Our dear friend, “Aunt Katherine”, has the sweetest baby girl, Avery. And little Avery was the inspiration for much crafting around here these last few weeks. On my Mom’s surgery day, I got the kids started making some felt blocks. Tyler was especially excited to be making a toy for someone!

Over the weeks we found windows for them to add a square. While Grandma was here, she added to the exitement by suggesting we make some designs on the felt! Quinn wanted a sun and a butterfly which I cut out and Grandma embroidered. Tyler wanted a moon and cut out his own moon and then wanted an apple and a worm which I sewed in for him.

They kids stuffed the blocks and I sewed up the remaining sides. I think they camme out great! I am really proud of their stitching…not easy for little hands. Tyler did a great job with the blanket stitch and Quinn rocked her wrap stitch! The kids were very proud and were especially excited to present their creations to Baby Avery!

I hope this is the beginning of our crafting for others journey – it was a lot of fun and I would love to find more projects we can do together!

But the crafting didn’t stop there! Tyler brought home a pumpkin he made at school a while back and decided he wanted to gift that to Avery as well. And then a week ago the kids were drawing and painting up a storm for Avery. Quinn was into the watercolors and Tyler was drawing many pictures for her.

A Bee, Beehive, a Frog and the blue is the “water ocean” for the frog.	Ladybug and designs
She cut around the edges – I think it looks cool!	Watercolor and glitter glue
Tyler’s pumpkin made at school	We think she like out creations!

Play in the water of course! My favorite is the last pic where I lounged in the kiddie pool while they played in the neighbor’s yard.

Quinn getting Mommy with the hose!

Paint the fence with aforementioned hose!

Shoot each other with water!

Cool off in the kiddie pool!

Should I document that we are now in potty training mode with Quinn?  A mix of accidents and heading to the potty.  Somehow I am way calmer this go around.  You always gotta feel bad for the first kid- they are the experiment.  I know I feel like we completely botched his potty training.  Not necessarily that we started too late, but more that I had a hard time with accidents and would get upset.  Um, everyone agrees, that is a very bad move.  Anyway, we will see how it goes with Quinn. She is so excited to be in undies that today when Grandma arrived, she took her right over to her closet to see her the drawer where they were kept.  We will see…..

It must be in the air and Elizabeth T. and Elizabeth H.’s sons recently made their leaps. Tyler has now been in underwear a week and for the most part, things are going pretty well. And I have no idea how it happened.

I have been fretting about his pottying or lack there of for the last few months. See, he has pooped in the potty for like a year and a half now. He just never made the leap to peeing as well. And what bothered me is that he never had that “oh crap, I need to pee” moment when we put him in underwear before. I have tried underwear two times in the last few months and usually had him in diapers before the day was over.

For some reason, potty training is a trigger thing for me, so I would rather have him in diapers than get mad about it. The other big reason is that when I gently suggested he go potty, he refused. Then he would have an accident like 20 minutes later…seven times a day (my son pees like a racehorse).
Last Saturday, I just felt zen about the whole thing, I don’t know why. And he also felt ready, I guess because when I suggested he go potty, he obliged. And that is what has made this round of attempts stick – I think he is truly ready, he will go if I ask him to and I am freaking out less about the accidents.

And just yesterday, he was in the office with me, looked up at me and said, “I have to go pee pee!” The moment I was waiting for! Horray!

This kid has an active mind and body and I know there will be more accidents. When he is hyper or really engaged in something, he doesn’t pick up on his body’s signals. Nevertheless, I am thrilled about this step forward.

It is weird how it is already like he has been peeing in the potty for a long time. It is already automatic that we go to the bathroom before we leave the house, when we get up etc. It is like that when your baby walks. My kids took forever to figure it out and two weeks after they started walking, it felt like they had always been walking.

So I guess out potty learning journey is slowing coming to a close. One last hurdle – nighttime. I am not pushing that though – we are going to work on mastering one thing at a time.

Quinn has started using the potty occasionally, so maybe before long, she will get there too. That would be nice!

I posted about our commencing another potty learning attempt a while back.  I never updated the blog on what happened.  A day and a half later we were back in diapers.  It was instantly crystal clear to me that he was not ready.  Two things didn’t sit well with me:

1.)  Tyler never had that “oh crap” / panic moment when he was about to pee.  I think that is crucial and very indicative of potty readiness.  If he doesn’t recognize that need to pee / sensation of him about to pee, than there is nothing I can do.  I have seen so many friends of his potty learn and it is obvious when they have to pee – they do the dance, get ancy, and give many other indications.  Tyler would stop and pause, but he did then when he was peeing not before.  He DOES get that panic moment when he has to poo, so I know what that moment looks like for him.

2.)  My son is a smart, gregarious three year-old and to spend even a day and a half letting him pee himself seems to disrespectful to him.  I realized that I preferred to trust that when everything clicked, he would let me know.  All I was doing was getting in the way.  Going to the bathroom is like walking, crawling, talking – it is a natural developmental skill that he WILL develop.  He doesn’t like sitting in wet diapers.  He isn’t lazy and doesn’t prefer diapers, but he also doesn’t have all the awareness he needs to go without.  And I am fine with that.

Additionally, he wouldn’t want to go to the potty when I would remind him or ask him to go.  If he had no urge to pee and couldn’t recognize that urge anyway – asking him to go to the potty was senseless to him – he had to reason to go, so why go?

We did have a breakthrough the other day.  We were walking to the park and he said he needed to poo.  He looked uncomfortable and unsure.  But I ushered us back home anyway.  I was a little confused, because he was somewhat taking him time.  We got home, got him on the potty and all he did was pee.  I told Chris – he is starting to sense it, but is confused because it is different, but same sensation.  We are getting there.  And I get more and more excited about letting him come to all this on his own – I think he will feel so much more pride that HE figured it out.  And when we go to underwear next time he will have much more confidence because it is on his cue on not our  urging.

So there you go – the latest update on our potty learning journey!  :-p

So we are on the child-led “potty learning” (because really – I don’t think training makes much sense anymore) train and this week decided to push Tyler a little bit and see if he might make the leap to peeing in the potty.  Why?  Well, to be honest, those size 6 diapers are mighty tight on my 38 pounder and the cloth diapers barely fit and are so bulky they make his clothes really uncomfortable.  We are kind of being forced into this territory.

He has underwear now.  I wish I had easier pants for him to take on and off – I will procure some soon.   I am going to give it a week.  I will admit to being incredibly skeptical.  I say skeptical because he had two accidents today..in and of themselves, those doesn’t bother me.  It is the lack of a panic moment right before.  That “oh crap, I need to pee and am no where near a place to do so” moment.  Legs are crossed, potty dance ensues.  There is the pause while he is peeing, but the “pee comes too fast”  according to Tyler.

I sent the above paragraph to the Superfriends to see what their advice is about that.  Many of their kids are potty trained, so maybe they can give me some insight.  I am way more relaxed about it this time – we will just see what happens.   I am thinking that a week will be enough time to see if the potty habit is forming and if he is making that final connection from feeling that sensation of needing to pee and getting himself to the potty.

If it doesn’t go well, we will just go back to diapers and see what happens.  I have no real worries  – like everything else – walking, talking, crawling, etc – one day he will get it figured out.  He figured out #2 on his own, so I have no doubt that at some point it will all come together…

I guess yesterday dinner was just on my mind.  Today reaffirmed that Miss Quinn is coming into her own.  She is 3 weeks shy of 1 year old and is ready to take on the world.  She is mobile and wants to be in all the action.  When we are out and about she wants to do her own exploring.  My attention is for the first time really torn.  She is no longer the cutie on my back, she is heading to toddlerhood with a vengeance.  I just don’t know how the Moms with multiple kids and early walkers do it – I am glad I am only contending with crawling at the moment. 

These days Tyler is quite independent, but he is also in attack mode such that when something happens he will pull a child’s hair or grab a child without hesitation.  He will do this to any child – younger, older, he doesn’t care.  He has something to communicate, but motions are easier than words right now.  His arms work faster than his mouth.

It isn’t impossible, it is just an entirely new challenge for me.   I keep trying to stay focused on what I am supposed to be doing.  It ocurred to me that I am not drinking enough water and with summer upon us, that is bad for Quinn’s milk.  My body can’t make milk if there is no liquid with which to make it.  Why am I not drinking more water?  I forget because I am moving so fast all the time.  I am better about packing it with me, but bad about pausing for a drink.  And there it is.  A pause.  A breath.  I still need to calm. I am still moving too fast.  I am frenetic.   It is an asset that I can think so fast and absorb so much so quickly, but I need to balance that with some pauses, breaks, and calm. 

I am also so restless.  Is it summer?  I get sick and tired of all this talk about self-care for Moms.  Do you know what a Mom needs to take care of herself?  A supportive partner who isn’t scared to share the work of parenting and a supportive family who can help out as well.  I am blessed in spades to have such a man and such a family.  A majority of Moms aren’t so blessed.  And with a partner who isn’t that helpful and no family around…well, one is pretty much screwed. I am glad there is more recognition that Moms need a lot of recharge to do their jobs…the problem how to ensure they have the available support to allow them the space and time to do this.  End rant of the day…

Tyler Tries to Save a Friend!

I have to tell this story from today.  One of the Superfriend’s Mom came down to hang out at the Farmer’s Market.  She then took her grandson to play in the water.  As she is walking away, Tyler runs over and starts talking to her something about “Sorcha” and “put Thomas down”.   He has never met Thomas’ grandma and basically thought some strange woman was walking away with Thomas and was concerned! How cool is that?  He did a similar thing at Blossom on Monday when an 19 month-old was wandering over to the gate at the fence.  He gave her this big hug trying to stop her in her tracks.  I thought that was so sweet!!  He is so crazy sometimes, but has the sweetest heart too.  He loves his friends so much!

Tyler says he needs to pee! (we continue our child-led potty training)

So Tyler and Quinn were playing on the bed with Daddy when Tyler says he needs to go pee in the potty.  I took him and sure enough he did!!  We are moving into daytime pee readiness!  I think it is about his ability to feel that he needs to go, hold it and communicate that need.  I mean the kid would sit in a wet diaper and not complain so I though- oh, he is never going to potty train.  But it isn’t about that at all for him.  I think it is all about  making the connection and having the physical ability to control it.  This kid continues to teach me so much.  There are other ways, mama..I am not like all the other kids.  So true, Tyler..so true….

Tyler is Two and a Half!

Wow, he is here.  These half birthdays always seem bigger than the whole ones to me.  He is quite the little boy.  He has a rich vocabulary and is able to communicate his wants, needs and frustrations quite clearly.  He is very active and has an active mind to match.  He is all at once fun and fascinating and frustrating and irritating.  I ride a daily rollercoaster.  He says such wonderful things and has the most amazing thoughts!  “The sky is moving, Mommy!” 

He is in the middle of learning about stuff – some is his and some is not.  He knows about “taking turns” and “trades”.  Tyler is actually such a sweet, patient boy sometimes waiting holding his hands behind his back to help him control the burning desire inside for the toy or play equipment he covets.  Some days he is not in such a patient mood and is going to use all means nescessary to retrieve the desired object.   He can be quick to tantrum when we are doing something that doesn’t jive with his plans.  It is a drop down to the floor and whine kind of thing – your typical toddler tantrum.

Daddy is so cool right now.  He is so enamored with Daddy and Daddy loves it.  He will follow behind Daddy pushing his little mower while Daddy pushes the big one.  They love to take adventures together and Tyler loves to drive Daddy’s car.  We all wait with great anticipation for Daddy to arrive home.

He loves to be outside – he is a child of nature in so many ways.  He has discovered the wondrous world of bugs, but hasn’t quite learned to quiet the impulse to squash them.  I fear for the bugs we meet sometimes!  :-p   He is the same with flowers wanting to pick every one he sees.  It makes me wonder what it must feel like to be that age and have these strong impulses pushing you to do all these things.  The inability to control it, to resist it.  Sometimes I feel like I could talk until I am blue in the face, but when the approrpiate age comes along, these not so socially-acceptable behaviours will melt away.  I sometimes think we parents give ourselves too much credit for teaching our kids these lessons.  Yes, we need to set boundaries and enforce them and yes, we need to tell them what is appropriate when something opposite is going on.  But after that, they are toddlers. 

He still eats like a horse and likes to “raid the fridge” whenever he can.  He can cut strawberries with a dull steak knife and does really well!  He is still an overzealous stirrer, so not always my favorite tasks to hand him.  He likes to help me in the kitchen, although I don’t always want all that help.  It is good though, I do want him to learn to cook.

He is incredibly curious and you can see him trying to put this world together.  He will ask what things are, what is going on and will let you know when he is confused and needs some clarifying.  He is starting to make little jokes.  We were talking about brothers and sisters and he was saying “Tyler’s brother is…Tyler”  Then he was going on about how that was silly. 

This kid is so much like me and sometimes I feel like I know and understand him so well.  Nevertheless, he is so much like me that I struggle because together we tip the scales in many areas and I have to work hard to be more of a balancing force with him.  I always say that Tyler is my teacher…teaching me how to be a Mom.  He presents me plenty of opportunities to learn and practice.  Don’t know how good of a student I am, but I keep trying.