While You're Two and a Half

While you’re 2 ½, I’ll hold your chubby, sticky hands. I’ll play with your damp, wavy hair while you sleep. I’ll watch you in wonder that you’re no longer a baby, but sometimes still so small.

While you’re 2 ½, I’ll read you the book 5 times in a row…I’ll always read it again. While you’re 2 ½  I’ll savor your sweet voice asking me “Mommy will you play with me?” I’ll cherish hearing your slowly fading-chubby cheeks asking, “Watch this, Mommy”

While you’re 2 ½, I’ll stand at your bedroom door, watching my baby boy become a big boy. I’ll stand in awe of the boy you’re becoming, but I’ll cling tightly to the memory of your newness in my arms.

I’ll cherish your “wisdom” about everything; I’ll even cherish your outlandish demands for sandwiches to be cut into squares, not triangles. I’ll soak up the joy in your eyes when you whisper about doughnuts.

I’ll wrap you in my arms every chance I get because I know you soon won’t want to be snuggled as much. I’ll kiss your stinky, still-chubby feet even if they’ve been running outside barefoot, because I know soon they won’t be so sweet.

While you’re 2 ½, I’ll take picture after picture of your ever-changing sweet face even if you tell me, “no”. I’ll lose myself in that ornery sparkle in your eyes as you tackle me or try to get out of trouble, because I know one day another woman will love that sparkle, too.

I’ll hold you close, spoil you, and indulge all your imaginings – I’ll let you wear your Halloween costume all day and all night if you want. All the while, watching you sleep on the monitor, wondering how my life ever felt complete before a little boy stole my heart.

While you’re 2 ½, I’ll secretly love having you sleep in our bed and snuggling as close to me as you can get, wrapping your arms around my neck, and waking me with your full-face smile, even if that smile is because you’re pretending to walk a spider on my head. I’ll cherish those hands that “cover my eyes” when I use hairspray, that pat my back when I’m holding you, that stroke my hair during nap time, and feed me some of your snacks.

I’ll cherish that little chair constantly pulled up to the kitchen counter to “watch” while I cook. I’ll indulge in dancing with you, running circles with you, and being told, “like this” when I dance the wrong way.

I’ll melt when I hear you pray, saying, “Thank you, God, for Mommy” and see you touch your nose to say, “I love you.”

While you’re 2 ½, I’ll cherish being this loved. I’ll savor your sweet, ornery, innocent, joyful love. Because I know, one day, you’ll have other people to love. But, for now, I’ll soak up this season of sticky fingers and chubby cheeks, joyful laughter and ornery eyes, and I’ll hold you as long as I can: while you’re 2 ½.

Ninja Turtles Potty-Trained My Guy

Ninja Turtles Potty-Trained My Guy.

For real. Without the special ninja turtle cup, he wouldn't have drank enough tea to go to the potty every 10-15-25-30 minutes. "Tea turns into pee-pee, not water or juice." - wisdom from a 2 year old

the ninja turtle cup. he was allowed to watch as much TV as he wanted as long as he drank while watching....is that completely terrible?!?

One Sunday evening, I decided to try potty training. We had tried before with little success with #1, he'd only poo in the potty. Then, he broke his leg and the Hulk Leg (here) hindered potty training.
Then, he was doing well with #2, still not #1, when he announced, "sorry guys. I pee pee in my pants. sorry." Meaning, he wasn't going to use the potty, so we should give up (life with a strong-willed child, can I get an "amen"?!)

THEN, we were making progress again, then his brother was born (here). He then decided that ALL of the diapers and wipes in the house belonged to him. This made for interesting newborn diaper changes when we had to chase him to get the necessary supplies.

(can you just laugh or cry with me already?! ha!)

So, on that random Sunday evening, I thought, "We'll try now. It'll only be for a few hours, if he's frustrated and quits, it'll be bedtime anyway, so it's worth a shot!" He'd been giving me signs like, telling me he was peeing...(is that a clear enough sign??).

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This is what I did:

1.) Cheerios / I dropped a few Cheerios in the toilet and asked if he wanted to shoot them with pee pee.
He thought this was AMAZING, and asked for more Cheerios (to increase his odds of shooting one. ha!)

2.) Cup / I chose a cup I knew he thought was amazing (it was still new to him), a Ninja Turtle water bottle. I filled it with his choice of drink (tea) and gave it to him. I gave him pretzels, too, in an effort to get him to drink more.

3.) Clock / I set a timer for 10 minutes. He loved the timer! He still does - whenever he hears it, he runs to the potty. In these times, my husband and I refer to him as "Pavlov"...except our guy pees when he hears the bell. ;) (he'll love me for this post when he's older, I'm sure of it).

4.) Once he was dry after every 10 minute session (or irritated from being interrupted every 10 minutes), we bumped up the increments to 15 minutes. Then, we moved to 25 minutes. If he was wet before one of the increments, we would shorten the increments again.

5.) A few days later, the wonder of the Cheerios had faded (he was eating them from the cup on the bathroom counter while sitting on the potty..ha!) I let him go on his own. He had a couple accidents, but I blame the water he was playing with. Every so often, we'll remind him to go, but for the most part, he can go an hour or so between trips to the potty. He wakes up in the mornings dry, but we're not risking it with undies for awhile.

Now, he loves undies! We just remind him to go every so often, but we have mostly dry days (except when he's playing in water....I can't blame him too much for that!)

so grown up!

Here are my steps and supplies to potty-train in this way

1.) Let him choose a cup he will want to drink from him. Let him choose a beverage. If it's full of sugar, just grin and bear it - it's only for a few days... the end justifies the means in this situation!

2.) Be prepared to spend a few days in the bathroom all day long...I was juggling an infant at the same time...so, my guy ran around "nakey" for a bit because I couldn't feed my little guy and run back and forth to the potty with my oldest (you do what you have to do sometimes!)

3.) Use Cheerios in the potty for him to learn where to aim.

4.) Set a timer (I used my phone). Start with 5 or 10 minutes, whatever makes you the most comfortable - you know your boy. After he's dry between increments, increase the time. Keep him full of snacks and liquids. If he eats tons of crackers or snacks so that he will drink a lot, don't cringe too much - it's necessary!!

5.) Call anyone important to him for praise after the first few times of being dry and using the potty (my family members received many calls at work. ha!)

6.) When enthusiasm begins to lag, praise him with a small incentive (we used a piece of candy, bc candy is a rare treat around here).

7.) When he's consistently dry between longer increments, let him go for awhile by himself and see if he goes to the potty on his own (if he doesn't, clothes can always be washed!). If he's getting frustrated with stopping his playtime to potty, ease up a bit - my guy refused to go if he became frustrated, so I chilled out and watched to see what he would do. Sure enough, he said, "Mommy, I feel sparkly" and we RAN to the potty. (Sparkly was his own definition. I couldn't love it any more!)

8.) Reward his potty training success with a trip to buy a special toy or new undies. We have a friend who had a cake made for her little girl. Whatever your guy would like, go for it. You've both earned a celebration for your many many many trips to the potty. :)

What We're Reading Wednesdays...Big Brother Edition

An only child recently became a big brother.

a sweet moment thanks to bribery

He had no idea what was about to rock his little world, so we tried to prepare him. While I was pregnant, Samuel would constantly search in the couch cushions for "Baby Hudson." He drew pictures of him that included, "knees and a tail." Then we knew we needed some serious preparation that the baby would be, in fact human. :)

He was curious about him, but not too crazy about the idea of him once we began assembling Hudson's room.

So, I purchased a few books to try and prep our little guy for the transition. We found a few that we LOVED.

I'm a Big Brother by Joanna Cole

 This is a big book. Our guy loves to carry it around and talk about his "big muscles." He still loves to read this book. The pictures are simple and bright. It has a good rhythm to it when read aloud. The ideas and words are simple enough that he can "read" it to himself just by looking at the pictures (he's memorized some pages).

It's a cute book. It approaches the subject by letting the big brother know that the baby needs his mommy and daddy's time, but explains that the baby is too small to do anything on his own.
Samuel likes the idea of being a big brother when reading this book (that feeling just fades afterwards...ha!). The book does a good job of bringing excitement to the new title of "big brother."

Za Za's Baby Brother by Lucy Cousins

picture from Amazon.com, here

This book is still a favorite in our house. The book is bright, small enough to carry in small hands, and simple enough to memorize. It focuses on Za Za's mommy and daddy not having as much time for him/her as before (I'm not entirely certain if Za Za is a boy or girl, okay? lol).

When researching books, I noticed a few negative reviews for this book because of this subject. But, it's a tough reality to approach. Cousins does it in a friendly manner. The book can be read in an upbeat, fun way so that the "Daddy is always busy....Mommy is always busy....I played by myself" lines do not seem awful. In the end, Za Za gets alone time with Mom and Dad after the baby is put to bed.

I think it's a great little book - our guy still likes it, and even asked me to read it to him yesterday!

It also taught him that flowers for Mommy while in the hospital were a MUST! :)

Brothers Are for Making Mud Pies by Harriet Ziefert

picture from Amazon.com, here

Adorable little book! This quickly became a favorite during my pregnancy. This book helped Samuel learn that a brother would eventually be fun. It was eye opening for him! ;) (especially after Za Za taught him that we wouldn't have all day to spend with him! lol)

It's a lift-the-flap book, so it's fun to read. The pictures are cute. It's appropriate for a big brother or big sister as there are pictures of both with a baby brother. It's one of my favorites. I noticed that the author also wrote Sister are for Making Sand Castles. How cute! Hopefully one day, I can purchase that one! :)

Late Summer Wreath ..... Mommy Monday Edition

August/September.

Too early for jack-o-lanterns and "thankful" decor.

Too late for flip flops and tropical decor.

When school starts, I'm ready for fall decor, fall scents, and fall food. Even if it's 90+ degrees outside, my house smells of Cider Web (a yankee candle favorite) or Cider Mill (a new Scentsy favorite), and I'll make chili on a football Saturday.

I just don't think my orange and green "fall" wreath is appropriate when my summer flowers are still in bloom not completely dead from my neglect.

So, I made this little chick for my front door from an old wreath I found stuffed away in my attic.

It complements my red and yellow mums and ushers in Fall without screaming "Thanksgiving!!!" much too early in the year.

With a wooden letter, paint, and burlap ribbon (I am in LOVE with that ribbon) from Hobby Lobby, I think this wreath was less than $20.

Happy Pumpkin-Everything Season!! :)

The Schedule for My Sanity

I'm linking up to a link party with Liz at All Kinds of Things! Check out all of the great organization tips from her and fellow bloggers on her blog!

The Schedule for My Sanity


I am not a mother who spends 24/7 playing with her children.

I cannot raise my children in a dirty home.

There. I said it.

I used to think I needed to play with my children every time they asked, "Will you play with me?" (okay...most of the time, I do. I can't resist the sweet voice and slowly fading-chubby cheeks of my almost 3 year old).

But, I realized. I can't. I MUST have a clean home. If my home is cluttered and unkempt, I feel like a lazy mom and wife.

So, I decided to schedule a chore for each day. If not just to help myself keep track of what has actually been accomplished that week, but to teach my boys that work must be finished before play. I find myself saying this to my oldest quite frequently, "Mommies sometimes need to work before playing."

Here it is. It took me forever to make on Photoshop - I only know enough to do something like this - ha! But, I made it. and it makes my chores seem more attractive.

Monday is always a "make up day" in this house. Sundays are SO tough - there are usually no naps on Sundays and we seem to go-go-go from church, to family gatherings, until my boys are so whiny and sleepy, that bedtime comes at 6:30 (which is why we are hardly EVER at Sunday night services...). Then, the hubs and I settle in for a romantic evening of homework and speaking to one another in broken sentences over our laptops....

So, Monday is a day for laundry and bathrooms. Two of the most convenient chores to where my boys play. I used to find myself doing laundry EVERYDAY. But, I settled on Monday, so I do it on Mondays, no other day (with the exception of stinky baby clothes). The bathrooms do not take very long now that I have a schedule for cleaning. I also keep a can of disinfecting wipes in every bathroom, so it's simple to wipe down the sink and the potty each day (or every 20 minutes because a little boy insists on putting his hands ALL over the potty seat)

Tuesday is for bedrooms. Also for putting away the laundry. I had to schedule a day to do this because I'm terrible about putting away clothes once they are clean. We tended to live out of laundry baskets or say, "I've lost this skirt! I have no idea where it is!" when it was buried at the bottom of the 3rd laundry basket in our bedroom....(talk about a romance killer...laundry staring us in the face...ugh). I declutter the boys' bedrooms a little each evening before bed, but the thorough cleaning and sorting of clothes (switching out sizes/seasons) happens on Tuesdays. This gives us time to play upstairs near the bedrooms and provides a change of pace from our usual playspace downstairs.

Wednesdays are for errands, shopping, or visiting. My dear mother has agreed to watch my boys one day a week so I can devote one day to graduate school work and grocery shopping sans a toddler and an infant (I'm not skilled at the two grocery cart system...). This is usually on Wednesdays. Before school started, this day was used as the day we go out and spend a day shopping or visiting. Is this always on Wednesdays? No. Some weeks the free day falls on another day, so I just switch the chores.
I know my routine, and I know I NEEDED a day to go out. So, I scheduled one.

Thursday is for the kitchen and family room. We live in a small townhome, so we don't have too many rooms to clean. The kitchen, family room, and dining room are all connected on the bottom floor, so the dining room is included in this day as well. This is the most difficult day because this is the area where the boys play. But, usually by Thursday, my oldest is tired, so he will "rest" on the couch while I clean. (more on this wonderful development of "rests" later)
I like cleaning these rooms on Thursdays because they are still clean over the weekend when we are more likely to have people stop by.

Friday is for floors. Do I vacuum other days of the week? Yes, if necessary. But Fridays are my intense floor cleaning day. Some weeks I'll scrub them on the day my mom watches my boys, but for the most part, I stick to the schedule. My baby goes to sleep while I vacuum and my toddler follows me around asking to help or "helping" with his vacuum or some object he's turned into a vacuum with his imagination. :)

Notice that the weekends are free. I don't do housework on weekends. If we have visitors drop by, I will straighten up. But most weeks, weekends mean family. We relax, watch TV and play in our PJs too late into the day. We take our boys out for something fun. And Sundays...well, we're too rushed (always) getting ready for church and juggling the rest of the day to even think about cleaning! :)

Once every 2 weeks, I tackle a big project: painting a door, cleaning out a closet, switching seasonal clothing, switching out the rotation of toys...etc. You get the idea. By putting this on the schedule, I give myself a chance to ACTUALLY get something done rather than telling myself, "I need to remember to do this."

If we have out of town visitors, a thorough scrub down of the house doesn't take as long if I've kept up this schedule. It also helps keep our family on a schedule. And if I've learned anything from having a toddler and an infant, a schedule is a MUST!

Happy Almost-Fall!

"My Toddler, My Maid" Guest Post

A couple months ago, my friend Liz at "All Kinds of Things" asked me to guest post for her.

I was happy to share my wealth of parenting wisdom ideas with her readers.

Check it out, here (or the link below)!
Also, while you're there, read some of her ideas - you'll love her! :)


My Toddler, My Maid


Happy Almost-Wednesday!