It happens in real life too

My cousins and I, minus Sarah who was helping out a friend, met at Liberty Park for a picnic breakfast on Monday.

This park is one of my favorites. Most of the ground covering is soft and there is a large variety of things to do, including a water fountain to run through. It also has enough big kid things AND little kid things to keep all four of my ankle biters happy and entertained.

At one point, when I was actually sitting down---Sanders was everywhere, Karaia and Beckham came running up to me. Beckham was crying. Just as he opened his mouth to tattle say something Karaia blurted out,

"Mom! Whatever he says it wasn't that hard!"

I could do nothing but laugh.  It caught me so off guard and it was so stinkin' funny. I'd always thought lines like that were written for T.V. script purposes to get a laugh out of the viewership. Turns out they are mimicking real life.

For the record:

Beckham says: Karaia kicked him in the mouth for NO reason. He wasn't anywhere near her and her foot came out of the blue.

Karaia says: She was twirling over a bar and because Beckham was standing too close she accidentally kicked him in the mouth....but barely.

Mom says: It's impossible to know who is telling the full truth. They have both been known to "embellish" facts. Sometimes Beckham cries if it almost, could have, hurt. Sometimes Karaia doesn't realize what her body is doing---AND sometimes she does, but does it anyway. I don't think it was intentional, but we will never know.

Bad Gas-leage

Beckham told me today that his friend's dad had to get a new car because his old one had, "bad gas-leage and was costing him too much money." I assume he meant bad gas mileage, but I was laughing too hard to find out.

Tennyson's hand accidentally whacked my forehead as he was turning to look at something. He said, "Sorry I went whabam. That's my pavorite (favorite) word...(pause)....WHABAM!"

Sanders would live outside, in the sand coincidentally, if I let him. He also really enjoys smashing ants with his index finger....such a boy.

Karaia may as well be a tween. She's already practicing on her mood swings. Super helpful one minute; very entertaining and fun to be around. Super attitude the next.

Tonight Karaia, Beckham, and Kevin are sleeping in the backyard in a tent. Beckham literally climbed up my body to give me a hug when he found out.

My life is pretty wonderful.

Happy times

I'm behind again on my posting. And I do have a good post that involves Bear Lake and vomit.....again. But until I get on top of posting with pictures, I'm just going to move forward.

I'm slightly, OK super, nervous to post about this, but any forward movement must be documented.

Tennyson has had clean underwear for two. whole. days!

The funniest development of this whole affair is that, TWICE, when I called him in from outside to take a potty break he informed me the he'd already gone potty....in the "porest". For those of you not fluent in Tennysonese that would be the Forest.


Yup. My little guy has crossed the threshold into standing up to use his equipment.

I asked Beckham if he had planted this idea into Tennyson's head. His response? "No, I just looked over and he was peein' in the forest."

You know what? Clean underwear is clean underwear.

I'll let you know how the scrub oaks fair throughout the summer.

                    ------------------------------------------------------------------

The other moment of the day that caused me joy, was listening to my kids play with some friends. They have been on the big kick of putting on plays. They figure out the characters, practice, and then call you in...or any other living being, to watch their extreme talent in the art of drama.

Today as they were still "discussing" who was going to be who, with Beckham being the only boy among 5 girls, I heard him say, " Don't worry. I'll be the Puh-nouncer. I'll introduce everyone and everything. It's cool. I'll be the Puh-nouncer."

I just adore that kid.

Glimmer

Yesterday was a sad day in Tennyson Land. Multiple  potty accidents resulting in the introduction of the new method's consequences. The new method is actually an old method for me. It's the first one I ever used with Karaia...actually, it's the only one. She was fully trained in 3 days.  It's the How to Toilet Train in less than a day. The consequence is if you have an accident you clean up the accident, and yourself, and THEN you practice running from the spot of the accident to the toilet and then sitting on the toilet NINE times.

It's annoying and time consuming. However, we have already seen improvements!

This morning he ran to the toilet all by himself.....wait for it.....TWICE!

And THEN, when we were at Wheeler Farm, he actually told me he needed to go potty!

(Of course he also peed on a tractor about an hour later, but still progress is progress)

He really, really, hates practicing. I can't say I blame him. I hate making him do it too. But if hating having to mindlessly ( by mindless I really mean having your mom drag you kicking and screaming) run to the bathroom when you don't even need to go NINE TIMES helps him take control of his own bodily functions then

Bring. It. On.

GO Mr. T!

Potty training....again

So, a few weeks before Tennyson's 3rd birthday he started spontaneously running to the bathroom himself, pulling his diaper off, climbing on the toilet, doing his thang, cleaning up, flushing, and washing his hands all. by. himself.

Now?

Well now it is a big struggle everyday.

He knows ALL the right language and get appropriately excited by discussion of how he can do it! He can be big and listen to his body.

Most of the time, if I remind him, he can stay dry and clean. That is until life gets in the way and I have to go help someone else make it alive to adult status thus forgetting Mr. T still needs reminding.

But running to the bathroom on his own accord? Forget it. He doesn't care one bit. He will tell you he does. But I honestly can't remember the last time he did.

Aargh!

It's not like this is the first kid I've had to do this with! You'd think by the third child I'd at least have some ammo in my possession that would help speed things along.

I don't know where to go from here.

We've done potty charts that work toward special prizes. Scheduled potty breaks. MAJOR potty success dances. (Seriously, my potty dances are awesome...Just ask. I'll show you.) Going commando for the day. Calling special people on the phone. etc.

I am now accepting applications for a Potty Training Specialist.

That's right people. If I could hire it out, I just very well might. Probably not, but I'd sure dream about it A LOT.

At the very least I will take any and all advice from anyone. I have to believe there is something out there that is going to click with the cute, stubborn, 3 year old. (You've got to through the "cute" in there, it helps make the clean up worth the kid )