Monday, August 20, 2012

July

Oh July, you flew by so fast that it is now nearing the end of August.  Oh well, it will be nice when (if) things cool off.

It has been so hot this summer that we play inside a lot (thank you new air conditioner). When we do go outside, it is either early, late, or involves water.


Ethan loves playing in his pool.  His favorite activities are gargling and splashing Mom.


While Ethan plays outside, Elizabeth plays on a blanket.  She loves it when it is windy.




This was just cute so I had to include it.



July brought an exciting advancement/addition/finish to our house.  The upstairs bathroom finally got finished!  Well almost, there are still a few finishing touches that need to be done but we can now at least use the bathtub and shower!  After a couple of frustrating years and multiple setbacks, we finally have a bathtub again!  Ethan loves taking baths and asks to take them all the time.  I think I enjoy the bathtub just as much as Ethan, and yes, sometimes I use his Sesame Street bubble bath.



Early in July we attended the Jeppson Reunion - my mom's family.  This year it was at a cabin outside of Preston, Idaho.  I wasn't adventurous enough to sleep at the cabin with a toddler and a baby, but we spent the day there getting very dirty.


This is the anual marshmallow auction.  We bid on exciting prizes with mini-marshmallows.  Ethan scored some bubbles and one of those nasty, slimy balls (he loves them but I won't buy one because I can't stand how they smell and feel).




The next weekend we attended the Wood Reunion in Alpine, Utah - Sam's mom's family.

Every year for as long as Sam can remember they play a sawdust game.  They hide candy and money in sawdust and set a timer and let the kids go at it.  Ethan was hesitant at first because he does not like to get his hands dirty, but once he realized there was candy he got excited.


Another Wood Reunion tradition: The Hokey Pokey.  Ethan is dancing with his Aunt Amy and Uncle Alma.



Sam got a new work car!  If you look closely you can see Ethan riding in the back.  Hopefully this is the only time he experiences the backseat of a police car.



Of course we went on walks and played at the park.



We did lots of reading.  Ethan loves getting new books from the library because he has memorized all of ours.



Between hot weather and Elizabeth's naps, we have spent a lot of time in the house so we've had to get creative on entertainment.  One of Ethans favorite things is, as he calls it "playing with the squeezy thing," aka pan of baking soda, bowls of dyed vinegar, and a dropper.  Eventually Ethan just grabs handfuls of baking soda and dumps them in the vinegar, but it's still fun.


And just a few more pictures from July:

I got a haircut.

 


Elizabeth loves attention from Ethan.  If ever she is sad or fussy I can send Ethan in and she will start giggling.




Friday, August 17, 2012

Adventures in Potty Training


I think I would probably enjoy getting kicked in the shin every day more than I have enjoyed potty training.  Ethan turns 3 in a couple of months and I have been very anxious to be done with diapers.  I had originally planned on having things taken care of before Elizabeth came along so that we only had one child in diapers, but that was just wishful thinking.

We have tried to take things slow and follow Ethan's lead.  I know a child won't potty train until they are ready and Ethan is so independent/stubborn that I knew it could only happen when he wanted it to.  Well, after months and months of gently trying to encourage the idea he finally peed in the potty.  For months he would sit on the toilet but nothing would happen and then one day in July he finally went.

He has done really well at peeing in the toilet (very few accidents) but we have yet to poop more than a small nugget.  We are on our 5th week of potty training and he still won't poop in the toilet!  We have done the potty chart with stickers, we have promised him a baskeball hoop, we have gotten bribe toys (rewards) from the dollar store.  Nothing has worked!  On a positive note, for me at least, this last week Ethan has stopped pooping in his underwear.  He now waits until bedtime when he is in a pull-up.

A few days ago Ethan decided he was done using the toilet and refused to pee/poop anywhere but in a diaper.  When we took him to the bathroom he would throw a huge fit.  Fast foreward two days, I am trying to put Elizabeth down for a nap when Ethan knocks on the door to tell me he pooped.  While playing downstairs he pooped in his diaper, he then tried to change his diaper by taking it off and putting it in the garbage, then put on pants and came upstairs to let me know.  Thoughtful, but I had to clean up a lot of poop.

Still no pooping in the toilet but Ethan is now back to peeing in the toilet but only if he can stand.  This is totally okay with me because I get sprayed far less often.