Still No Accidents!

Collin is still going potty and hasn't had an accident in over a week! Good boy Collin! I think I can safely feel comfortable bringing him to church tomorrow without a pullup! Yeah!

We bought this folding potty seat because Collin has a strange fear of public toilets. It folds up and fits nicely in our diaper bag (which of course we still need to carry because of Maddie!) Now I just need to put a tub of disinfectant wipes in our car since the potty seat sits right on the toilet. Ewwww.

Collin's a Big Boy!

Okay, its been a week, so I feel comfortable making this announcement (and not ruining it for myself):

Collin goes pee and poop on the potty! Yeah!

Yes! For one week now, he's been wearing underwear, and he loves that he is able to always use the potty! I love seeing his sense of accomplishment!

Want to know how we did it? Well, first of all, a few months ago I tried the method that worked for Owen (set the timer and bring him to the potty every hour or so). That DID NOT work for Collin! When I tried that this summer, it created nothing more than a frustrated mommy and son. Following the advice of my husband's aunt (who had 9 kids), and a neighbor, last Friday morning, we took the diaper off and didn't go back. We put a big t-shirt on to cover his stuff. He wore nothing but the t-shirt as we went about our day at home. He peed and pooped on the grass (better than my floor!), and didn't like that feeling at all. I pointed to the potty and gently and happily said, "Collin, that's where you are supposed to put pee and poop." I then went about cleaning up after him, not making it a big deal. He wasn't punished or anything. He did ask to put a diaper on at one point, and casually I said, "nope. You're a big boy and can go on the potty." (Side note: one time that day I said "babies wear diapers; big boys wear underwear, what do you want to be?" To which he said "I want to be a big baby!" Too cute!) He paced around every time he had to go, but then finally succumbed to going on the potty! Yeah! Saturday after he pooped on the potty we had ice cream for lunch! Hey, whatever it takes right?

Well its Thursday now, and he only wears underwear and he hasn't had any accidents! What a big boy! I still am putting a diaper on him at naps and night time until I'm confident he will stay dry. So far he has, but for that I will give it a few weeks. I don't want any unnecessary messes!

I definitely plan on using this method for Maddie as well. It was so painless!

Blowing Some Hot Air

Can you believe we weren't home to see this? Yup, this hot air balloon landed in our yard last night (That white house to the left of the balloon is our house for those who haven't seen it)! Thankfully our nice neighbor across the street took some pictures and came over today to tell us!

Where Were You on 9/11?

I remember it clearly. It was a beautiful fall day - "perfect."

I was working at the time, and a woman I worked with came in a few minutes late and said - "there's been a plane crash into the Twin Towers." We both assumed it was a small plane. Before she turned around to sit at her desk, all of the phone lines rang at the same time, we couldn't answer them fast enough. It was relatives calling us to tell us what was going on. My mom and I tried to call each other over and over again, but the phone lines were all jammed and there was no getting through. Even though she knew I wasn't there, she just needed to hear my voice, and I hers.

No one worked that day, we just hooked up radios and gathered around them to find out what was going on. My husband came and got me for lunch, and we both didn't hurry back. We wanted to be with each other. He never said he was scared, but I think he was, and I definitely was. We ate lunch at a bar, since that was the only place we could find a TV. No one was talking, just sitting quietly, watching TV, and just picking at their food.

I remember how odd it was not hearing airplanes fly over head, a sound I guess I took for granted. At the time I lived in NJ, and was able to see the very tops of the Twin Towers when I used to commute to another job. My husband and I drove to a mountain, and although we're not positive it was from the site of the Twin Towers, we saw a haze in the direction of NYC on an otherwise perfectly clear day.

I will never forget.

Kindergarten, Here He Comes!

Well, the day has arrived. My first son just got on the bus a while ago, and is headed to kindergarten. He was ready 40 minutes before we had to wait for the bus (which we need to be at the road 10 minutes early - following me? So, he was ready for the bus 50 minutes before it would come!)

The last year was filled with nervousness and tears (for me - not for him!) and I just had to lay it before the Lord. Amazingly (not really), God has filled me with such peace and joy! I had to stop looking at all I was "losing" and all that he was "gaining"! When I look at school from his eyes, and look at his excitement, it changed the perspective for me. Praise God!

Last week I met his teacher who is a WONDERFUL, KIND, AND LOVING young woman. She is genuinely excited to have our children, and what a blessing that is for me as a first time school mom! She is excited to teach my son how to read, early math, and so forth. The room was so inspiring. I want to go back to school and learn there!

I have a tendency to want to orchestrate and control everything in my children's (and mine, and my husband's, and, and, and...) lives. But even when I feel in "control", I am not one bit. And that is a reality that is hard to accept. This is really the first time that my son will be truly out of my hands. And I can sit here and dwell on the scariness of that, or I can use it as a time to really lean on the Lord, and trust that He loves my children more than I, and that they are safe when I let them go into His hands! That is actually very freeing once you start to really accept that truth.

So the verse I will be working on with my kids to memorize is Hebrews 13:5b - "Never will I (God) leave you; Never will I forsake you." God is with my son (and me, and you), wherever we are. Amen!

Blessings (and I will post pictures of Owen's first day/school bus, etc. this week sometime!)

Jen