Sleeping Beauty

I had wondered why Youngest girl was so unexcited by the park yesterday. But, she did seem to perk up a bit when we went to the pool yesterday afternoon. So, I figured she was probably just more excited by the idea of going to the pool and just biding her time until we got there.

She played hard for about an hour and a half in the pool and ate a ton of blueberries and raspberries and then we came home so we could get ready to go to the BBQ at the older girls' camp.

I went to take a shower and left her looking at books on the couch.

When I returned this is what I found:



I think she is growing. Either that or Corduroy is a real snooze.

I find it so funny that she can fall asleep just about anywhere. In the last few months she's fallen asleep on the living room floor, the rocking chair, and the couch. And she is the only one of my three kids who has voluntarily gone to her room in the middle of the day, climbed into bed and fallen fast asleep. This one takes after me - she likes her sleep.

In fact, today she came with me to my dentist appointment (routine cleaning) and she was so freaked out when the dental hygienist put the mask over her face that she curled up on my lap so she wouldn't have to look at her and promptly fell asleep. She was much happier when she woke up and found that the 'scary monster' was gone and the nice looking hygienist was back.

Tonight we are heading off to camp again for another BBQ. Last night was a fun mixture of hot dogs, burgers, lemonade, energetic camp counselors, silly skits, campy songs, and a real campfire over which we burned roasted marshmallows for our s'mores. Tonight we go back for more of the same but this time it is for Eldest girl's group. Middle girl did a nice job playing the part of a counselor in her skit last night - it will be fun to see what Eldest girl's group has planned for us tonight. It is also up in the air whether Eldest girl will decide to partake in the sleepover option or not. She seems completely torn- afraid on the one hand but intrigued on the other - and I fear a meltdown when push comes to shove and she has to make that final decision. I am planning to bring her overnight necessities, just in case, but at this point if I were a betting mom I'd be betting that she'll be coming home tonight. Only time will tell...

Lazy Days of Summer

Updated

Must. Move. More.

I'm still having a hard time with the motivation to get any exercise. And my afternoon slump is a good indication that I'm slacking off on the exercise. I definitely find that I feel sluggish and want to take a nap if I don't get my daily dose of exercise. I also want to eat more. It's a strange thing how exercise uses up calories and yet seems to suppress the appetite.

This morning Youngest girl wants to go to the park and I want to go for a bike ride. So, we've made a compromise. We'll bike to the park!

This afternoon we have an invitation to a friend's pool. It's supposed to get close to 90 today so that will be a great place to hang out for the afternoon.

The older girls are at camp and this evening we are driving out to meet them there for a family 'hot dog BBQ'. Tonight is the BBQ for families of the younger kids and Middle girls says they have some songs and skits prepared for us. Tomorrow night will be a repeat but this time for the older kids so our family will be there once again for Eldest girl group. They are both having a blast at camp - I'm already planning on signing them up again for next year.

OK - time for a bike ride!


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You can't ride my little red wagon

Front wheel's broken and the axle's draggin'

You can't ride my little red wagon

Any more today!

Well - we tried.

We got about 1/2 mile away from home and my bike gave up the ghost. Or rather - it chose to stick to one gear and some wire thingy that was sort of attached to my gear shift thingy was sticking out funny (yes, I'm quite technical when it comes to all things mechanical). I was stuck in one gear and the shifter was no use. At least we were able to ride back home without any major issues but it was clear that if we wanted to get to the park we were going to have to take the car.

Once there, Youngest one was completely unmotivated to actually play at the park. She enjoyed the swings for about 2 minutes and went down the slide once. I tried to entice her with a walk along the river but we barely made it 10 yard before she gave up on that idea and asked to back to the swings. We got to the swings and in the 2 minutes it took to get there she decided she was no longer interested in the swings anymore. It was time for mommy to take the lead and declare that it was time to go home. We ate our lunch and are having a bit of quiet time before we head to our friend's house to swim in her pool.

Here's hoping we have a more successful outing this afternoon!

We can paddle...canoe?

We did, indeed, get out in the canoe yesterday afternoon. Our initial plan was to leave Youngest girl with the grandparents but they were not home when we called over to set up a time to drop her off. We decided to be brave and took her along with us. She actually did a great job of sitting nicely and had a good time watching the world go by.

The pond we chose for our first canoe adventure was small and a bit mucky but it was a good first run and now we are anxious to get out again and find some bigger and better places to canoe.

And being completely brainless yesterday, I forgot to bring along my camera. Otherwise I'd post a few pics of us in our dorky (but safe!) life vests and of the murky waters through which we paddled.

Yeah, it was probably for the best that I left the camera at home...

12 of 12 - Boston Edition

Did you miss me?

I made it home safe and sound by about 6:45 last night. Rick and the girls survived the weekend just fine with the exception of multiple bouts of vomiting (Eldest girl) Friday night into Saturday morning. She was doing OK - aside from being tired - by the time I called to check in on Saturday morning. Rick also sounded very tired and the younger two girls were reportedly bickering all morning. However, things apparently improved and they had a good day on Sunday - they even managed to get out for a Geocache hunt and it was enjoyed by all.

As for me, I had a good weekend away with Patty. She was so relieved to have me along to do the heavy lifting and provide some additional supports in the classroom and I was more than happy to oblige. I think the most valuable thing I learned this weekend is that I do have some level of competence in AAC. I've been listening and learning a lot from both Patty and Dale (the Physical Therapist, aka "PT", on our team) this spring. I did learn a few things along the way and got my hands on a number of good resources but on the whole it felt more like a good, solid review of things I already know. The one thing that I know I need to work on is the thing you can't get from a classroom. Experience. Hands-on experience. I have the knowledge but I need to actually put it into practice with real live kids before I can gain the breadth of expertise that both Patty and Dale possess. It will come with time - after all, they've been doing this for more than 20 years. With all that experience under their belts it's a blessing and a gift to have them as my mentors.

OK...now on to the main reason for this post - my 12 of 12....Boston style! Be sure to visit Chad Darnell's site for more information on the 12 of 12 project and to view other blog entries.

7am
Best Western at Longwood Inn (right in the heart of the medical district)
We had an interesting check-in experience. Suffice it to say that our first room had only one bed. We were thankfully able to move but not after some snafus and lack of follow-through by the hotel staff. The waitress from room service who deilvered our beers to the room with the one bed might have assumed otherwise, but we were so happy to have two beds to crash in once we finally got moved at about 11:30pm!


The view from our hotel - not so very exciting. I believe that one of those buildings on the right is Children's Hospital.


7:30am
Boston streets on our way from the hotel to Simmons college
We were in the general vicinity of Fenway Park - home of the Red Sox - and I was told by Patty that the Citgo sign in the distance is famous seeing as it is right near Fenway. So, there you have it. We saw a famous sign on our trip - the extent of our sight-seeing during the busy weekend!


7:35am
Cumberland Farms/Dunkin Donuts
Breakfast of coffee and bagels procured from DD.


You could tell we were in Red Sox territory by the blue and red signs above the coolers in Cumberland Farms. (Click on the picture to enlarge)


7:45am
Arriving at Simmons College.


7:55am
The classroom where we spent the majority of our weekend
The building was very nice and according to Patty had just been renovated. Having not been in a college classroom for quite a few year I was quite impressed by the 'Podium of Technology' that existed. All the necessary technology could be accessed via a touch screen device on the podium. She had computer, DVD player and even a VCR right at her fingertips - among other things that we didn't use but had available to us.



8:30am
Classroom
Class is about to begin. A few of the computer-based communication devices that we were going to be demonstrating to the class.



11:30am
Still in the classroom
One of the demonstrations involved a pudding-making activity in which Patty played the part of teacher and three volunteers were each given a different device to use to communicate their wants/needs. This picture shows the device with activity-specific vocabulary and the leftovers from the pudding-making. Another student was given a device with relatively random vocabulary, and a third student was given one of the high-tech devices in which she had access to a huge amount of vocabulary - both commonly used words as well as access to pages with activity specific vocabulary. We wanted the class to see for themselves which vocabulary set worked best when given to a novice user.


12:15pm
Around campus
At lunchtime I took a walk around campus for a bit to get out of the building and see the sun for a while. The campus is currently involved in a large-scale renovation which they are expecting to have completed by the fall semester.



9pm
Best Western Hotel room
After dinner we headed back to hotel room where we did a bit of troubleshooting for a few of the issues that cropped up during the computer lab portion of the class and Patty did some editing
on some of her tutorials. It's a bitch when they make relatively minor changes between versions of the software and the students were quick to point out the inaccuracies/differences on the tutorials.


9:30pm
Best Western
I turned on the TV to see if there was anything mindless to watch for a while. Jurrasic Park fit the bill. Patty and I were both too tired to bother watching the whole thing. Lights went out by 10pm since there was another long day ahead of us.


Not too exciting, but a basic idea of our day. Patty has another three weekends of classes to teach but she is getting other "helpers" to join her those weekends. I'm on stand-by if she needs me the second weekend of August for her final class but at this point it looks like I won't be needed.

Rick is taking a vacation day today and the older girls are off to camp for the day. At some point today - if the rain stops - Rick and I might try to get out in our canoe for the very first time! We bought it a couple of years ago on Craigslist but the planets have yet to align just right for us to actually use it! I'll be sure to give a status update tonight on whether we manage to take our maiden voyage or not. Wish us luck!

Off I Go!

To my millions of readers who hang on my every word ~
To my four loyal readers who can actually stay awake reading my blog (or maybe just use it as a sleep aid) ~

I will be liberated from my children away for the entire weekend. I am heading into Boston to help my coworker Patty teach a class on AT (assistive technology). She is just about 3 weeks post-op (mastectomy) and needed help with some of the physical demands of the class. So, I'm tagging along to not only help her out but to also get an earful of all there is to know about AT. I'm still in the steep learning curve phase of my re-entry into the working world and so this partnership is the perfect solution. I get the education and she gets a much needed extra pair of hands for the weekend.

I have left Youngest girl with Rick for an overnight or two in the recent past and I've even gotten away all by my big self for a whole day now and again...but to leave all three girls with Rick and be all by myself from Friday morning until Sunday night? That'll be a first. I have never been away from any of my kids for that length of time. So, send along some "be good" vibes to the girls and some sanity vibes for Rick. I'm sure he would appreciate that. Rick has a few plans for the weekend so hopefully I will return on Sunday night and find everyone happy and too busy to have missed me.

Tomorrow is 12 of 12 (see Chad Darnell's blog for more information) and so I'm going to try to take some interesting pictures in Boston - not sure how interesting they will be since I'll be in a lecture hall for most of the day but I'll try to be creative. I won't be able to post them until I get back so you'll just have to be waiting with bated breath for my return. Sorry about that. But, I have a feeling you'll find something to do with your time until I get a chance to post again.

The weather here has been nothing short of spectacular. Yesterday we had a high of about 85 with blue skies and a light but effective breeze. I took Youngest girl on a bike ride on the rail trail and we had a great time. The older girls continue to love, love, love camp. Eldest girl is finally settling in and feeling more secure. At least that is what I chose to believe since she was an emotional wreck each evening after camp right up until last night when she seemed much more mellow and able to deal with life. I swear she keeps all her emotions bottled up tight inside all day long and then lets loose when she walks in the door. I see it at the start of every school year and it seems to be the case with camp as well. She just has such a hard time making the adjustments to new situations and getting to know new people. It's exhausting for her.

Middle girl, by comparison, seems to thrive on those kinds of situations and she comes home bubbly and happy and full of stories from the day.

Sometimes it is hard to believe they are related!

OK, I'm off to finish packing and to get showered and dressed. Try not to miss me too much. I'll be back before you bother to check my blog again know it!

Pride Cometh Before a Fall

I've been so excited by Youngest girl's achievements on the potty that perhaps I'm going overboard on the praise...just a bit. It's been more than a week and perhaps she is not needing all the joyous shouts, high-fives, and proclamations of "what a big girl!" we've been doling out. But, I find I can't help it because I really am that excited. (Pathetic? Yes. But we are a diaper free house! How cool is that?)

This praise overkill was highlighted by a recent interaction I had with Youngest girl a few nights ago. I was sitting on the couch and she was standing nearby looking adorable and just so huggable. So, I held my arms out wide and said to her "can I have a big hug?!"

My only real motivation was to give her a hug and get one in return. Because, ya know, that's one of the joys of having a two-year-old in the house. All that free love.

But, it seems as though she was anticipating yet another round of praise for how well she's been doing on the potty. Being the card that she is, she came over and gave me a huge hug and said in a very motherly sort of way "I'm soooo proud of you!"

And then she started to giggle.

She was mocking me. Seriously!

My two-year-old has learned the fine art of mockery.

What next? Sarcasm? Irony? Light-hearted banter?

I couldn't help but laugh and then asked her why she was so proud of me.

"Cuz you do your job...!"

There was a brief pause during which I had high hopes that I was being praised for my efforts as a mother. But I didn't have long for it to go to my head or anything before she finished her thought: "...since you are a big dirl wike me!"

Oh. That job.

Yes, folks. I can use the potty! Aren't you soooo proud of me, too?

Summer Camp update

Aside from being 15 minutes late, the camp bus arrived back into town safe and sound with all the campers accounted for. The girls came off the bus no worse for the wear and with smiles on their faces which I took as a good sign. They both were quick to say that they had a fun day at camp. At one point, Middle girl even reported that she was sad when it was time to get on the bus to leave because she wanted to stay even longer! I fear we may have a party girl in the making in that one. She never likes to see the good times end.

One of Eldest girl's first comments to me was, "you're probably going to be mad, but I failed the swim test." Huh? I cannot for the life of me figure out why she thought I'd be mad. (Apart from the fact that she sets high expectations on herself and tends to be a bit perfectionistic. I'm guessing that failure was not an easy pill to swallow - it never is, but she seems to have a harder time of it.) She was very mad because of the way the swim test was given. Apparently, the kids were asked to swim a particular length from one side of a u-shaped dock to the other and then tread water for a given amount of time. Eldest girl cried as she told me that she knew she wouldn't be able to do it and that she swam the distance fine but then was too winded to do the full amount of treading water. She felt it unfair that they made her do the water treading after the swimming. I explained that it was probably set up that way for a reason - namely that they needed to test her strength and stamina in the water. She would not be disabused of the notion that the test was unfair. I did my best to reassure her that I was not mad and that I was sure she did the best she could. She also stated that she knew she was not going to be able to pass as soon as they told her what was required. To which I explained that if she went into it thinking so negatively that perhaps that didn't help her get a positive outcome. I told her that perhaps she needed to go into it with a more positive attitude. I'm not sure I helped much with that bit but I really feel that negative thinking will lead to negative results and it's a lesson best learned young. Eldest girl has a tendency to think negatively and that has always bothered me. At the end of a fun day she will most often lament the things she didn't get to do instead of rejoicing in the things that were fun about the day. Or she'll let one sour moment overshadow all else. She did the same thing yesterday. She let her failure in the swim test overshadow the fun times. She also compared Middle girl's activities to her own and complained that Middle girl seemed to have participated in more activities. I explained that the kindergarten set tend to have shorter attention spans which might account for the increased number of activities but that they both arrived at camp at the same time and left at the same time which would indicate that one did not get more than the other. (However, Middle girl - by her very nature - might have possibly squeezed more fun out of her day! I'm just saying... Not that I would say that out loud.)

In the end, I think they both really did have a good day and they both climbed on the bus this morning happy and carefree as all summer campers should be. Eldest girl did tell us that she will have another opportunity to attempt the swim test again today. Maybe she will take my words to heart and think more positively ("I think I can! I think I can!" -- perhaps I should have given her that book to read last night...along with her current Harry Potter obsession).

Youngest girl and I have another quiet, but fun day planned. Yesterday we ran a few errands, took a bike ride through the neighborhood (something that is a rare treat since Middle girl doesn't want to do much more than ride to the end of the street and back and Eldest girl can ride her two-wheeler but refuses to practice stopping so she doesn't really like to use her bike for fear of falling...sigh), read a few books, did a few puzzles and she even took a long nap which allowed me to get some cleaning and pick-up done around the house. Today we have been hanging out at home this morning in the comfort of the a/c because it's stinking hot outside. After lunch we are going to a friend's pool for some cooling off and by the time we leave there it will be almost time to get the older girls off the camp bus.

Plans for tomorrow? A much needed haircut and lunch with Rick while Youngest girl hangs out with Grandma and Grandad!

Booty Camp Complete...on to Summer Camp!

Youngest girl is doing her job quite well this last week! She still occasionally needs to be reminded that a trip to the potty would be in everyone's best interest, but she has not had any accidents since I last posted. She's even dry through the night so we've gotten rid of the pull-ups as well. I'm still in awe of just how quickly it all happened. I think she was the easiest to train of all. And I'm thrilled that I can stop carrying a diaper bag and won't need swim diapers in the pool anymore.

In other exciting news, the two older girls started camp today. Middle girl seemed apprehensive last night about going but this morning all was well and she happily climbed aboard the bus. I was afraid I'd have one or both in tears this morning (since Eldest girl seems to have more anxiety issues at times) but it went very well. There was a slight snafu at the bus, however. The bus driver was a substitute and the camp counselor was a newbie - so neither of them knew exactly what was what. But, thankfully there was a veteran camp mom who knew the ropes. There should have been a bus monitor (possibly by the name of Chris) who was supposed to have clipboard in hand to check in the campers and get them loaded on the bus by 8:05am. By 8:15am it was obvious that something was amiss. The veteran mom said that they are usually right on schedule and yet there was no sign of the monitor. She called the YMCA to find out if they knew anything. We finally did get the kids signed in on a makeshift list (created on the back of a High School tardy slip provided by one of the dads) and sent the kids off on the bus with explicit instructions to the sub and the newbie not to let the kids get off the bus without a parent present at the end of the day. I would have been much more concerned about this lack of organization if it were not for the the fact that the veteran mom was there and reassured me that this was not a common occurrence. Let's hope tomorrow bus drop-off is a bit more routine.

While were waiting for the no-show bus monitor to possibly show up and get the show on the road we chatted with some of the other kids and parents. One 8-year-old girl was a familiar face to me, if not to Eldest girl. And her younger sister was familiar to both me and Middle girl. The 8-year-old (L) had gone to preschool with Eldest girl but they didn't remember each other and Middle girl just finished a year of preschool with her sister. I'm hoping that Eldest girl and L will get reacquainted at camp and have fun together. I was also able to introduce Eldest girl to another 8-year-old who was the daughter of the veteran mom. She seemed quite camp savvy, having gone to this camp for the last three years. Eldest girl often has a difficult time meeting new people so I was happy to be able to send her off with two girls who might be able to help her acclimate and learn the ropes. There were no 5-year-olds to introduce Middle girl to but I'm sure she'll make friends in no time.

The girls won't be back from camp until 5:25, which is when the bus arrives back here in town. I'm sure they will be tired but hopefully also happy from a long, fun day at camp! I'll keep you posted.

Lastly, I wanted to post a couple of pictures of the girls in their 4th of July parade costumes.

Last Monday I realized time was getting short and the girls still needed something to wear for the little parade we have every year around the town common. The kids are invited to wear costumes or decorate their bikes and sometimes a family might get ambitious and put together an actual float for the parade (show offs). Sometimes a small band leads the crowd playing patriotic songs and in years past we have also had some mounted police to join our little ragtag parade. After the parade someone reads a portion of the Declaration of Independence and the kids all get prizes for participation. Then folks gather on the common for foot races and other games, as well as free lemonade and watermelon.

For this year's parade the girls wanted to wear costume instead of decorating their bikes and wagon like they did last year. After a brief discussion Eldest girl decided on being an Indian girl (everyone at the parade asked if she was Pocahontas and she was so annoyed because she was just an indian! - the kid needs to lighten up a bit). Middle girl decided to be a 'nature fairy' and although her costume did not end up looking the way I imagined a nature fairy would look she was pleased which is really all that mattered. When we went on our shopping trip to get fabric and patterns we had been unable to decide just what to have Youngest girl wear. In the end we found some simple pieces to put together and made her a hula girl costume. She liked the grass skirt very much, however, it appeared that the concept of 'hula girl' was lost on her. She walked around picking up the grass pieces and letting them fall while chanting "snowing! snowing! snowing!" Ah well - she still looked pretty cute.

In fact they all looked cute, if I do say so myself.

Day Three of Booty Camp!

Updated!

I continue to marvel at the fact that a mere change in phraseology can make such a huge difference. We now commonly refer to the potty as Youngest girl's "job" and it has made all the difference. I guess because it gives her complete ownership of what is going on with her body or something. She is still not very excited by the whole deal and I still get a bit of whining about it. The most common response is "I'll do it tomorrow."

Ha. Yes, indeed you will. And the day after that, and the day after that. Etcetera, etcetera, and so forth...

But, you will also do it TODAY. [insert evil cackling sound here]


Even with all the whining she is still doing quite well. I'd say we are luckier in the morning than we are when it is the afternoon and she is getting tired and has not had a nap. That is when the accidents are most likely to happen - and they do happen. But, I've been down this road more than once and know that we are making good progress overall.

Today she made really crappy progress (literally). She pooped on the potty for the first time ever! Woohoo!!!!! At first, she did just what she has done the last two days when it came time to poop - she freaked out. She started asking for a diaper or a pull-up and was crying and carrying on. I told her it was just time to do her job. No big deal. So, we went into the bathroom (all four of us, since the older two are fascinated by this process and like to join in) and she did pull down her pants and sit on the little potty. She seemed nervous but then I pulled a trick out of my Booty Camp dufflebag - bribery! This morning at Target we bought some special chocolate chip granola bars and she wanted to try one but I told her she had to wait until snack time. However, I decided to let her have one IF she could go poop. I also told her to just pretend that the diaper was still on. I'm not sure which tactic was the most successful but all of a sudden she had that look of intense concentration on her face and she had poopy success! We were all very proud of her and gave her high fives and hugs (however, not proud enough to actually take a picture for posterity and share it on the blog...don't think it didn't cross my mind for a millisecond but I figured I'd spare you all the intimate details. You're welcome.).

Oh, and how could I forget? She also made nighttime progress last night! She stayed dry overnight and didn't pee in the pull-up once she woke up! I don't know what time she woke up but I got back from my walk at 7:30 and she was sitting on the couch looking at books. I told her it was time for her job and she fussed a bit but when I got her to the bathroom I realized she was completely dry! She proceeded, in short order, to make quite a puddle in the potty.

I'm dangerously close to celebrating that diaper-free household that I so desire!!

Just had to finish off this post with a bit of an update. Youngest one had a completely dry day!! Woohoo! She did need some encouragement to do her "job" but she managed to stay dry all day (even during a 2.5 span of time when she was wearing a pull-up and we went out for a bunch of errands!). I just put her to bed (in a pull-up, just in case) but she is excited that tomorrow she gets to wear some new big girl underwear that we bought at Target (two sets: Ariel and Mickey & Minnie Mouse).

Thank you, Meri

A number of years ago our good friend Meri (or as the kids know her, "Auntie Meri" - which is to differentiate her from "Cousin Meri") bought us a lovely and handy gift - an electric ice cream maker. We have admittedly not used it as often as we would like. Last summer we had every intention of making ice cream and somehow the day-to-day of life got in the way and it never happened. But, we have our dear Meri to thank for the ability to make ice cream on a whim (as long as we have the salt, cream, ice and sugar on hand). And so, yesterday we turned that whim into reality. I sent Rick on an errand to get salt and cream - we already had plenty of sugar and ice and even fresh, sweet strawberries from the farm.

Mixing the ingredients.



Dad explaining the process.


Getting the ice cream maker put together.


Fast forward a few hours later and we had some fabulous homemade dessert.


Thumbs up from Eldest girl!


Middle girls gives it an "almost" thumbs up. This ice cream connoisseur states that the ice cream tasted good but was a "bit too grainy" for her tastes. (We are not exactly sure what made the ice cream a bit 'icy' but we are guessing it was the water content of the very ripe, juicy strawberries...?)


Another positive review from Youngest girl who seemed to think it was good to the very last drop.



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Speaking of Youngest Girl - I was looking at her picture from the trip to the farm and realizing that she could use a bit of a trim. I figured she'd also enjoy having her hair a bit shorter in the heat and humidity. After her bath this morning I took my scissors to her fine, straight locks and this was the result....



It's mostly even - and I didn't even have to use a bowl on her head as a guide.

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In other news on Youngest girl, she has been wearing big girl underwear the last two days. With a modicum of success, I might add. We have had a couple of small accidents and a few tears about not being a "big girl" yet. But, I took my cue from a Today Show segment on a woman who has become known as the Potty Whisperer for her Booty Camp successes (and the fact that she has potty trained her own six kids). The basic concept behind her Booty Camp is to make it the child's responsibility to go on the potty when his/her body says it is time to go. So, I don't ask her if she needs to go, I just give her that "job" to do and make it her responsibility to know when to go. Amazingly enough it seems to be working! (And part of the reason it is working so well is because she really is "ready" on so many levels...she's just been stubborn and I haven't wanted to deal with a fight. This new perspective on potty training removes me as the enforcer which is why I think it works so well for her at this stage of the game.)

Last night she did not even want to change to a diaper at bedtime (great!) but we did wake up in the middle of the night to clean up an accident (not so great, but all part of the process). I think she had been resisting the potty use too much yesterday and thus had the overnight accident and then I put her in a diaper for the rest of the night. Under normal circumstances she has lately been waking up with a dry diaper in the morning but refusing all requests to try using the potty. So, my hope is that once we get the daytime potty use down pat the nighttime use will follow suit pretty quickly. This morning she initially resisted the underwear again. I just reminded her about her new "job" and did not really give her a choice in whether or not to wear underwear. But I did give her a choice of which ones to wear. So, she picked out the pair she wanted and even showed them off to dad once she had them on. I've been giving her plenty of fluids today and she has actually held her pee for quite a long time. I made a couple of references to her 'job' but she has refused all suggestions until recently. After two big cups of milk and one of juice I think it was finally wearing her down. She decided to give it a try and actually peed right away. So far it's been an accident-free day and we are well into the afternoon hours! I might be able to celebrate a diaper-free home soon!

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Or perhaps I'm being too optimistic. As I was writing this post my dearest little one was...ahem...busy in the other room. Just now she walked into the living room with a new pair of underwear in hand and said "I want this pair of underwear." Since she had just peed on the potty a few minutes before I asked for clarification.

"Are you wet?", I asked.

No response.

And then evasion tactic, "I want this pair of underwear."

So, I asked again, this time more clearly "Are you wet? Did you pee in your underwear?"

"No. I have a poop," she answered.

Lovely.

So, we cleaned up her poop and we went over the rules of her new job again. This time making it very clear that proper placement of both pee AND poop fall within her job description.

I have to point out that she actually told me she had a poop. This is a step in the right direction. She never tells me when she poops in her diaper - to the point of outright lying about it when it is quite clear to the entire room, and perhaps the entire house, that there is toxic waste somewhere in the vicinity. She also did not hold it in which seemed like it might become an issue yesterday when it seemed she needed to poop and she was having a bit of a freak-out about the potty. She did not, in fact, poop yesterday aside from a few small pellets. So, she was overdue and I am thankful she is not a 'holder' which can lead to all kinds of bathroom neuroses that I'd like to avoid, thank you very much.

I'm attempting to remain positive here. Work with me people.

Summer sweetness

This morning I took the girls out for a quick trip to a local 'u-pick' farm to get some fresh strawberries. Nothing like fresh, sweet strawberries in the summertime.

I was blog-surfing the other day and happened upon a blog in which there was mention of making delicious ice cream (complete with a cute picture of her little girl in a pink straw hat enjoying said ice cream). It served as a reminder that we need to use the handy-dandy ice cream maker we have tucked away in the basement more often. The strawberries we picked will add just the right touch to a foray into creamy culinary goodness. More on that later.

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In other news: I. am. pathetic.

Not like that is even blog-worthy news. But, I just had to state it for the record. Because it is so true.

I feel like an 80-year-old woman when I try to walk up and down stairs. One at a time. I creak when I stand up from a sitting position and I wince in pain when I try to sit back down. Stationary is good right now. Being still is painless. Movement, however, is not.

And it's all Jillian Michael's fault.

Well, sort of.

Ok, so it's also sort of my fault for thinking I could halt all exercise (aside from my occasional morning walks) for a loooong period of time and then just jump (literally!) right back in.

I tried the Level 1 workout on the above linked workout DVD and it KICKED MY ASS. Seriously.

It was only 20 minutes, so I figured - how hard can it be?

As it turns out...very hard. Ass-kicking, sweat-fest, heavy-breathing kind of hard.

And I'm paying the price of my own stupidity today (and Jillian's ruthlessness, let us not forget her role in all of this! Bitch. Meanie.)

Oh. And the jumping jacks served as a very potent reminder to do my kegels more frequently.

I'm just saying... (three pumpkin-headed babies will do that to a girl, ya know...)

Exhibits 1-3

I rest my case.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Yesterday was a great day all around. The skies were blue with white puffy clouds and the forecast did not include rain. That alone would have made it a red-letter day around here because we have been hit with our fair share of downpours and lightning storms of late...and there are more to come if you listen to the weathermen. Rain and thunderstorms every afternoon straight through until next Tuesday - if you want believe those liars professionals . I certainly don't. I enjoyed the mildly warm weather and lack of moisture falling from the sky yesterday. And I want more. I'm sure the plants have been enjoying the soaking rains and we will hopefully be rewarded with a decent crop of tomatoes, beans, and basil, among other things, but if I had to guess the crop would be even better with a little sun in the mix somewhere. I'm no green-thumb so I leave the gardening stuff mostly in Rick's capable hands, but I think I recall learning in elementary school that plants need soil, water and sun to grow.

Not to mention the fact that if I want to see my children grow to adulthood with my sanity mostly intact, we would also benefit from a little sunshine and fresh air! "Go out and play, kids!"

Seeing as our opportunity to get to the park this week look limited, I decided to load the girls in the car for a trip to a park a couple of towns over. This part boasts not only a sprinkler park, mini train rides, a small zoo, a river, decent bathrooms and a snack bar but also a great playground with ample shade. You might be wondering why, after all the talk of sunshine, would I be looking for lots of shade? If you took one look at my pale, freckled Irish skin you would wonder no more. Add to that the fact that for some reason our town decided to place their playgrounds in the middle of big open spaces with no trees to give shade to the climbing structures. Granted they are mostly wooden but they have a fair share of metal and plastic and there are also older slides and monkey bars that are all metal. No shade means that on very hot, sunny days the kids can't even use the playground equipment!

By 10am we were on the road headed for the park. The train was already running when we got there so the girls first agenda item was to hitch a ride on the train and then take a tour through the adjacent zoo.

Eldest and Middle girls cozy on the train. Nice to know that at 8 this little train is still exciting for Eldest Girl.


Mom and Youngest wearing our cool shades and enjoying the ride.


The girls in the zoo checking out the sheep.


...and the chickens. Somehow this was still fun for them even though we have chickens living right next door who used to frequently roam into our yard. (The neighbors now have cats who like to roam into our yard and I think they fixed the chickens' fencing so they are more contained.)


After the train ride and quick tour of the zoo we headed off to the snack bar for lunch and then a short run through the sprinkler park. It was about 80 degrees out by that point so it was warm but not hot. They lasted about 20 minutes before they decided they were cold enough!



The youngest was acting tired by this point and had decided not to get wet. So, she hung out with me on the bench and just watched the action. (She later fell asleep in the car on our way to the girls dentist appointment and I was able to carry her in and place her on the waiting room couch where she slept for a solid 45 minutes. I am constantly amazed at her ability to sleep just about anywhere. I think she takes after me in the sleep department.)

Next stop was the playground which is next to the river. The Eldest is fascinated by nature and by any kind of body of water so she chose to explore the riverbank while Middle and Youngest were on the swings. We never even made it to the rest of the playground because the girls all decided to explore the river a bit more closely.

Youngest girl and I stayed on the embankment while the older two got close enough to find river rocks and splash a bit in the water.

I find it strange that in all the times I've been to this park I have never explored the river before. In fact, I never ventured close enough to realize that the little stream running through the park led to a much larger river. The park is large enough and the drop down to the river steep enough that you can stand at the playground and not even know it is there. And it's far enough away that you can't hear it over the sounds of the children playing. So, if it were not for the fact that Eldest girl is old enough to explore a bit farther afield (and can now swim) I still would not have known the joys of this river. A prime example of how children can lead you to experience wonderful things that you might never have found on your own.



Our time was short on this visit to the park because the older girls had afternoon dentist appointments (they both received a clean bill of dental health, thankfully). I'm thinking that the next outing to this park will include a more thorough exploration of what the river has to offer!

With the park and dental appointments finished the girls and I headed to a local soft-serve ice cream stand and enjoyed a mid-afternoon treat (shhh...don't tell the dentist that I fed my girls sugar so soon after they got their teeth all nice and clean). Then it was off to the grocery store for a quick-trip-turned-major-shopping-excursion. I think I had about 5-8 things I needed to get. But once I got there I remembered about 4 bags worth of stuff we were low on or out of - plus an additional bag worth of 'extras' that were on sale or that I bought because I had three children in tow who were being extremely good and so I was more inclined to say "yes" to a few snack foods.

Last night we took advantage of the weather and Rick cooked burgers out on the grill. If the weather forecast turns out to be true we may not have another chance to easily grill food outside for a while (although Rick has been known to grill even on rainy days - and once he even grilled steaks for Christmas while it was snowing, but it's never quite as enjoyable).

So, that was our day yesterday - a full day and a great one all around. Today we have gray skies and raindrops and the girls have been mostly good about finding a way to keep themselves entertained. It gives me hope that the transition to summer won't take as long as I had feared.

Summer is here...

...and with it come the three H's.

Hostility. Horrific boredom*. Hours of togetherness.

The girls are trying to get used to the idea of being home all day long...together. It's not an easy process, but I try to remember that it is a process. One of adjustment and change - not something that has come easy to eldest girl in the past, but which this year is proving to be even harder on middle girl. Maybe it's an age thing - those preschool years can be rough. You hear about two being a terrible time. And you foolishly think that once you get past those terrible twos that you are going to be on easy street. But, then you hit the trying threes and the mumble-fours (I don't dare use that word on such a family-friendly site). Middle girl seemed to sail through the two's and three's and the attitude and the boundary-pushing didn't rear its ugly head fully until four. She is nearing six and we don't yet see the light at the end of the tunnel. Except in our own little minds where the mantra that continues to hold is: this too shall pass...eventually.

Middle girl is usually, well....in the middle of the fights that have been popping up like a plague of weeds in a well-tended garden. The general chorus of the day is middle girl arguing that her little sister is taking toys away from her, following her around too much or making annoying noises
or that her big sister refuses to play with her and thus she has 'nothing to doooooo.' (Can you just feel the whine in the last part of that sentence?) The eldest and youngest have had their squabbles too, but those seem to be far fewer in number.

This weekend we tried to keep them busy - on Saturday, an afternoon trip to the site of their summer camp experience where we explored the grounds and went swimming, and on Sunday a trip to the movie theater to see Kung Fu Panda (very cute movie, btw) and a game of Monopoly (our latest family craze). There were times they were asked to 'find something to do' because I am not the parent who tries to fill her children's every waking hour with non-stop entertainment. I'm one of those mean moms who actually makes them go play with a room full of toys or enjoy a bit of fresh air and sunshine in our big grassy backyard complete with kiddie pool and wooden play structure - along with the toads, interesting bugs and butterflies. Personally, I want need some time now and again to get stuff done and have a bit of a break. But lately those "breaks" are frequently punctuated by repeated shrieks of "OW! stop it!" and "leave me alone!" and a variety of tattletale phrases.

I do realize this is the transition time between school and summer. A time that I have increasingly dreaded ever since eldest girl started going to school. Once they get into a rhythm things do go a lot smoother, but right now they need a constant referee to their insanity and I'm just ready to throw my striped shirt and whistle in the trash and head for the hills... Or maybe I should just follow Susan's advice and start my day with one of these (she emailed and let me know that they are great for brunch...how early can I realistically start my day and still call it brunch?) and a say a prayer that I can survive this latest transition.

After all, summer doesn't last forever...right?

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*The phrase "Horrific boredom" is a relative term which is defined in different ways by the author and her offspring.

I remembered!

I managed to remember to do the 12 of 12 this month! For those who don't know what 12 of 12 is go check out Chad's site to learn more. And maybe some month you can join in and do your own 12 of 12 post!

Jeanne's June 12 of 12!

Home - 7:44am
Getting my morning cup of cheer! The weather has been seriously summer-like
so I've switched to drinking my caffeine over ice.


Home - 8:01am
R has a loose tooth and shows me how it wiggles.


Home - 8:05am
Morning prep. Rick applying sunscreen on A for her last day of preschool (like, ever. OMG. I seriously had tears on Wednesday during my last chance to drop her off at school this year)


Home - 8:06am
Loose tooth falls out! R holding her tooth to show me! Last tooth she lost got swallowed! This one went directly into her tooth fairy pillow in the hopes of some coins in return. Actually, she left a note last time and the tooth fairy gave her some money and left her a note in return.


Driving to work - 8:18am
Today was a work day. Farms are a common sight on my way to work.


Driving to work - 8:18am
And so is this mountain range. I have a goal to hike from one end of the range to the other before I hit 40! It's a 7-mile hike with lots of ups as well as downs.


Driving to work - 8:26am
This bridge used to be a huge source of congestion, especially during rush hour commutes. They recently completed a road and bridge widening project which allows for a better flow. Before the construction project I would not have considered working on the town on the "other side" but now I rarely see any traffic congestion along this route. The construction project took for-EVER but it was worth it.


Work - 8:34am
I can say much for the looks of the building. But the team of women I work with are beautiful inside and out. I love being back to work and I'm learning new stuff all the time. Great fun!


Due to confidentiality issues (and the fact that I'm not sure I want to out myself at work as a "blogger") I did not take any pictures at work today. It was a busy evaluation day and we were all quite ready to go out after work for drinks to celebrate our friend D's birthday! I didn't take pictures of that either but suffice it to say that we want to go out together again soon!

When I got home Rick was reading bedtime stories. I helped get the girls into bed and then Rick went to work on replacing the engine on his lawn tractor - the old engine (which was a rebuilt one purchased on eBay) blew a rod straight through the thick metal side of the engine. Quite impressive.

Home - 8:19pm
Rick working on said tractor.


Home - 8:20pm
Realizing that I still needed a few more photos for my 12 of 12 I went outside and took some pictures of our gardens.
Happy tomato plants back right, lettuce in front right, and carrots and onions on the left.


More gardens in our new L-shaped raised beds that Rick built last year (he actually built the wall and the adjacent patio from scratch - the blocks are all handmade from a concrete mixture of some sort which he then used to build the wall and lay the patio). We have peas, beans, squash, peppers, cherry tomatoes, and cukes in this garden area. Most are still very small at this point. The stairs in this photo lead to our bedroom and are a fairly new addition as well. We had temporary stairs there for a long time (too embarrassing to actually admit just how long) and now we have nice new stairs thanks once again to my talented husband.


Home - 9:07pm
My current read. I did something I actually don't like doing - I watched the movie before reading the book. But, so far I feel like the movie didn't stray too far from the book. A nice surprise. Of course, I haven't made it too far into the book yet so more will be revealed and we'll see how much they actually changed (or didn't!).



That's all, folks!

Heat Wave

Life is slowing down just in time for this insane heat wave we are experiencing here in New England. The timing is good - no one can move fast in this heat.

Here's what our weather looks like today:














It was 90 in the sun by 7am this morning. Apparently the shade will catch up by noontime.

Lauri and I took our walk this morning and it was mostly pleasant at the start but we were glistening with sweat by the end.

Yesterday, sitting inside enjoying a few moments of the air conditioning, I was reading a blog that I visit regularly. She was writing of cold, gray weather in June and her need for sun and warmth. I was a bit envious of her cold weather - a case of the grass is always greener? - and was wishing I could send some sunshine and warmth her way. Maybe she'd be willing to send a bit of coolness in exchange?

E wanted to go to the park today. She has been out of sorts and I wanted to do that for her. To do something she would really enjoy. But, it's just too darn hot. We had to run errands this morning and she was very patient for a long time. I was enjoying the free air conditioning and would've gone to another store just to prolong the relief from the heat. But she started to whine and I knew we needed to go home. Now she is sad to be home and not at the park. I feel for her but I can't fathom being at the park in this heat and I know she would not enjoy it for long. She has a terrible heat rash on her lower back from sweating in her diaper last night. It looks painful and I'm sure it's part of the reason for her foul mood today.

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Rick and I celebrated our 13th anniversary last week. We managed to get out for a date night on Sunday which was enjoyable and relaxing. We had considered taking a picnic dinner and hiking to some idyllic spot or other but the weather that day was hot and humid. The temperature dropped a bit in the evening but by then we had changed our mind and decided it was a good night for a standard dinner-and-a-movie night. We enjoyed seeing Then She Found Me with Helen Hunt and Colin Firth. Dinner was at a local brew house and the food, the beer and the relaxing atmosphere on the patio were just what we needed. It is hard to imagine that 13 years have gone by and yet in some ways we fit so well together that it feels like we were never separate from one another. We are one and I feel like we have always been. Our love is effortless and seamless. He is my best friend and my heart belongs to him. I cannot imagine life any different and yet I am constantly amazed at how we came to be and how our family has grown in the 17 years that we have known each other. We have crossed a multitude of pathways in our lives with decisions that could have led us away from one another. But somehow we came together and got to know each other and our friendship bloomed into love. And we have followed the same pathway, sharing a life and creating three amazing, beautiful children. Life is good. And it just keeps getting better.

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School is nearly out for summer. A finishes this Thursday and R is done the following Wednesday. I only have two more evaluations to do at work before I'm off for the summer. One this week and the one on the 24th. The month of July is pretty much booked between the girls' summer camp for two weeks followed by a week in Maine at the end of the month. I've never been to Maine and I'm very much looking forward to our first real vacation as a family. The last time Rick and I went on a 'real' vacation was in 1999. We went to Denmark to visit my host families. Since then our vacations have mostly consisted of visiting family in a couple of different locations. A couple of years ago we did rent a condo in New Hampshire but it didn't feel as much like a 'vacation' when you have to cook and clean throughout the whole week. It was more of a 'change of scenery' than anything and it was just as exhausting as being home, if not more so, because the girls were not in their familiar environment and were not sleeping well. I was also 7 months pregnant at the time - reason enough to feel exhausted. This year we are staying at an honest-to-goodness resort with linen service, full-course meals (including lobster!), and a kids' camp for the older two (morning and afternoon sessions). There will be a heated pool, tennis courts, shuffleboard, hiking trails, and sailing. I don't even know how to sail, mind you, but I plan to learn. They have instructors there to teach you. I also don't play tennis and have never even tried shuffleboard, but I'm willing to give them a whirl if the mood strikes me. I feel as though we are all going for a week of "camp" and I couldn't be more excited!

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Time to get something productive done - like laundry. At least the basement is cool. It's so hot out there that I plan to put a movie on once R gets off the bus and let the girls enjoy a quiet activity in the cool of the basement. I'll fold laundry while they watch some 'fluff' - I think we have a copy of Underdog from Netflix which they have not yet seen. Seems like a good plan to stay cool today.