My girl is potty trained. Last I wrote, she was withholding for the second day, and in case you couldn't tell, I was a teeny bit stressed. Actually, frantic is probably more accurate than stressed, because I was absolutely frantic wondering what our next step would be.
My cousin Cathleen (whose blog I'd love to link to but I can't figure out how to right now) gave me some pointers, and I planned to try one of them, to give Ava special items to use while on the potty. While I went to pick the boys up from school, Ava stayed home with my husband, and when I returned I found her sitting on the potty in our powder room. I decided to join her and within a few minutes she was peeing! She went again a few more times yesterday, and today not only did she go a number of times, three times were in public places and most of the time she told me when she had to go. She even asked to go to the bathroom one more time before bed, to avoid wetting her PullUp.
Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!! is an understatement. I'm so relieved.
And yet...this evening as I moved a load of laundry to the dryer, I saw one of her Fuzzibunz(cloth diapers), and felt this weird pang of sadness. We are not having any more children, and so I will never change one of my children's diapers again. My little girl is a baby no more. I'm sure, just like with other milestones, such as nursing each one for the last time, moving them out of their crib into a bed, or putting away the baby clothes, I will not feel sad for long. However, the thought did cross my mind that I was willing to let her stay in diapers this long because it was one more baby/mama connection to hold on to.
For now though, I will focus on all of the great moments with my big girl, like when she tells a joke and it not only makes sense but is funny too. Or our impromptu marching band this afternoon, with her on drums and me on triangle. Most of all, what I enjoyed today was seeing the sense of pride and accomplishment each time she sat her little bum on the potty!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Potty training hell
That's where I am right now, folks. My daughter Ava, who will be four at the end of June, refuses to use the potty.
There are many reasons why this is frustrating. One is that she is in complete control of her bladder and bowels. For at least the last six months she has informed me when she has to pee or poop. In the past few months she taught herself to put on her cloth diapers, and when they were wet, she would put them in the laundry room to be cleaned.
She uses this situation as a manipulation tool, waiting until nap or bedtime to poop, specifically to postpone the sleep time. I've tried everything I know, and nothing has worked.
Last week, after consulting a group of women that I'm involved in a positive discipline group with, I decided to bite the bullet and get rid of the diapers. I told Ava that she was big enough now, and that I have faith in her ability to use the potty instead of a diaper.
Saturday night I boxed all the diapers up and hid them in my closet, and moved her changing table out to the garage. I laid out all her cute little underwear and let her choose her favorite yesterday, Hanna Andersson cupcakes. We pushed liquids all day, and had her sit on her little potty and the regular toilet with a seat inserted. As each hour passed, I went from excited to annoyed to worried.
Finally I found myself staring at the clock at 6:55 and could not decide how we were going to handle her approaching bedtime. I didn't want her to think/know that if she held all day, there was a PullUp available at bedtime. Just like Prudence from Once Upon a Potty, she sat and sat and sat. A teeny bit trickled out and we were so encouraged, but then she cried and cried and said she didn't want to do anymore.
Wouldn't you know, the minute I stepped out of the room, she relaxed and practically filled the little potty! I was so excited, we all were, and we did the potty dance and cheered for her, and then we put a PullUp on her and she pooped in it and we didn't even care! I was completely relieved that she had peed, and excited to start today with a girl that uses the potty.
And then...she refused to sit on the potty this morning before we left to take her brothers to school. She refused at school, and she refused at Target. Even armed with the potty insert to put on a regular sized toilet, she was not having it.
We have been home for almost three hours and she has sat on the potty numerous times and continued refusing. She is taking small sips of her ChickFilA lemonade but apparently her will is strong enough to hold 8 ounces of lemonade plus four ounces of water.
It's 12:45 now and we're about to try again. Wish us luck, because I don't want to be in this particular hell for much longer.
There are many reasons why this is frustrating. One is that she is in complete control of her bladder and bowels. For at least the last six months she has informed me when she has to pee or poop. In the past few months she taught herself to put on her cloth diapers, and when they were wet, she would put them in the laundry room to be cleaned.
She uses this situation as a manipulation tool, waiting until nap or bedtime to poop, specifically to postpone the sleep time. I've tried everything I know, and nothing has worked.
Last week, after consulting a group of women that I'm involved in a positive discipline group with, I decided to bite the bullet and get rid of the diapers. I told Ava that she was big enough now, and that I have faith in her ability to use the potty instead of a diaper.
Saturday night I boxed all the diapers up and hid them in my closet, and moved her changing table out to the garage. I laid out all her cute little underwear and let her choose her favorite yesterday, Hanna Andersson cupcakes. We pushed liquids all day, and had her sit on her little potty and the regular toilet with a seat inserted. As each hour passed, I went from excited to annoyed to worried.
Finally I found myself staring at the clock at 6:55 and could not decide how we were going to handle her approaching bedtime. I didn't want her to think/know that if she held all day, there was a PullUp available at bedtime. Just like Prudence from Once Upon a Potty, she sat and sat and sat. A teeny bit trickled out and we were so encouraged, but then she cried and cried and said she didn't want to do anymore.
Wouldn't you know, the minute I stepped out of the room, she relaxed and practically filled the little potty! I was so excited, we all were, and we did the potty dance and cheered for her, and then we put a PullUp on her and she pooped in it and we didn't even care! I was completely relieved that she had peed, and excited to start today with a girl that uses the potty.
And then...she refused to sit on the potty this morning before we left to take her brothers to school. She refused at school, and she refused at Target. Even armed with the potty insert to put on a regular sized toilet, she was not having it.
We have been home for almost three hours and she has sat on the potty numerous times and continued refusing. She is taking small sips of her ChickFilA lemonade but apparently her will is strong enough to hold 8 ounces of lemonade plus four ounces of water.
It's 12:45 now and we're about to try again. Wish us luck, because I don't want to be in this particular hell for much longer.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Vacation Day
As sad as it sounds, I'm experiencing a vacation day of sorts because of a hurt back. For years I had this back pack on an off, and most of the time it would take 3-4 days until I felt back to normal. Then about five years ago my family and I began getting chiropractic adjustments regularly, and things got better. It was gradual, though, so I can remember three years ago having pain at the same time as I had bronchitis which then turned into pneumonia. Good times, good times.
Over the years I've stopped thinking of myself as someone with a bad back. Yoga, stretching, and chiropractic have really helped eliminate the pain I used to expect a few times a year. And so yesterday afternoon when I felt that little twinge that told me something was wrong, I was caught off guard. The reason for the pain probably has to do with me moving heavy Christmas boxes in the garage yesterday, and now in addition to the pain I have this guilt that my decorations won't be up today and tomorrow as I planned.
What I decided is that a day of true rest might help my back heal more quickly, so I informed my husband at 8 that I'd be staying in bed all day, and so far I have. My oldest son has played waiter, coming in with an imaginary notepad and a great British accent, asking what I'd like. Minutes later he came into my room with a fried egg sandwich, glass of water, and a bowl of Panda Puffs.
I'm reading American Wife, by Curtis Sittenfeld and I'm thankful it's a big book, because I've been glued to it since last night and still have about 50 pages left to go. This computer break was taken not just to catch up on my Facebook friends,but to force me to slow down on the book and enjoy the rest of it.
So, while I'd prefer not to be dealing with this back pain, I'm happy to have my laptop, a book, a tall glass of water, and some solitude. And later when I'm bored out of my mind, I will ask my son to bring up my recipe books so I can weed through the recipes I no longer want to make, and then I'll address and stamp our Christmas cards.
Over the years I've stopped thinking of myself as someone with a bad back. Yoga, stretching, and chiropractic have really helped eliminate the pain I used to expect a few times a year. And so yesterday afternoon when I felt that little twinge that told me something was wrong, I was caught off guard. The reason for the pain probably has to do with me moving heavy Christmas boxes in the garage yesterday, and now in addition to the pain I have this guilt that my decorations won't be up today and tomorrow as I planned.
What I decided is that a day of true rest might help my back heal more quickly, so I informed my husband at 8 that I'd be staying in bed all day, and so far I have. My oldest son has played waiter, coming in with an imaginary notepad and a great British accent, asking what I'd like. Minutes later he came into my room with a fried egg sandwich, glass of water, and a bowl of Panda Puffs.
I'm reading American Wife, by Curtis Sittenfeld and I'm thankful it's a big book, because I've been glued to it since last night and still have about 50 pages left to go. This computer break was taken not just to catch up on my Facebook friends,but to force me to slow down on the book and enjoy the rest of it.
So, while I'd prefer not to be dealing with this back pain, I'm happy to have my laptop, a book, a tall glass of water, and some solitude. And later when I'm bored out of my mind, I will ask my son to bring up my recipe books so I can weed through the recipes I no longer want to make, and then I'll address and stamp our Christmas cards.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Vaccines
Without getting into all of the sordid details, I have a fear of getting my children vaccinated. I know all of the reasons for vaccines, but the bottom line is that the heavy metals scare the crap out of me. I've read pages and pages of research to support both sides of the vaccine debate and yet I still feel that rather than making a truly informed decision, I'm burying my head in the sand.
My five year old had about six vaccines, spread out over 7 months and only one dose at a time. We rejected any combination vaccines, and then when it was obvious to me at a year that he was speech delayed (he had no sounds at all besides Dada and Mama), we stopped completely and never went back.
The baby is almost 15 months and hasn't had one vaccine. She has been enrolled in an early intervention program since April that addresses her low strength issues. A PT comes to our home once a week for an hour long session, and although she is doing great and has made incredible strides, she is still not walking and so she qualified for six more months of services.
It seems risky to me to vaccinate kids that have neurological delays; it's like asking for trouble as far as I'm concerned. But on the other hand, now that they are both older and their immune systems are a little stronger, I think often about how nice it would be to know they are protected from something like pertussis.
We have a 15 month check in two weeks and I've promised myself that I will make a real decision before then. One of the ways I plan to do that is by finally reading the Vaccine Book by Dr. Bob Sears; a friend recommended it a few months ago and it's been sitting on my shelf ever since. Once I make a decision I know I'll feel confident in it.
My five year old had about six vaccines, spread out over 7 months and only one dose at a time. We rejected any combination vaccines, and then when it was obvious to me at a year that he was speech delayed (he had no sounds at all besides Dada and Mama), we stopped completely and never went back.
The baby is almost 15 months and hasn't had one vaccine. She has been enrolled in an early intervention program since April that addresses her low strength issues. A PT comes to our home once a week for an hour long session, and although she is doing great and has made incredible strides, she is still not walking and so she qualified for six more months of services.
It seems risky to me to vaccinate kids that have neurological delays; it's like asking for trouble as far as I'm concerned. But on the other hand, now that they are both older and their immune systems are a little stronger, I think often about how nice it would be to know they are protected from something like pertussis.
We have a 15 month check in two weeks and I've promised myself that I will make a real decision before then. One of the ways I plan to do that is by finally reading the Vaccine Book by Dr. Bob Sears; a friend recommended it a few months ago and it's been sitting on my shelf ever since. Once I make a decision I know I'll feel confident in it.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Black bean brownies
Sounds pretty gross, doesn't it? My friend Gina and I were talking about brownies and how they are a weakness of ours, and she suggested a tip she learned at Weight Watchers. When making a box of brownies, instead of the oil and eggs, add a can of black beans. Can you imagine? The good thing about this is you're lowering the fat considerably and upping the fiber big time. Since all three of my kids tend to um, how can I say this delicately? Since they tend to get a bit backed up, I am always trying to increase their fiber intake.
Normally I make Barefoot Contessa's Outrageous Brownies , but in a pinch I'll buy Ghiardelli brownie mix. It's pretty close to BC's, and much less time intensive. So today that's what my husband picked up, and although I normally bake with my 5 year old, I made the brownies on my own so he wouldn't see the secret ingredient. No one even noticed anything was different. It's hard to believe, but I'll make them like this again for sure.
When Jessica Seinfeld's book was all the rage, I made a few of those recipes, including cookies made with chick peas. Over the years I've hidden vegetables in things like tomato sauce, but Jessica inspired me to try chicken tenders and fish fillets dipped in sweet potatoes and squash as well as pancakes made with an orange puree of I'm not sure what. Most of the time the boys realize that something's different, which is why I was surprised the black bean brownies went over so well.
Normally I make Barefoot Contessa's Outrageous Brownies , but in a pinch I'll buy Ghiardelli brownie mix. It's pretty close to BC's, and much less time intensive. So today that's what my husband picked up, and although I normally bake with my 5 year old, I made the brownies on my own so he wouldn't see the secret ingredient. No one even noticed anything was different. It's hard to believe, but I'll make them like this again for sure.
When Jessica Seinfeld's book was all the rage, I made a few of those recipes, including cookies made with chick peas. Over the years I've hidden vegetables in things like tomato sauce, but Jessica inspired me to try chicken tenders and fish fillets dipped in sweet potatoes and squash as well as pancakes made with an orange puree of I'm not sure what. Most of the time the boys realize that something's different, which is why I was surprised the black bean brownies went over so well.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
No Garbage for a Year
Recently while skimming one of the six homeschool yahoo groups I'm subscribed to (what can I say, I'm a bit obsessive), something about garbage caught my eye. A poster was asking for recommendations for the best waste removal companies in the Atlanta area. She went on to say that for the past year her family had only had one bag of garbage a month, and so rather than pay for a weekly service, she took her garbage directly to a dump. But now they were generating more garbage, a whole four bags a month, and the dump was now charging and she thought it might be cheaper to pay for a service that would pick up.
Normally garbage is not a very exciting topic to discuss, but because of how a)competitive and b)environmentally conscious I am, I needed to know more. I asked how many were in her family and how she managed this feat. As I waited for her reply, I thought about the mounds of garbage we throw out each week, even with composting, cloth diapering, recycling, and trying to limit what comes into our home in the first place. But one bag of garbage a month? I convinced myself that she was single, worked long hours, traveled a lot and ate most of her meals out of the house.
Imagine my surprise when I heard back from the no garbage lady and she informed me that hers was a family of five, just like mine! The big difference between her family and mine is that they are vegans and we most definitely are not. But still...how much garbage does being a carnivore generate?
Thus began my garbage research. I started talking to like-minded people trying to find out how much garbage they had each week or month. A woman at a homeschool group, who has a family of six told me that they had two bags a week. My competitive spirit kicked into overdrive and I began studying what type of garbage we had the most of each day.
I quickly realized that we could and should be recycling all of our paper, rather than just newspapers and magazines as we had been. I set up recycling boxes under each desk in the house to help with this process and so far it's working well. Next I moved on to food garbage. The garbage lady mentioned that they cooked everything from scratch, which she felt reduced the amount of waste, but I cook from scratch too, so that didn't make sense. I looked at my waste removal company's website and found out that we can recycle cardboard too, so now our cereal and cracker boxes get thrown into the recycling bin.
Even with these changes, there is no way we could only have one bag a month! So for now my goal is to be more aware, to take the empty egg cartons to Publix to place in their egg carton recycling bin, and to get our weekly garbage down to 4 bags.
Normally garbage is not a very exciting topic to discuss, but because of how a)competitive and b)environmentally conscious I am, I needed to know more. I asked how many were in her family and how she managed this feat. As I waited for her reply, I thought about the mounds of garbage we throw out each week, even with composting, cloth diapering, recycling, and trying to limit what comes into our home in the first place. But one bag of garbage a month? I convinced myself that she was single, worked long hours, traveled a lot and ate most of her meals out of the house.
Imagine my surprise when I heard back from the no garbage lady and she informed me that hers was a family of five, just like mine! The big difference between her family and mine is that they are vegans and we most definitely are not. But still...how much garbage does being a carnivore generate?
Thus began my garbage research. I started talking to like-minded people trying to find out how much garbage they had each week or month. A woman at a homeschool group, who has a family of six told me that they had two bags a week. My competitive spirit kicked into overdrive and I began studying what type of garbage we had the most of each day.
I quickly realized that we could and should be recycling all of our paper, rather than just newspapers and magazines as we had been. I set up recycling boxes under each desk in the house to help with this process and so far it's working well. Next I moved on to food garbage. The garbage lady mentioned that they cooked everything from scratch, which she felt reduced the amount of waste, but I cook from scratch too, so that didn't make sense. I looked at my waste removal company's website and found out that we can recycle cardboard too, so now our cereal and cracker boxes get thrown into the recycling bin.
Even with these changes, there is no way we could only have one bag a month! So for now my goal is to be more aware, to take the empty egg cartons to Publix to place in their egg carton recycling bin, and to get our weekly garbage down to 4 bags.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Volunteering
A few months ago I mentioned that I'd agreed to co-chair our school's Auction, which aside from the capital campaign is the biggest fundraiser they have each year. Although it was a tough decision at first, because of how time consuming it is, I set up firm parameters with my co-chair, parameters that will allow me to fall asleep at night without worrying how to price the sterling silver necklace that was donated for silent auction.
My co-chair is great; she's like me two kids ago with boundless energy and great ideas. She's incredibly organized and well connected. I'm enjoying working with her immensely.
The event will be at the Marriott in Alpharetta, a location we have held Auction in the past. The space meets our needs perfectly, the price means we will be able to turn a profit on ticket sales, and the community is happy we've selected it again. It's so nice to be involved with something so exciting.
Tonight at dinner I was discussing some of the details with my family, and one of my children asked why I wanted to spend so much time on planning this big party. I was stumped for a minute and then I found my words and shared with him how important I think it is to give back to a place that gives so much to our family.
There are many benefits of being involved, such as getting to know the families at school, supporting the dedicated staff, and being an important part of our children’s education. My main reason for volunteering is that, along with a group of very committed parents, I am helping to change the world where my son spends his days.
My co-chair is great; she's like me two kids ago with boundless energy and great ideas. She's incredibly organized and well connected. I'm enjoying working with her immensely.
The event will be at the Marriott in Alpharetta, a location we have held Auction in the past. The space meets our needs perfectly, the price means we will be able to turn a profit on ticket sales, and the community is happy we've selected it again. It's so nice to be involved with something so exciting.
Tonight at dinner I was discussing some of the details with my family, and one of my children asked why I wanted to spend so much time on planning this big party. I was stumped for a minute and then I found my words and shared with him how important I think it is to give back to a place that gives so much to our family.
There are many benefits of being involved, such as getting to know the families at school, supporting the dedicated staff, and being an important part of our children’s education. My main reason for volunteering is that, along with a group of very committed parents, I am helping to change the world where my son spends his days.
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