girls weekend with a mission

Last Friday, Bryan packed up the boys and headed out of town while Lydia and I stayed home for a "girls' weekend". We did all kinds of girls things - baking cookies and taking a bubble bath in Mom's big tub and painting our nails and craft projects and watching chic flix...well, only if "The Wonder Pets"counts. It was truly a fun time...much quieter and slower-paced without the boys. But it wasn't all fun and games - I had an agenda. It was time for Lydia to say good-bye to diapers for good. The 3 Day Potty Training strategies worked wonderfully for us again, and I am so proud of our little Lydia.I'm not just proud because she learned to use the potty. She has been "ready" for a while now, but there were two things stopping us: our crazy transitional summer, and her absolute stone-cold fear of the process. So, I'm proud of Lydia for facing her fear to accomplish her goal.Even if her goal was getting a My Little Pony's toy. She not only gained an important skill, she gained confidence in her ability to do something she perceived as difficult. What a treasure it is to be her Mom!

terrible twos times two

According to their birthdates, for four glorious months, we have two little *angels* who are two. Developmentally, we've already had two little *angels* who are Terrible Two for about four months, and I'm guessing we're just getting started.

In the midst of a particularly Terrible morning a couple months back, I called my mom for some sympathy. She was oh-so-encouraging when she snickered, "Yep, the Terrible Twos! They start at 18 months and go right up to the 4th birthday!" Obviously, that includes all of my children, and was not exactly the comforting words I was seeking.

Tantrums, limit-testing, and mischief. All magnified by the fact that there's another doing the same thing-not to mention their brother in all his antics. Noise and messes and crisis everywhere for 15 hours a day. We are told these days will be gone before we know it. Our kids will grow up too fast - we are told. Enjoy them while they are little, people say.

Okay, I'll try.

good news week

It's been a good news week!

1. We got everything squared away with Brett's preschool and fall schedule. At first, the district wanted to put him in a 3-day-a-week afternoon class. Brett still needs his afternoon naps, so I asked if there were any morning options. There was an opening in a church-based Tues/Thurs morning class, so we took it. It is an integrated class with five students receiving special education services. Brett will continue his private speech therapy Mon and Wed mornings, leaving Fridays commitment-free!

2. I reconnected with an inner-city children's ministry that, what seems like a lifetime ago, was what I called my "first baby". I'm excited that our family is going to provide a meal for the after school program once a month!

3. My work contract doubled from 8 hours a month to 16! I'm planning to work every Thursday afternoon this school year. (My long-term goal is to gradually increase my hours to half-time by the time all the kids are in school.)

4. We had a tenant sign a lease for our house! They move in this Saturday. Guess when our first mortgage payment on our new house is? Next Thursday. Getting the house ready for the renters has kept us busy for the last week. I transplanted some strawberries. They look really sad right now, but hopefully I'll have a nice strawberry patch again in a couple years. I also transplanted some irises my grandma had given us for our first home.

the airplane and the park

It is always interesting how young minds process information. For example, the concept of their daddy going to an office building to "work" everyday is too abstract because they haven't experienced it with him.

What stands out in their minds, though, is that when Daddy travels for work and is gone for a couple days, Daddy tells them he is going on an airplane. The kids know airplanes as things that fly over our house, and they all shout "Airplane!" and point. Which leads them to conclude that, if he is not currently present, Daddy must be "working" on that airplane.

A few days ago, Daddy's "work" had a social gathering at a park and families were invited to attend. I told the kids we were going to a park with Daddy's "work". Boy, Daddy's "work" was a lot of fun! So much fun that they have been asking to go back to Daddy's "work" all week!