What Goes Around

The entire month of March, give or take a couple of days, some member of the Royal family has been sick.  So, so much fun.  And it wasn't just one illness that hit each one of us, it was the combo.  Fever, throwing up, coughing, sneezing, 20,000 boxes of tissue runny noses, sometimes even a double dip (Princess #2 and I both got sick twice) like I said, fun.

School crept along at a snail's pace depending on who was sick, I should mention that we have a couple of Oscar contenders in the dramatic category when they get sick.

Poots training, believe it or not, has continued to go splendidly.  Of course, the Prince being dehydrated, probably helped our cause while he was sick.

Knitting was done it bits and snatches.  I purchased huge balls of colorful acrylic for the older Princesses and they have been going to town.  Princess #1 is making a garter stitch blanket with her ball and Princess #2 is making herself a poncho.  It's been fun to watch their confidence take off as they attempt "real" patterns.

However, I am hearing lots of these kind of phrases now:

"In a minute Mom, I'm in the middle of a row."

"But Mom, I really need to get five more rounds done before I stop."

"I really, really feel like I need to knit."

"Can we take a knitting break?"

And for the record, they came up with the last two phrases on their own, I promise.

Poots Update

I hesitate to mention how potty training is going here at the Castle.  It is going so well, that I am typing this post with one hand, while knocking on a piece of wood with the other! {grin} This is because in my experience, as a mama, the minute you say things like, "Oh yah? Well, my little Susie has been sleeping through the night for weeks now!", then that very same night, little Susie will be up fifty bazillion times.  It's true.  Kids love nothing better than to prove their parents wrong.  From this opinion, I cannot be swayed.

So, where was I?  Oh yah, the Prince is doing awesome.  Even went so far as to stay dry during our errand running this morning, even though he told us the entire.way.home. that he needed to "poots".  We're at the point where he is wearing his big boy unders all day, except for sleeping and is doing pretty darn well at telling us that he needs to go.  Secretly, the King and I are still waiting for the other shoe to drop as far as his training goes.  We're keeping our hopes on the down-low that this first run is a success.

All this being said, to show you this little gem of a product! I think these would be very handy in toddler size!  I could have a box in every room and the car!!

On Poots and Beds

So, I don't know about you, dear readers, but potty training is one of my least favorite duties as Mama.  It is probably second, only, to being consistent. {grin}  And it has begun here at the castle for the last (please God) time.  I'm not ready to start, but the Prince seems to think he is. And if there is one piece of advice this tired Mama can give you, it's this, if your child is telling you that they have a wet diaper, then start potty training if you haven't already.  It has been that little gem of knowledge that I have been studiously ignoring these past couple weeks, and decided that today I needed to "man-up" and get serious before that window closes.

Our Prince calls every down-low bodily function, "poots".  It's cute.  It gets this Mama rushing.  Today we spent entirely on the wood floors waiting for poots.  Princess #1 helped me set up the potty chair, the paper towels, the sanitizing wipes, the extra socks, big boy unders, and other garments necessary to make this first day go smoothly.  I prefer the $60 method of potty training.  It involves a lot of toddler nudity, a lot of paper towels, a lot of laundry and one good carpet cleaning when everything is said and done, but no pull-ups.  But it seems to be more effective, and dare, I say, quicker (again, please God).

The Prince did well, hit the target several times, the floor a few more than that.  I think we were averaging about a 1:4 ratio this morning!  That's pretty good for a first day out.  Especially when your first day out, followed your first night in a BIG BOY BED (that is the Prince shouting).  Yep, we put away the crib for the last (and again, please God) time.  So far, he is staying put, which is always my biggest thing.  I put you in bed, not as a possible option to spend your time, but as your place of residence until I'm ready to see you again! {grin}  However, around midnight he was crying, I rushed in there to find him under the bed, in his own words, "scared", but he went right back to sleep, so it's all good.

I've said it before, and am sure to say it again, but is it just me, or does this boy have the warp drive on???

Overheard in the bathroom: Part II

Tonight while I am elbow deep in kneading bread, Princess #3 yells, "I'm all done!" since she has finished with her business.

The king heads in to help her, bless his heart, and I hear this:

"Hi, I'm Daddy and I'll be your wiper tonight."

The man cracks me up.

Yeah for Baby Legs!!

Well, I bought some baby legs a week or so ago. Basically they are just leg warmers that fit a baby's legs from ankle to chubby thigh. (The packaging states they fit size 0-10 years.) I must say that they are wonderful for potty training. We have thrown out the pull-ups with the exception of nap and bedtime and are just using "big girl panties" with Princess #3. Of course some days are better than others as far as accidents, but I've noticed that if she's in pants, she tends to have more accidents. So when we're home it's baby legs with a skirt and she's doing great.

This morning has been one of our best days in real panties and I have needed a good one here lately as far as potty training is concerned.

A Poop Story

It's been a while since I've had a good poop story to share, so I felt the urge so to speak. (Sorry I'm kind of in a slap happy mood here as I type. It's been a long weekend. My hubby and I are both sick with the cold that the girls have had and continue to have, and I'm a little stir-crazy. I told him today that I want to sit and watch TV that is inappropriate for little eyes to see, since I have to sit through adult inappropriate TV (namely PBS kids and the same Little People video over and over . . .) when they are sick. He agreed. But I digress . . .)

Anyway, consider yourself warned about what is to follow. So I am doing school with the oldest Princess, when Princess #3 comes in and tells me that she needs to go potty. I am ecstatic-she very seldom asks, and she wasn't feeling well, so I wasn't pushing the potty, and here she was asking! (Oh I forgot to tell you, I have decided to start wearing more dresses and skirts (for no really good reason other than just because I'm in the mood for a change) and had this same morning had put on a new skirt and tights for the first time. Okay, now you've got the visual.) So we race to the bathroom, and with no forethought at all, no sniff test, I just whip off the tiny princess' drawers. Only to discover that my darling had already taken care of both businesses, the second fresh on my hand and now all down her legs. Since she had been sick it was the messy-extra icky kind, so I kinda leaned her against my leg as I wiped up the offensive mess. When I get done with what I could see behind, I put her up on the potty, only to realize that the front needed cleaning too. Yech! After I get that all cleaned up, I start to notice a wet spot on my leg. I look down and realize that in her leaning, I got poop on my skirt. Nice. But being the resourceful (okay, lazy!) mom that I am, I decide to rinse off my skirt (hey, it was a brown print anyway), and move on with the day.

I get back to doing school, I am trying to kinda fan my skirt so the wet spot will dry, but I keep smelling poop. I decide to rewash my hands. Still smelling it. I decide to sniff my skirt (yes, I am a mother of three kids--way past being grossed out with the sniff test). I get a little whiff. Sniff the lining, stronger whiff. Lift up the skirt and lining and see that my problem is a patch of poop had soaked into my tights!! That was it, the final straw. Ran up, and changed my skirt and tights into jeans and socks. And that was my first day of casual skirt wearing.

Frankly, I am a little scared to try again . . .

Potty Training Woes . . . A Soon to Be Miniseries!

Brace yourselves for a flurry of blogging on the same subject! Potty training has begun in semi-earnest at the castle. The tiniest princess is being prepped and prodded to accomplish this feat! She is loving the sticker rewards and the "special" candy as it is dubbed in our home. It's just mommy that needs to be reminded to take her. We had a great day Sunday, she stayed dry for most of the day (except nap), so I was set for Monday! We didn't have the distraction of the baby to watch, so I was ready. But somehow the little one didn't get the memo. She kicked, screamed, generally made taking her to the potty so horrible that I let her win.

Yesterday was a good day. I managed to remember to take her to the bathroom(okay I set the timer, but I had to remember what the timer was for!), and she was agreeable. But today I keep forgetting to take her--too much with school and babysitting, life in general. I hate to say it, but we may have to do "commando" training (just for my sake!). Maybe a few puddles on the floor will remind me to take her! Of course this time of year isn't so great for that style of potty-training, but after talking to a gal at Bunco, who is training her daughter this way, it sounds like I just need to purchase some leg warmers!