's basket of treats than in him!

Mrs. Claus

2008-12-18T15:19:00.004-05:00

Mrs. Claus working hard to help Santa get the toys ready for Christmas :)

Preschool Christmas Party

2008-12-17T19:47:00.016-05:00

The thing I most looked forward to pre-kids was watching my future kids in their annual Christmas programs. Unfortunately those programs no longer exist in this politically correct world (so I've been told). I was pleasantly surprised today when I went to their preschool lunch and they came out on stage to sing Christmas carols! Their two year old class performed with the 3/4 year old class.

Luckily C & J weren't one of the kids who screamed to get off the stage when they saw their mom or dad! Chloe apparently didn't like the other kids singing and kept her hands over her ears almost the entire time while she sang! Jackson on the other hand pretty much took over the show!

He is just getting warmed up in this first video clip...

The camera gets a little shaky at times because I was cracking up!

Now he really starts getting down...I think he was throwing some Wiggles moves in there lol!

This is the only song Chloe didn't hold her hands over her ears!

Addison playing her favorite game at the party, a combo of hide & seek & peek-a-boo :)

Exploding Diaper

2008-12-17T19:46:00.006-05:00

I am surprised this has never happened until now....

There was a pull-up left in Jackson's pajama bottoms that I did not see and threw in the washer. I STILL did not notice it when the wash was done and put it in the dryer. I don't know if you have ever experienced an exploded diaper, but let me tell you, it is a mess beyond messes. Millions of gel beads that are all but impossible to clean up. Just the chore I want at the end of the day when everyone has been cranky and sick. sighhhhhhhhhhhhh

Edited to comment on Jill's comment: No, luckily the pull-up was dry when it got thrown in the washer. I don't even want to imagine the scenario if there was *something* in it at the time!!!!!!!!!!!! I guess things can always be worse, right?

Sick Sick Sick

2008-12-17T19:46:00.004-05:00

Everyone has been sick with colds. Runny noses everywhere....I think we have gone through three boxes of tissues. Poor Addison seems to have it the worst and was up twenty times the past two nights. She wants to suck on her pacifier but can't because her nose is stopped up and she has to breathe out of her mouth. Chloe informed me she had a headache and needs motrin. Not many kids like to take medicine, but Chloe & Jackson think it is a treat!

I put baby vics vaporub on their chest and also on their feet, I heard that really helps, but who knows. It stinks there really isn't any medicine for babies/toddlers when they have colds so they are just miserable. At least we can drug ourselves up with cold medicine and cough drops!

I think C & J have been sick every Christmas but I am hoping they will break the tradition this year! Ho Ho Ho!

The Stockings Were Hung....

2008-12-10T14:51:00.004-05:00

I ordered these really cute stockings from Pottery Barn on a Saturday and they got here by Monday! (with free shipping!) Chloe & Jackson tried to wear their "socks" lol.

I know most stockings are hung from the chimney with care....but in our house, that would result in them being ripped down a million times a day so they were hung on the wall with care...just out of reach :)

Christmas Parade

2008-12-10T14:36:00.006-05:00

We took the kids to their very first Christmas parade in downtown Lewes. The weather was great all day but when we got everyone loaded in the van it starts drizzling...ugggg!! We braved the elements and met Cindy, Ian & Alli there. Of course their favorite part was the candy that was thrown out :) I didn't get too many pictures due to taking turns chasing around two year olds and holding a fussy baby.

Addison & Alli all bundled up for the parade....unfortunately Addison didn't sit there for long, that look on her face says "I want out of this thing!!!"

It seemed like it lasted forever but we hung in there until Santa finally rolled by :) They really seemed to enjoy all the music, floats, and of course the candy. I look forward to taking them to a parade during nice weather!

Santa & the Winterfest of Lights

2008-12-10T14:14:00.005-05:00

I had a tax conference in Ocean City so Shane brought the kids down to meet me when it was over and we got some pizza at Ledos and headed to the Winterfest of Lights. We picked the perfect night to go, it was pretty warm and we got there early and were pretty much the only people there!

We didn't even have to wait in line for Santa! I was very nervous about the Santa visit after last year but they weren't the least bit shy of Santa this year....and best of all, I didn't have to get in the picture to hold them on Santa's lap!

It's kind of hard for Santa with three on his lap....Addison doesn't look too comfortable lol!

They were actually more interested in the bowl of candy....sorry Santa!

Next we boarded the train to look at the beautiful light displays...

Chloe & Jackson talked Daddy into some gingerbread cookies...I don't think they actually liked them too much though.

By this look on Shane' face I don't think he like them either! ha

Oh Christmas Tree.....

2008-12-10T13:39:00.004-05:00

Thanks Aunt Kim (aka Kee-Kee or Keeks) for helping put up our tree! We have not had a full size tree since 1994. No, that is not a typo, it has been over 12 years. The first year we were married we put one up and Ocee, who was only 4 months at the time kept climbing the tree and I was afraid she was going to get electrocuted and never put it up again! Plus, we never seemed to be home on Christmas so we settled on a miniature tree (which by the way Kee Kee made for us...what a little Christmas angel she is! hee hee)Now that the twins are starting to understand Christmas (kind of lol) we couldn't delay a full size tree any longer. I got a pre-lit tree to make things easier....yeah right! Unfortunately we started the project at 9 pm which was not a good idea. We couldn't get the top quarter of the tree to light. Ugggg We gave up at 11pm, tried it a few more times the next day and then just gave up. Luckily our babysitter's husband is an electrician and he figured it out for us a few days later :)

Aunt Kim even set up a photo shoot the next day.....

Thanks Keeks!!

Calling Dr. Mom....

2008-12-09T20:45:00.002-05:00

My days start VERY early.....MUCH too early for me. The sun is not awake yet at 5:30 am and I am usually in a fog. But this morning my foggy brain was yanked to alert status when Jackson comes up to me and says "Mommy, raisin in there". I'm not too worried at this point and ask "In where Jackson?" He points up his nose. Okay, now I'm a little worried. I am instantly taken back to the day my sister stuck gum up her nose (I think she was around 4) and my Mom completely freaked out. The neighbor across the street ended up coming over and getting it out. I was determined not to follow in her footsteps and panic so I calmly told him to blow his nose into the tissue. Unfortunately when he "blows" his nose, he actually sucks the air in instead of blowing it out. Okay, now the raisin is up there even further. Luckily he can talk because it was so far up his nose I would never have even noticed it was there. Next I try the suction bulb to suck it out. No luck. I run upstairs to get the tweezers. Jackson doesn't like the look of them and starts trying to fight me off. I finally convince him the tweezers won't hurt and get him to lay still. I perform precision surgery with the tweezers and remove the raisin from his nose. Whewwwwwwwwwwwww. What a relief! I was seriously thinking there would definitely be a visit to the doctor today. Another disaster averted by Dr. Mom.

Christmas is in the air!

2008-12-02T15:25:00.005-05:00

Chloe & Jackson have been enjoying the toy catalogs that come in the mail. This reminds me of when I was a kid and every Christmas I would go through the Sears toy catalog and circle everything I wanted Santa to bring me! Do kids still do that? I haven't even seen a Sears catalog in a long, long time.

"I DO IT"

2008-12-02T15:04:00.008-05:00

With two year old twins learning their independence, "I DO IT!" is echoed through the house all day long! Here is a typical scenario....it is time to get dressed so I start helping pull off the PJs but am met with a firm "I do it myself!!". After a struggle...."Mommmmmmmmmmy...... I need help!!". I then start helping.........."NO!! My do it!". This scenario is repeated throughout the day making everything take ten times longer to accomplish lol. Patience, patience patience....I need a LOT of it!

Other frequent phrases heard in our house: (and their translations if necessary)

"I need HELP!"

"Right" (for some reason they substitute this for "yes")

"Hi Mornin'!"

"I need Ice!" (whenever a boo boo occurs the victim needs the Elmo ice pack)

"How yar you?"

"Gotta Go Potty" (This means you better get them there NOW!!!)

"BIGGGGGGGGG" (A description often used by Jackson and sometimes Chloe)

"Daddy buy at Teeter" (Whenever we tell them we don't have something, this is their response)

"I want a LOT"

"Get one cookie and one boon" (Harris Teeter gives out free cookies and balloons)

"C'mon Chloe" (When I hear Jackson say this I know there is trouble brewing)

"C'mon Jacjun" (Same as above)

"Different One" (They are not happy with what you gave them and want an alternative)

"Switch" (Jackson likes to switch things with Chloe...anything from plates, cups, books)

"One cookie.....no, five cookies!" (Jackson asking for a cookie....I mean cookies :)

"Why's Chloe crying?"

"Why's Jackson crying?"

"Addison's crying!"

"Again!!' (Said in glee whenever you do something silly like tickle them, play airplane, or throw them in the air)

"Snuggle Time!" (Usually said when it is time for bed and they are stalling)

"Where'd Daddy go?"

"Where's my mommy?"

"Sun Wake Up Now!" (I am trying to get them to wait until the sun wakes up before they get up...key word here is trying.)

Black Friday

2008-11-29T20:54:00.004-05:00

Addison decided to raid Aunt Kristin's purse for some cash before Black Friday shopping!

She tried to make a getaway but got caught by the purse strap lol.

Kristin & I ventured out to a few outlets for Black Friday but didn't find too much.....except lots of traffic and crowds! ha Then we hit the Kmart toy department and filled up our cart! It wasn't crowded at all...I really wonder how this store stays in business. We both got quite a chunk of our Christmas shopping done there. Now to wrap it all! Ugggg

Addison's Birthday Party...Short and Sweet Just Like Her

2008-11-27T19:40:00.009-05:00

After the Thanksgiving celebration, it was time for Addison's Birthday party. We had gotten a little smash cake just for her...unfortunately, this is what it looked like by the time she got it. Part of the icing melted when it was on top of the refrigerator and then Jackson grabbed it off the counter and dropped it. So her smash cake was already well smashed when she got it lol. Luckily Uncle Justin ate it so it didn't go to waste :)
Happy First Birthday Addison!!

She didn't seem to care for the cake and this is where the them of the party turned into "It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To"!

Not to dissapoint the theme, Chloe joined in. I never did figure out why she was crying....sighhhhh.

Jackson enjoying some cake....at least someone's not crying!

London enjoying some cake even though the icing was too sweet lol.

Here is Jackson's rendition of Happy Birthday after he declared "sing real fast". I guess he has to do everything fast lol! (Click the arrow to see the movie)

The Birthday girl happily enjoying a teething biscuit after the cake fiasco.

The kids opening Addison's gifts as she watches...haa.

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!!

First Thanksgiving Dinner....A SUCCESS!!

2008-11-27T19:38:00.008-05:00

As everyone knows I'm not too handy in the kitchen, cooking definitely isn't my strong suit (to say the least lol) But when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, I like home made. Last year I missed out and have been craving it ever since. I had just had Addison less than a week earlier and Ga-ga had Jackson for a few days for us to get settled in. Shane met her half way to pick him up on Thanksgiving day and she had made us a thanksgiving dinner. Well, it was in a cooler in the trunk and she forgot to give it to Shane and the traffic was sooooo bad around the Bay Bridge they decided not to back track. My mouth was watering sooooo bad for that dinner! So to make up for it, Shane snuck to Cracker Barrell and got a Thanksgiving dinner (that could have fed 20 people!!!) Well, I HATED it!! I tried to eat some to be nice but I really really hated it! And Shane doesn't eat anything with sauces, gravies, etc so the whole dinner for 20 people was just for me. What a waste So this year I was determined to have home-made Thankgiving dinner, even if I have to make it!

Soooooo.....to the utter disbelief and doubts of many, my sister in law Kristin and I made our first Thanksgiving Dinner and it was GOOD! Even our husbands gave it an "A" and believe me, they are tough critics.

We just made the basics....turkey, stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, rolls, and corn. The stuffing recipe we used had Bob Evans sausage in it which sounds weird, but it was really good. The only thing that really didn't turn out good was the gravy so luckily we had some jar gravy for backup! Some may feel we cheated because we used a turkey breast and not a whole turkey, this is how Kristin felt at first.....but once she saw it and it had a cavity and had to be rinsed off, she was sure glad we didn't have the whole turkey where you have to take the guts out and all that...and so was I! Yeah, we're wimps when it comes to dealing with raw meat, but at least we admit it!

Cooking the dinner was actually fun, not at all what I expected! I'm sure it wouldn't have been much fun if I was stuck in the kitchen doing it all myself though. The men took care of the kids during the morning while we were cooking and we had it ready by naptime so we could actually sit down and enjoy our hard work!

Here we are putting our freshly seasoned turkey in the oven. We decided to use an oven bag which was recommended by many to make it extra juicy.

Us and our turkey :)

The kids getting some fresh air while we slave away in the kitchen.....Thanks for the see-saw Jill! It has been a big hit :)

Dad having a pep talk with the boys about how to behave so we can "have a fun day". At least it looks like London is listening lol.

And three hours later....its done! Here it is being displayed by the proud chefs...

We gave Justin the honor of carving the turkey. Look at all of that yummy food!!

Kristin & I took the kids for a walk to work off some of the turkey and get some fresh air while the men watched some football.

Unfortunately Addison decided to start screaming half way through the walk so we took turns trying to carry her while dragging the wagon and double stroller. Now that was a work out!!

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Pomegranates anyone?

2008-11-25T20:27:00.007-05:00

Addison is a VERY picky eater, but Ga-ga found something she LOVES to eat....pomegranates. Of all things!! Most people don't even know what a pomegranate is nonetheless how to eat one!! (not that Addison got the seeds out herself lol)

We first discovered them on a day trip to Tijuana. They sold them on the street there with lemon juice and old-bay seasoning...we have been hooked ever since! (Of course the ones we give Addison don't have the spices lol)

Here is a link if you want to read more about this wonderful fruit~ http://www.pomwonderful.com/pomegranate_month.html

Let It Snow!

2008-11-25T20:24:00.009-05:00

November 21, 2008

We had our first snow today! It started when I picked up Chloe & Jackson from school around noon. No accumulation, it was over by the time we got home :( There's just something about snow that I love, especially the first snow. Kind of gets me in the holiday spirit :)

Here is Addison sporting her new snow suit...

Oops....down she goes....luckily she's well padded!

Speaking of snow, here is a link to a link to our local newspaper that features a picture of us all bundled up taking a walk near the boardwalk in an article entitled "Dusting of Snow Expected". http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008811180365

And Off She Goes!!....

2008-11-25T20:12:00.004-05:00

Three days after her first birthday Addison took off walking! It is so cute watching toddlers first start what I call the "frankenstein" walk. She has gotten pretty good at this walking thing pretty quickly! When she first started, Chloe & Jackson would yell out "Addison's walking Momma" to get my attention because they saw how excited I got when she took her first steps. Here she is in action :)

Happy First Birthday Addison!!

2008-11-25T19:37:00.007-05:00

November 16, 2008

It's hard to believe, but Addison is one year old! This past year has really flown, it seems like only yesterday I was bringing her home from the hospital. Now she is cruising around after Chloe & Jackson and playing with their toys, probably more than they do!! Maybe all kids do this, but it just amazes me how she can entertain herself for an hour or more in the play-room. Chloe & Jackson still haven't mastered this skill which makes it so amazing to me that a one-year can do this!

Here she is playing with a baby doll....
She really didn't care for her birthday tiara.....

Of course Chloe tried it on so we wouldn't forget who the *real* princess is...

We aren't having her "official" birthday party until Thanksgiving when Aunt Kristin, Uncle Justin and cousin London come for a visit :)

Who Will Be Our Next President?

2008-11-05T21:14:00.005-05:00

On Election Day, when asked who the next president was going to be, Jackson said "McKeen", Chloe said "Bomma", and Addison just grinned and kept her political opinion to herself.

Well, it looks like Chloe was right. She had met with the new President a few days earlier....wonder what they discussed?

Happy Halloween!!

2008-11-05T21:13:00.009-05:00

Halloween is finally here! We took a quick trip to the next door neighbor's house and then headed to the outlets for some more trick-or-treating.

The inquisitive ladybug....

The beautiful Princess Belle.....

And the cuddly cute dalmation.....

Chloe insisted on wearing these high heel shoes. She was walking soooooo slow but insisted on keeping them on for about a half hour before I talked her out of them to speed things up and minimize blisters on her feet :)

We ran into a few other ladybugs along the way including this cute one laying in the wagon...

But here was the cutest ladybug of all.....

Here is the dalmation having a meltdown because he wanted two pieces of candy, not one. (the store had left the bowl out with instructions) He refused to budge for quite some time....

Okay, thats enough Halloweening until next year!! Bye-bye Halloween!

SeaWitch Festival & Halloween Trail

2008-11-05T21:12:00.012-05:00

Last week we headed down to the Boardwalk to check out the end of the SeaWitch Festival, an annual Halloween Festival in Rehoboth. It was a beautiful day, we took a nice walk down the boardwalk until they spotted the arcade and then it was pretty much down hill from there. We didn't bring the stroller for our outing and Jackson was having a tough time staying with us. After finally getting them out of the arcade and after many episodes of "jelly man" we loaded everyone back in the van :( Anyway, here are some pics.....

Jackson holding Addison's face to give her a kiss (Kee Kee taught him this kissing technique :)

Jackson thought this huge dog was a cow!! haa
Next we headed to the Halloween Treasure Trail at the park for their first taste of trick-or-treating....

The Wizard of Oz.....

Charlie Brown....

Aladdin....

My Little Ladybug

2008-11-05T20:53:00.003-05:00

After dropping C&J off at school on Halloween, Addison and I had some errands to run. We drove down to the boardwalk area and I strapped her in the baby carrier. It was pretty cold but her lady bug costume kept her toasty warm! (Thanks Ga-ga!) We went to the post office and then headed down to Starbucks for a nice hot Latte to warm up. She was getting drowsy on the walk and by the time I was almost back to the van, she was asleep. So I sat down on a bench and just let her nap all snuggled up to me, and sipped my coffee, on the boardwalk watching the ocean, on a beautiful sunny day. Does it get any better than this? I just stared at my beautiful baby and let myself relax for a whole 40 minutes. This was such a special moment for me because I don't get this peaceful, uninterrupted one on one time with my children much. Normally if I am snuggling up with one, I am on edge waiting for one of the other two needing something, fighting over something, etc. We snuggled there until it was time to go pick up the twins.

Luckily I had my cell phone to snap a picture so I can think back to that time when things get hectic. Of course that 40 minute nap meant she wasn't taking any other naps that day, but it was worth it :)

Preschool Halloween Party

2008-11-05T20:19:00.004-05:00

Chloe & Jackson had their Halloween Party at school last Wednesday. They invited parents to come to the party and help take them trick-or-treating to a couple of local businesses. I just stayed when I dropped them off so I had an hour to observe their usual daily routine. It was soooo neat to watch them in the school setting.....they are much more patient and obedient, thats for sure! It is really neat how the kids know what to do and when to do it. The morning starts out with free play and "art". First they worked on puzzles and then headed over to the art table to decorate their trick or treat bags. Next was "circle time" which they had mentioned, but I didn't know exactly what it was. All the kids and the teacher gather in a circle for the morning routine. There is a tree on the bulletin board and the teacher, Miss Bawbwa (Barbara lol) hands out a bird to a select number of kids one at a time and they put their bird on one of the tree branches that has a "job" for them to do that day. Both Chloe & Jackson got birds that day....Jackson picked Line Leader and Chloe picked Flag Holder (for the Pledge Of Allegiance). The cutest job was weatherman....it is someone's job to walk over, look out the window and report what the weather is like. It was just so neat to watch all these two year olds interact with each other and the teacher. I got tears in my eyes watching Chloe & Jackson, I was just so proud of them! I am so thankful I found this school....they love it so much...and so do I!!

After circle time it was time to PARTY! They got everyone pottied and dressed and headed out to the local bank and real estate office for some trick or treating. Of course Chloe had to potty at the bank.....she seems to have to potty EVERYWHERE we go. I think I am being paid back because I remember my Mom saying that I always had to try out every public restroom ~ lol. Next it was back to the classroom to chow down on all the goodies....and boy did they! It was so sweet when they said a prayer before digging in :)

I forgot my camera so I snapped a few pics with my cell phone....

Here is Jackson in his tiger costume thoroughly enjoying a cupcake. (Yes, I know he desparately needs a haircut lol)

Here is Ballerina Princess Chloe who took off her tiara and put down her magic wand to enjoy (and wear) her cupcake.

Here is Jackson executing his duties as "line leader", although it looks as if Chloe may have taken over the job :)

Time Out!

2008-10-23T14:18:00.003-04:00

We have been using "time outs" pretty consistently for the last few weeks. It is hard for me to be completely consistent at all times because there are three of them and only one of me. The other day Chloe threw food, which is an automatic time out. I was getting Addison set up with her bottle so I couldn't take Chloe to time out right then so I told her she would get her time out when I got Addison situated. In the meantime, Jackson decided to take things into his own hands.....he walked up to Chloe, said "time out Chloe", took her hand, led her to the time out rug and said "timer" (meaning don't get up until the timer goes off). The funniest thing about it was that she went along with it!! I was cracking up...to myself of course! haaa Chloe has also put Jackson in time out and he listened too!

Yesterday Chloe & Jackson were building with the legos and Addison comes barging in as she always wants to be part of what they are doing.

In addition to the "No Addison" heard a million times a day, Jackson now gives her a suggestion like "play piano Addison, or play little people Addison". She usually doesn't take the suggestion but at least he gives it a try! Well yesterday he got irritated at her for not taking his suggestion and said "time out Addison!!". Here he is taking her to time out lol.

Kaspers Kastle

2008-10-21T14:06:00.021-04:00

Last Sunday we met up with Aunt Kristin, London, Aunt Terry, Aunt Becky, Alex, & Killian for our annual visit to Kaspers Kastle, a farm across from Shane's parents' house.

The trip started out with a hayride from the parking lot to the farm area where the kids could pet and feed the animals. My memories of last year had me scared because Jackson hated the ride and screamed the entire time. He ran away from it again this year but after I got him on it and Aunt Kristin kept telling him about the funny dog (there is a dog with a clown hat that sits on top of a donkey) he was fine and we didn't have a problem getting him on it for the rest of the trip. Thank you funny dog!!!

The first stop was feeding the animals...you could buy little cups of corn for 50 cents.

Jackson contemplating which animal he will feed...

Chloe examining the goods....These were the cutest cows!!

Addison getting in on the action....and giving me a heart attack!!
Jackson of course has to try the food out for himself.

We were ready to head to the next stop after poor Alex got her finger bit :(

Here is Alex's sweet new baby brother Killian....10 days old at his first pumpkin patch. Becky looks great and you certainly could never tell she just had a baby 10 days ago!! (Yes, I admit it, I am jealous! ha)

Kristin & London

The next stop was Kaspers Kastle. Outside they had cartoon characters... a lot of them!Jackson hugging Blues Clues (Pronounced Boos Coos by Jackson lol)Chloe giving Blues a high five.

Chloe with her idol...Dora the Explorer.

Next stop....face painting.

Addison always seems to be craning her neck trying to see whats going on!!
Final Stop: Pumpkin Patch (aka Punkin Patch)

Lining them up to take home.

Back on the hay ride and its home for nice long naps...ahhhhh.

Rub a Dub Dub....Three Kids In The Tub

2008-10-21T14:04:00.003-04:00

I rarely get a picture of all three kids together...still working on getting one with clothes on!

Here they are at Grandma's getting squeaky clean. Much to Addison's displeasure, I rarely have all three of them in the tub together for any length of time because it's just so hard to watch them all and C & J are way too rough. The other night Shane had C&J in the tub and I was carrying Addison when I walked in to get something and when I turned to walk out she had a fit!!

So here she is thinking she's really cool!

Playdate with Ian & Alli

2008-10-21T13:54:00.005-04:00

Ian, Alli, and Cindy came over for a playdate last week to break in our new playset. Thank you Cindy for the yummy Halloween cupcakes!

The kids are finally at the age where they are playing together, not just along side each other. It is really neat to watch.

Both Ian & Jackson disliked swings until today!

Jackson even let Ian push him....

For a little bit anyway! ha
Alli is walking now!
And rock wall climbing!
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....

I knew Addison was a shorty but this picture of her and Alli really emphasizes that lol!

Happy 3rd Birthday Caden!!

2008-10-11T14:16:00.009-04:00

Happy 3rd Birthday to Cousin Caden! This picture was taken when he visited this summer since I failed to get a picture of the birthday boy at his party :( The battery ran out on my camera even though I charged it the day before so the only pictures I have are ones I took with my cell phone.....which I soon found out doesn't have room to store many pictures. Anyway, enough of my technical difficulties and on to the party!

Chloe & Jackson had a very fun (aka busy) time at the party. I think their favorite part was painting pumpkins, as you can see, they were VERY into it!

Eating cake was also a favorite :) Look at that blue frosting! mmmmm

All the kids loved this car....

Aunt Karen helping Chloe reach the Pinata.
Chloe was so enthralled with her bag of candy she picked up from the Pinata, I think should could have sat there for hours eating piece after piece. Like mother like daughter lol. Toys all over the yard, a moon bounce, a haunted house, slides, cars.....leave it to my kids to spy the open door to the basement and want to check that out.

Cruisin' Around

2008-10-11T13:23:00.008-04:00

It's hard to believe Addison will be a year old in a little over a month! She has been "cruising" around holding on to furniture for a couple of weeks now and has even taken a couple of steps :) Jackson walked when he was 10 months old and Chloe not until she was 14 months old so I am curious if Addison will walk by her first birthday. At the rate she is going, my guess is yes. She wants soooooooo much to do all the things Chloe & Jackson do! Even before she could cruise she did her best to play with the same things they played with.

Here she is playing the guitar like Jackson....

Playing with Chloe's Dora....obviously Chloe is no where around! haaa

No toy is too big...especially when you can use your feet as a second pair of hands!

Having a tea party for one :)

This Little Tikes basketball/football/baseball toy is probably her favorite toy. She has played with it since she could roll and loves dancing to the music when she gets the ball through the hoop :)

Now she thinks she is soooo cool standing and walking, it is tough to get her to sit down!

Playing with the Little People House....

Cookin' up some lunch in the kitchen....

Trying to cheer Chloe up when she woke up on the wrong side of the bed (crib)...

BEEBE FUNFEST Sat Sept 27th

2008-09-28T19:24:00.011-04:00

Off, off and away!! Saturday we went to the Beebe Funfest (sponsored by the local hospital) at a horse farm right next to our development. Even though it is right next door, this was our first time visiting the farm....it was absolutely gorgeous. The whole event was very kid friendly and Chloe & Jackson had a blast. It was supposed to rain, but the rain held off until 3pm, the exact time the event was supposed to end! It was soooooooooooooo hot and humid as you can tell by looking at Chloe & Jackson's hair....lol. (Yes, I know Jackson needs a haircut, if anyone wants to volunteer to take him just let me know!)

Amazingly, they had a Blues Clues stuffed animal exactly like the one we have and we snatched it right up because Chloe & Jackson have been fighting over who gets to sleep with Blues each night.

All the kids loved petting this dog who seemed to be getting a little annoyed. Chloe just loved him. No Shane, that doesn't mean we can get a dog!! ha

Happy Girl :)

Chloe got her face painted like a fairy princess. Jackson ALMOST got his done as a pirate but backed out lol.

He did however enjoy a cupcake with bright orange frosting that covered him, his clothes, and the table by the time he was done.

They LOVED this playset. It was great until the crowds moved in, then it was REALLY tough trying to keep track of them both. There had to be a hundred kids on that thing. Another guy who was watching his twins lost one at some point and freaked out. There were a couple of times I thought I lost track of one and that is a SCARY feeling.

Here is Shane carrying back Jackson from the sliding board he was too short to go down. As you can see he is not very happy about it.

Chloe loved the horses. One of them was dressed up like a princess...that was her favorite.

Time to go. Everyone was exhausted, especially me! That humidity is a killer. Chloe was pooped, had to be pushed back in Addison's car seat. :)

Fall at the Beach

2008-09-25T16:06:00.003-04:00

Happy Fall....our favorite time of year!! We can go to the beach and enjoy it without worrying about the kids getting scorched by the sun or "borrowing" other peoples toys and snacks.

Little People Reported Missing

2008-09-18T19:41:00.007-04:00

Two Little People were reported missing at approximately 6:30 am on Wednesday, September 17th. It was later determined that they were thrown in the toilet, then flushed down the toilet by Two Big People, Chloe & Jackson. After a visit from the local plumber and $$$ later, the missing little people were freed and returned to their elated family.

Alli's First Birthday Party

2008-09-18T19:41:00.003-04:00

Saturday we all ventured to Addison's friend Alli's birthday party (she was born 2 months before Addison). Chloe had a hard time giving up the present for Alli but after 40 minutes she finally added it to the present pile. They LOVED singing happy birthday and have been singing it to themselves and everyone around all week. Overall, everyone had a good time and hopefully we didn't add too much chaos to the party!

LOCKED OUT

2008-09-10T22:21:00.000-04:00

Yeah, they look so innocent don't they?

Our day started out very early and very hectic. Chloe was up at 6 am on the dot and was not falling for my "sun is still sleeping, we can't get up until the sun does" speel. Everyone was up by 6:30 ordering milk, "wa-wa's (waffles) and bananas. Jackson opened up the fridge and pulled out fishsticks but I managed to talk him out of them. Wednesdays are school days so I spend the morning chasing after them trying to get them fed, dressed and pottied before our scheduled 8:30 departure time.

At 8 am the doorbell rings and it is the painter who is here to do touchups inside and out. I step out to show him the window on the porch. Less than a minute later I head back in and guess what?? The storm door is LOCKED. I am outside, and my three kids are inside looking at me and the painter (who doesn't speak English by the way) through the glass. I immediately think THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING!!!! I remain calm, if they locked the door than they can certainly unlock it, right???? I quickly discover Chloe is the one who locked it, so I try to direct her to unlock it. It's a no go, apparently she can only turn it one way. Now I start to get a little panicky. Jackson is no longer standing at the door and I cannot see him. So I run around the back and look in through the playroom and still can't see him. So I look through the garage door and there he is...leave it to him to take advantage of his new found freedom (he knows he is not supposed to be in there). I try to get him to unlock that door, no luck. Now I am freaking out. I am outside and two 2 year olds and an infant are inside by themselves. I run next door to use the neighbor's phone....he is not home. I peek in on them again and then try the other neighbor. She gets me her phone and looks up Shane's work number (Can you believe I don't even know this!!) and I get a hold of him at work and tell him to get home ASAP! The ten minutes it takes for him to get home seem like ten hours. The painter and my neighbor are trying every trick in the book to pick the lock. I am running from window to window trying to see what my kids are doing. Addison starts crying (she was in her walker thank goodness). They all disappear from the front door. I run around back and peek in and Jackson and Chloe climbed up on the kitchen counter and are having a field day pulling everything out of their snack cabinet. All I can envision at this point is them getting into a wrestling match over a bag of fruit snacks and one of them falling off the counter and breaking their head open. I hightail it back around front to tell the painter to break the door, the window, whatever, I had to get in there. Luckily Shane pulls up right then.

I wish I could have gotten a picture, or better yet a movie of these two houdlems ransacking that snack cabinet! I can laugh now but was scared sh**less at the time. Sometimes I just feel like I live in the twilight zone!

Needless to say, I will be having some extra keys made and keeping them with neighbors, etc. Lesson learned....the HARD way!

Addison's 9 Month Well Visit

2008-09-10T20:22:00.011-04:00

Addison had her 9 month well visit yesterday. Barb came over to watch the twins while I took her. Right when it was time to leave a storm pops up out of the blue...the kind with the sideways rain that you get soaked no matter what. I rushed to get us out the door knowing this would slow us down and Barb helped out by making Addison's bottle. On the way there I realize I forgot her paci, toys, cheerios and anything of the sort to keep her entertained. This worries me because last time we waited quite some time before seeing the pediatrician. We make it there on time and I rush her in through the monsoon, thunder & lightening. I look down and my heart drops when I see that the nipple is inside the bottle and she is soaked...not from the rain...but from the 8 ounces of formula she is wearing. Barb forgot to put a piece of the bottle in so the whole thing just basically poured out on her. Uggg. And if I didn't remember a paci, do you think I brought an extra outfit? Heck no! Last time I forgot a diaper and she pooped and I had to borrow one from the Dr....wow they must think I'm a great parent, huh??

Well the good news is she is doing great, she is now 16 pounds 9 ounces. She is much smaller at this age than Chloe was (and Jackson too of course). She runs in the 10-25 percentiles while they were in the 75-90%. She now has EIGHT teeth! Four on the top and four on the bottom. And she loves to chomp down on a finger and those tiny little teeth hurtttttttttt!

She wants to walk soooo bad! She has been flying around the house in the walker for months, but now she want to walk on her own. She gets very frustrated if you try to sit her down and she is at the point where she could be standing up at her play table and all of a sudden fall backwards so you have to be behind her all the time.

Here is a little movie of her racing around in her walker....all toes are fair game!! She is much faster when she isn't laughing at the camerawoman lol. She can get just about anywhere in that thing.....it is hilarious when she runs around the house after Chloe & Jackson....she wants to be big so bad!

Visit From Aunt Becky, Cousin Kaitlyn, Grandma & Grandpa

2008-09-07T19:39:00.004-04:00

Like I said in my first post, I am a newbie blogger and tonight has been very frustrating! I have been trying for over two hours to get a slideshow to work and just can't get it...Grrrrr!! So I am including a few pics here in the post and if you want to see lots more pics you can click on this link to see a slideshow http://www.slide.com/r/iG4cdNfc6D8c7m4C3faQmY1IIzumKdWF?previous_view=lt_embedded_url

This is the best I can do at this point so bare with me!

We had a busy week with lots of visitors... Aunt Becky (my sister) and her daughter Kaitlyn came up from North Carolina along with my parents. My sister and I don't get to see each other very much and the kids get together even less so we were all looking forward to the visit. It was interesting to see the kids interact....all in all I think they had a good time. Kaitlyn is used to a nice quiet house (and she WAS nice and quiet until she spent some time with the twins lol) so I was afraid our loud & crazy house would be overwhelming to her but Becky said she actually enjoyed it and couldn't wait to get downstairs in the morning. I think Jackson and Kaitlyn hit it off the best, they always seemed to be cracking each other up. Chloe was pretty possessive over her territory AND Grandma. The words "Nooooo Kaitlyn" came out of her mouth more times than I can count. I think Addison was actually grateful because it is usually "Noooooooooo Addison"!

First Day of Preschool!

2008-09-03T13:01:00.007-04:00

Today was the first day of preschool for the twins. They will be going MWF 9-12. I am hoping this will add some structure to our normally chaotic days. It is tough for me to do fun things like painting or crafts with the twins when I also have to keep an eye on Addison and the minute I turn my head the coloring/painting is everywhere BUT the paper!

The morning started out with all hell breaking loose (whats new??). Chloe was nonstop crying, nobody wanted to get dressed, Addison wanted ME, and Jackson was being Jackson. Luckily my sister is here so I didn't have to worry about carting Addison along.

Once I got them in the car everything simmered down. I left an hour early and just drove around a little just to get everyone calmed down. We were all happily walking to the classroom, opened the door and Jackson STOPPED. He wanted to go no further. I picked him up and he became cling on man. Luckily this only lasted for a couple of minutes and then he was fine. I left, took care of some business and snuck back to peek on them and they were playing happily. I figured Chloe would be fine but expected the worst with Jackson so I was pleasantly surprised :)

Five minutes after I left I realized I forgot to tell the teacher they were newly potty trained so I called and she said she kind of figured since there was extra underwear but no diapers. She said they were doing great. She said she introduced Jackson to another Jackson and he just looked flabbergasted that someone else had his name!

When I came to pick them up they were playing and yelled "mommy" and ran to me and gave me a hug. Miss Barbara (the teacher) was holding a little boy who was just crying and crying so I couldn't talk with her too much, but she said they did great. My heart sunk when Jackson had on one of his spare shirts but she said he just had an "aiming" problem while in the restroom.

Here are some pics! Okay, I haven't quite got the picture thing down yet so you saw them first!

Potty Training: Day 7

2008-09-01T22:46:00.002-04:00

Okay, I said I wasn't going to write about potty training anymore, but who am I kidding, this is my life!!!

Shane was off Sunday so he got up with the kids so I could get a little more sleep after my exhausting potty training week. All started out well. Chloe said she had to poo poo on the potty and he took her. She sits on the potty and it sounds like an explosion. Yep, diarhea. She asks him for "privacy" which she usually does when pooping. I usually stand outside the door and keep it cracked so I can see whats going on in there. Well Shane got distracted by Jackson for a minute and next thing you know Chloe is yelling because she got down and there was poop EVERYWHERE. On/in her nightgown, all over the potty and floor. Shane yells "Rachel" and then Jackson proceeds to help out by also yelling "Rachel". I run down, clean up what I can and throw her in the tub. I notice there is toilet paper floating around that didn't flush. You guessed it....to top things off the toilet is clogged up and starts to overflow. Ugggggggggggggggg. So much for some extra sleep!!

Potty Training Day 5

2008-08-29T09:19:00.002-04:00

Hallelujah!!! Jackson FINALLY pooped after holding it for over two days. I can't count the millions of "false alarms" we had running to "poo poo on the potty" these last two days. I was really getting worried that he couldn't get that poop out (he certainly never had any problems when wearing diapers). Well this morning, after coaching him to push it out like he was a woman in labor he finally got that poop out. I never thought I could be so happy to see a piece of poop.

They both have done really great and even stayed dry the entire night!!!!! It certainly hasn't been easy, but not as bad as I anticipated. This is day five with no diapers....hopefully the twins have seen the last of them!

Okay, hopefully I can start talking about something other than poop now :)

Potty Training Boot Camp: Days 2 & 3

2008-08-27T20:46:00.003-04:00

We have reached the end of potty training boot camp and I am completely exhausted. They each had half an accident yesterday (made it to the potty for half) and wet the bed during the night. Today Chloe had a poop accident and Jackson has held his poop all day which makes me VERY nervous as this could turn out to be quite a mess! I think I will wake him up before I go to bed and see if I can get him to go. This is a kid who poops every morning between 8 & 9 like clock work. The problem with C & J is that they only want to go potty when THEY want to go potty.....this is VERY frustrating since I would like them to go before naps, bedtime, leaving the house, etc.

All in all, I feel like the boot camp has been successful but am now wondering how to mix these "partially" potty trained two year olds into normal daily life as we haven't left the house for three days and they haven't worn pants for three days! We have to go out tomorrow and I am really nervous about putting them in their carseats.

Potty Training Boot Camp- Day 1

2008-08-25T20:54:00.005-04:00

Today was the first day of our 3 day potty training boot camp. It actually went a lot better than I anticipated. They each had one pee accident in the morning and remained accident free the rest of the day... including naps! (we are trying 100% diaper free even for naps & bed...at least for the 3 day boot camp) Jackson held his a lot of the day... peed a few times and pooped once. Chloe peed a lot but never pooped. I am trying my best not to get into "battles" with them and let them tell me when they need to go and not keep nagging them. This is most frustrating when I want them to go before naps/bed. We aren't going anywhere the next two days so hopefully we'll continue to make progress.

They are tucked away in bed for the night....Chloe in her Dora panties and Jackson in his Wiggles underwear. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a "dry" night! I am skeptical but I am trying to follow the "Potty Training in Three Days" book exactly. I have committed to 3 days and then we will go from there!

Newbie Blogger

2008-08-23T10:11:00.001-04:00

Okay, here goes my attempt at a blog! I have been wanting to do this for a while but haven't taken the time to sit down and figure it all out. So I decided to just jump in and learn as I go because if I wait for that block of time the kids will be in college before I get it up and running! Thanks to my friend Jill for starting hers and giving me the motivation to give it a try!