"I'll be a big boy when I'm in Kindergarten"

So I have been working on potty training Guy for almost a year now, off and on.  I started putting more effort into it once I found out I was expecting but have really not gotten the kind of results I have been hoping for.

At first, he just didn't get it.  He didn't understand what his body's cues were.  We would sit him on the potty, and if he went he went if he didn't he didn't.  I know that is a normal starting place, but for him it seemed to last a really long time.  He finally got to the point where I think he knows the cues, and he can hold it, but he just doesn't care.  If I put him on the potty, he can and does usually go.  But if I don't make the effort to put him on the potty, he doesn't care to use the potty.  He will just go where ever he is, what ever he is doing, what ever he is wearing.  It is so frustrating at times.

I don't know how to make him care.  I know it needs to be his choice, but I don't know how to incorporate it.  I have tried giving him a treat if he puts something in the potty.  He likes the treat, he likes to get it, but not enough for him to go to get the treat.  I've tried reading books to him on the potty.  All that seems to do however if make it so that when we are in the bathroom we are in there for a really long time, even if he goes right up front.  He won't ask to use the potty so that he can read the book.  I have tried giving him stickers for every time he sits on the potty.  Just like the treat, he likes the stickers, but not enough to go to the potty on his own initiative.

I have tried giving him rewards for staying clean and dry for a predetermined amount of time.  It worked for a little while, but then lost it's intrinsic value.  I have tried having him wear a pull-up, I have tried having him wear underwear, I have tried having him wear nothing.  He just doesn't care.  He doesn't care if he is a mess, he doesn't care if he makes a mess.  I'm kind of at a loss as what to try.

A few weeks ago when we were dropping Cinderella off at her school for Kindergarten, he told me he wanted to go to preschool.  I told him he can go when he can stay clean and dry, because they don't let kids who still make messes in their pants go.  Later that same day we needed to go to Cinderella's school and visit her class.  As we were walking up to the school, Guy told me that they didn't like him at this school, because he still makes messes in his pants.  I told him that they would let him come in the school, but he can't go to school, like a big boy, until he doesn't make messes in his pants.

Then a few days ago, he told me he will be a big boy when he is in Kindergarten.  I asked what he meant.  He told me, that he won't make messes in his pants anymore when he is in Kindergarten.  I asked him if he could be a big boy before he goes to Kindergarten, to which he said "no".  I told him he had to learn how to be a big boy so they would let him go to Kindergarten.  He said, that he would.  I asked him if he could be a big boy that day and keep his pants clean and dry.  He said, "No, I already put stinks in my pants."

On the other hand, Aurora loves to use the potty.  She will grab onto her diaper and if I ask her if she wants to sit on the potty, she will nod her head.  She is still in the stage, where she doesn't actually put anything in the potty, but she loves to sit on it.  I keep telling myself that I should just forget about trying to get Guy to use the potty and work on Aurora, but I have been trying to get Guy to use the bathroom for so long, it has become a habit, and one that is dying hard, while trying to get Aurora to use the potty, and I find that I still put most of the effort into Guy.

Oh well, I guess we will see what happens in 2 months when the baby comes.  I might have 3 in diapers, 2 in diapers, or just 1 in diapers.  But as to who, other than the baby, that will be still waits to be seen.

Cancer Update

The woman with cancer, Vicky, just passed away yesterday evening.  The good news for her is she is no longer suffering.  The bad news for her family is now they feel the loss of their mother and wife, and are left with enormous hospital bills, and funeral expenses.

To help relieve some of these expenses there will be a charity yard sale/ bake sale from 7:00-10:00 AM on the morning of September 18th, at the local elementary school.  Then we will be having a charity kickball tournament later that morning starting at 11:00 and going to around 2:00, also at the elementary.

If you would like more info please leave a comment with your e-mail address and I will try to get back to you.  Please feel free to donate any items for the yard sale or bake sale.  The only stipulation is for all food items need to be individually wrapped.  Also if you would be interested in donating funds, you can go to help4vicky.blogspot.com  and click on the donate button at the top, the funds will go to a paypal account that will be donated to the family.

Cancer

Isn't cancer a terrible thing?  Thankfully I don't have it, but there is a mom in my neighborhood that does.  She is 10-15 years older than I am and has 5 children.  The youngest is only 2.  She was diagnosed in April, and has now been given days to live.  Her husband has medical disabilities and is unable to work.  Up until April, she was the sole bread winner in her family.  As soon as she was diagnosed her husband started selling bottles of water to try to raise funds to cover medical bills.  1 bottle for $1.

Some women in the community who have been touched by this families situation are trying to put together some activities to raise funds to help this family.  If you would like to participate, or just donate an amount please send an e-mail to help4vicki@gmail.com

I'll give more info on the activities that are being planned as soon as it becomes available.  

They're Back

If they ever even left.  We've had another mouse sighting.  This time in a different part of the house, and unfortunately it was Cinderella who saw it.  I've seen one out in the garden, and I've had a few neighboors tell me they have had mouse problems too.  It sounds like it may be a neighboorhood problems.  Now to figure out what to do.  Personally I don't want a cat, but I prefer cats to mice.  But we will see what other options we can come up with.  Maybe just more traps for now.

Isn't it a great playground?

So tonight while they were supposed to be getting ready for bed, Guy found some little people toys in the girls room and decided to play.

 The big line looks like a typical Guy set up so I didn't think anything of it, till I heard him explaining it to Cinderella.

So if you look at the picture above you will notice that the line goes to the barn.  From there the person at the head of the line climbs onto the horses back, to get to the loft.

 From the loft there is a ladder.

The ladder goes to the top of the playground.  So the person follows the ladder to the playground and then goes down the slide.

 And into the waiting bus.  Oh, and the sippy cup is a prize for the winner.
 

And all the animals and people are lined up for this attraction.

Then Guy turns to me and says, "Isn't it a great playground?"

It amazes me the ideas these kids come up with.

Oh Snap!

OK so this post is a bit delayed.  A little over a week ago we caught our first mouse.  1 down, ? left to go. 

My husband apologized for not getting any pictures for the blog.  I told him that is perfectly OK.

Roses

So we bought this house a little over a year ago.  One of the things this house came with is some rose bushes in the back yard.  Last year with Aurora being born, and moving in in late spring, etc. Our roses didn't really receive any care. 

There where what looked like 3 bushes along the back of the house.

One right near the door that was just one little twig and got one or two blossoms last year.  Then the middle one had dark pink wild rose blossoms, and grew really tall.  Then the one on the other end is actually 2 planted close together.  One with light pink blossoms, and the other with white. 

Mid summer last year I pruned off the dead heads down to leaf sets of 5, as to the instructions I got from my mother, of how she cares for her roses, however they never bloomed again last year.

Well this spring, I wanted to make sure that I gave them the care they needed, so I consulted my mom as to what she does for her roses.  She told me she prunes them back to about 2-3 inches from the ground.  So that is what I did.  The one closest to the door appreciated the pruning and has grown quite a bit this year, but has yet to put out any blossoms. 

The wild rose has grown quite big again, and has finally started putting out blossoms again.  However I am slightly confused, I'll tell you why.  The first blossoms it has put out were the wild ones like last year,  but just this morning on a low branch I found some little pink rose buds, that as they are opening, don't look wild at all.

Light pink blossoms on middle bush.

The wild blossoms on the middle bush

Also my light pink rose bush, put out some blossoms that looked like what I expected them to look like, but then I also found this morning some dark pink, wild blossoms, like the bush next to it.

The wild looking blossoms on my light pink rose bush

If anyone knows more about roses than I do, and has any suggestions as to why my bushes are behaving this way, I would appreciate the insight.

Oh and yes I know there is morning glory all over my roses, I need to pull it out.  One step at a time.