06.28.07

And yet we’d been doing so well…

Posted in Emma, Parenting at 5:15 pm by Anne

today not so much.

number of times Emma pee’d on the floor: 2

number of times Emma poo’d…on the dog’s bed: 1

I am wondering if that 7-panty pack of brand new princess panties was a little premature. Not for me but for her. As of now I am so tired of cleaning pee and poo. So tired. Ask me tomorrow. Maybe I’ll be in a better mood.

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06.25.07

some days i feel like this.

Posted in Uncategorized at 5:22 pm by Anne

some days i feel like this.

Originally uploaded by Dux

These past few days have swung between the extremes of being either really excellent or not. We drove to Ft Worth Sunday and spent the day with some great people that just happen to be relatives. Altho the zoo was incredible, and altho there were two more adults available to play interference with the kids, Shan and I determined that the zoo will be even better when Emma is Lily’s age (4). Piper took it all in as long as she could but it was just a lot of sun and heat and noise (not to mention the occasional stanky animal stink), and as a result we only managed to see about half of the zoo offerings. I’m with Shan. It IS bittersweet to see all these creatures in pens.

On the one hand it was heartbreaking, especially one chimpanzee in particular who laid on a stone shelf, not moving anything but it’s disconcertingly human-like eyes. It made and held eye contact with me to the point that I was ashamed to be there, peering through the glass. Just another interloper- voyeur.

On the other hand, how else can so many people have the opportunity to see with their own two eyes these incredible animals?

In any event, it was a dream come true to spend the rest of our time there at our Counsin’s new dwelling. I won’t go into detail about how lovely it is but I am happy to brag about their awesome swimming pool because we spent a few memorable hours in it with our girls. My Lord. There should be a swimming pool in everyone’s backyard here in Texas, especially mine in a few years when everyone knows how to swim.

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06.21.07

potty progress

Posted in Emma, Parenting at 10:03 pm by Anne

Today she poo’d twice in the toilet. The first happened while we were visiting friends and she didn’t even alert anybody. She just found the bathroom by herself and got busy. I was pretty impressed with her ingenuity to be honest. Then, later, while I was preparing supper at home, she trotted off calling out after a few minutes “I went poo poo in the toilet Mommy!”

I turned the burner off the green beans and walked in to find definitive poo in the toilet. While helping her with the flushing and washing aspects, I glanced down and saw her panties wadded up on the floor. Not a particularly encouraging sign. I was only slightly distressed to discover them completely sodden with urine, after all my girl had just poo’d in the toilet againt! “Emma…” I began, ” where did you go pee?” Was it wrong for me to fervently wish she had pee’d in the toilet next to the log? But it was not to be. She held an arm out and pointed right in front of me. At the washbasin. “You pee’d in the sink?” I asked, trying not to sound incredulous. “No, Mommy, not the sink.” I had to bend my knees and crouch down a bit to see where she was pointing and sure enough, she had not pee’d in the sink. No. In fact she had pee’d on the counter next to the sink. And the pee and run down the edge and pooled on the floor.

Remind me again how long it took Lily to be completely trained? A year?

Holyfrackin’moly.

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06.18.07

now hear this…now hear this…

Posted in Emma, Parenting at 9:30 pm by Anne

Emma has pooped in the toilet. I repeat, Emma has pooped in the toilet!

Wa-hooo!! (I haven’t been this excited since we got a new washer and dryer a few years ago.)

Go Potty, go potty, go potty goooooooo! I may need to purchase some more small clothing for the little tyke!

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southern supper

Posted in Uncategorized at 9:47 am by Anne

southern supper

Originally uploaded by Dux

I know, I know, I should have opened the aperture a little more but let me tell you about this anyway.

In the early summer months, our roads are covered up with fresh produce stands. I am not so naive as to believe every stand grows their own but the produce is fresh enough and it is still fun to peck around and pick out some good things for our table.

Last friday Shan stopped and picked out some home-grown tomatoes,(Heaven with light sprinkling of salt and pepper) baby red potatoes (drizzled with olive oil, dusted with salt and pepper, and roasted until fork tender), gigantic green beans (sauteed with onion and butter), and okra (dipped in milk, rolled in cornmeal, and pan fried to crisp perfection- the only way to eat okra.) The corn he picked from a nearby field and I steamed it and cut it off the cob, thinking the girls would be more inclined to eat it. HAH!

And this is how we eat from time to time in the summer.

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06.13.07

waterspray

Posted in Uncategorized at 2:17 pm by Anne

waterspray

Originally uploaded by Dux

they fight. they play. they fight. they play. they fight. they play.

The day we got this pool at Target, I had all three girls with me. Towards the end of the spree, as I tried to ease through the aisle of clearance picnic gear (because one cannot have too much clearance picnic gear) , Lily started to moo. As in, her mouth pursed into the shape and an ‘o’ and out came that sound a bovine makes. Then of course Emma joined her. They put on a mini-concert, there in the clearance aisle, which destroyed my ability to concentrate and quickly began to frazzle my last nerve.

A middle-aged Grandma at the other end of the aisle chuckled at us, a slow-moving trainwreck as we passed and said, “you’ll never regret it.”

And I know she is right. I never will.

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A meeting of the minds

Posted in Uncategorized at 7:07 am by Anne

Last night I attended another MOPS Steering meeting and it was good. I can’t say that any of the women are evil witches or supercatty, in fact, more than a few have shown distinct possible future friend qualities. And you know me, I’m always on the loookout for possible kindred spirits. So why do I have to remind myself every so often of how great I have it? If you can figure that one out, you may know other secrets of the universe as well and I wish you’d share them with me.

Here’s a list to remind me.

What I am not defined by:
Large beautiful breasts
The number or size of diamonds on my fingers
A perfect little nose
Anything that money can buy
The number of compliments I receive

What I am defined by:
My kindness
My sensitivity
My children
How my family feels about me
What I give to others

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06.10.07

rearing spider

Posted in Uncategorized at 5:03 pm by Anne

rearing spider

Originally uploaded by Dux

Perhaps the most memorable event from the family reunion. Anyone out there afraid of tarantulas?

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06.07.07

accident prone

Posted in Emma, Lily, Parenting at 7:44 am by Anne

I knew I was forgetting something yesterday as we bundled out the door to playdate. Baby? check. Diaper bag? check. Lily and Emma with brushed hair? um. not so much but what are a few dredlocks amongst friends? So we get there and the kids start playing and the adults start talking and everyone is having a big old time until a few hours later my friend asks “Is Emma wearing a diaper? Her shorts look all wet.”

oops.

*the explanation*
Other than the main reason for potty training, which is complete diaper independence, we need Emma to stop wearing diapers because of her sensitive skin. She has a lowgrade rash constantly that ebbs and flows depending on the contents of said diapers and the only way to clear the skin is to bathe the affected region and expose it to air. She has a few pairs of new underdrawers, all decorated with my little pony icons, and lately I had been letting her walk around the house in them. Those, along with the new video “go potty go” (thanks Colleen), and plenty of encouragement has resulted in a mediocre-at-best potty showing. I know Emma will get there when she is totally ready but in the meantime I am doing my best to point her, perhaps hastily, in that direction.
*end explanation*

Sure enough, I had forgotten to change Emz into a diaper before playgroup and she had pee’d through her clothing. Great, because of course I didn’t have a change of clothing for her, and naturally following playgroup I had to take Piper to her 4 month doctors appointment which left no time to stop by the house on the way there. (Bless Kelli for wiping up the mess as I nursed Pipez.) Then, bless Kelli again for watching Lily while I took the other two to the doctor. Yeah, I felt pretty good about bringing Emz along in her food-covered tanktop and ruddy diaper. not.

After four vaccine shots and one oral vaccine, Pipez was good to go (at least I think that’s what she was trying to communicate via the screaming and out of control crying.) We went back to pick up Lily but stayed a while to visit and nurse and drink sangria. In the middle of glass one, Emma calls down from the upstairs, “Moooooommmmyyy, Lily went peepee!”

Oh.Please.God.

I handed Piper to Kelli because she doesn’t need to clean up after one of my children more than once a day, and bounded up the stairs to find Lily nude, standing next to a drenched pair of drawers and underpants. “What happened Lily?! Where did you pee?” She pointed to the bathroom and began stammering some kind of explanation about ‘moving a stool out of the way’ when I notice the ENTIRE BATHROOM FLOOR is covered in urine.

Nice. and thank you so much.

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06.04.07

Playin’ in the mud

Posted in Uncategorized at 4:57 pm by Anne

Playin’ in the mud

Originally uploaded by Dux

remember those days when you could stomp around in the mud after or during a rainstorm?

good times. good times.

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