Saturday

Today we slept in until 8!  Okay I was up from 5:30-7am and THEN slept until 8.  But hey, whatever.  But then we woke up and got productive!

We went on a morning trip to Home Depot and got some plants for our garden.  The people whose house we are sitting built a garden box on the side of their house.  It is just the perfect size for a little of this and that.  We did strawberries, tomatoes, spinach, sugar snap peas, jalapenos, bell peppers, romaine lettuce, zucchini, pumpkins, and cilantro.  I wanted to try my had a broccoli but when I got home I realized I had accidentally bought cauliflower instead.  Eww.  I didn't even plant them.  Does anybody want them?

I had my two helpers.  Both ended up getting filthy.  I understand how Elsy got that way, but I have no idea how Tommy did.  He had dirt all over his face!  Maybe it was because I kept putting his pacifier in with my dirty hands...

While I was planting, Logan was in the garage painting the kitchen we got for Elsy's birthday (which is in a week and a half!).  I am in a Facebook group called Buy Nothing Redmond and basically you post things you want to get rid of for free.  Anyway, I got this awesome play kitchen, fridge, table, chairs, and play food from one generous lady for freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!  We are fixing it up to look more like a 'real' kitchen.  I'll do a post about it when it is done.  Anyway, check and see if your city has a "Buy Nothing" group because its awesome.  I get some fun stuff on there (like a side table and toys) and I also get to get rid of my junk.

I just loved how Elsy sat on the edge of the garden box and filled her little bucket with dirt.  She had little bare feet and dirt all over her face.  Love her to pieces.  And Tommy was so good all day sitting in his bouncer. :)

And of course, we had to get clean at the end.  And get pizza because we worked so hard.  Elsy seriously ate like 2 1/2 slices.  And a bread stick.  She can pack it.

Peeing In The Potty: A Journey

Guess who is potty trained!?  ELSY!!!

I have gotten some raised eyebrows at her being so young, (23 months old) but honestly, she was ready.  The gal would tell me every time she peed in her diaper and before she would go #2.  She would stay dry all night and through her naps.  I thought, eh why not?  Let's get this over with while I'm not going anywhere because I have a newborn.  So we did it!

Here is how we did it.  While Elsy was wasting a million diapers because she would go just a drop and want a change, she was still very nervous about sitting on her potty with a bare bum.  (We bought her a potty months ago just to have her sit on it while I went... Because, lets be honest, little kids love to be an audience when we are going ourselves :P).

Sooooo I bought some pull ups.  Everyone says pull ups are a no-no when potty training, but I did it for convenience because the first two days were to get her used to sitting on the potty with a bare bum, not for going.  We still called them diapers, it was just nice to not have to take her pants off and her diaper every time I had her sit on the potty.  So for two days we just randomly would go sit on the potty and read Little Critter's "The New Potty" or one of a few potty training picture books we got from the library.  I got lucky because both days she told me she was going "poo poo" and I ran her in fast enough to get the poo in the potty.  Yay! right?  Eh... its a little gross. :P

We went to the store and picked out panties.  I'll let you guess what Disney character is on Elsy's panties... 

I talked to some people about how to go about doing this whole thing and read a little bit online.  My aunt Stacy's philosophy is, once you decide to put on panties you NEVER EVER EVER go back to diapers.  That is the end of it. (You can still do diapers for naps and over night however).  This way your kiddo isn't confused because you went to the store in a diaper or church but now you are in panties at Grandma's house and at home or whatever. I thought this was a good idea but it made me extra nervous to potty train because I knew there was no going back.

An idea I had seen and thought was completely bogus online was keeping your kid naked for three days.  Yeah welllllll, I decided it wasn't so bogus after all and did it.  Only I only did it for one day.  Here is why I decided it wasn't such a dumb idea.  I realized that Elsy just wasn't aware of when she was going potty until her diaper was wet.  So with her having bare legs, she suddenly became VERY aware of the wetness and was able to coordinate the feeling of having to go with actually going.

As you can tell, I was pretty worried about potty getting everywhere.  I think the only two people who will truly appreciate this photo are the two people whose house we are sitting. ;)  I just didn't want to have to deal with pee in carpets and on couches.  I gathered all kinds of salty snacks and juices (salty to keep her thirsty and liquids to keep her 'going'), lots of movies and toys, and of course my crochet.  We watched Peter Pan and Barbie Nutcracker a LOT and were camped out in this room for two whole days.  I may have been climbing the walls by the end.

I couldn't resist this picture...

That first day Elsy held it and held it and held it.  She was so afraid to go on the potty that she would start to go a little and then hold it (because she could feel the wetness and didn't like it) and then not go on the potty because she was scared.  She drank a TON of apple juice.  I couldn't believe her ability to hold it.  It just showed me how ready she really was.  She had some serious control!

When she finally did go it was in her nap diaper.  And she went SO much it leaked out the diaper (which hasn't happened in forever people).  And sadly, she happened to be in my bed when it happened.... sitting on Logan's pillow. Yikes.  Logan said, "After all the trouble to get her to not pee on the carpet (speaking of all my blankets and towels everywhere), the one place she goes is my PILLOW!"  We had a good laugh.

Once she finally went on the potty ("Yellow poo poo Mommy!") she didn't have any more problems.  I put her in just panties the second and third days because she was doing so well I didn't think she needed more days naked.  We did start to have more problems when we put pants over the panties (I think the pants made her feel more secure like a diaper) but we soon got over that.  

Our rewards system has been stickers and a candy (a single M&M) or a cookie (mini Oreos).  Elsy would get so excited after she went and say "Canny, sticka, canny, cookie!" over and over.

I tried to stay really positive through the whole process.  Whenever she had an accident I would say, "Uh oh!  That's okay!  Just remember, pee pee goes in the potty!"  I would try to say it all perky even though I sure didn't feel like it.  Especially when she ran out of pants.

The whole thing went surprisingly well.  She only had three accidents on the carpet (so far).  The nice thing about wearing pants is if she has an accident, the pants mostly absorb the pee so it doesn't get anywhere.  Logan has been really helpful too, if you couldn't tell.  We take pants and panties wherever we go.  I even brought her Elmo toilet ring to church the first week.

It has been a month since we started.  Overall it has been a success!  Right now our only issue is I have gotten used to her going on the potty and don't ask as often as I should.  So now she will pee a tiny bit in her pants and then stop and yell "Poo! Poo!" (because it is all poo poo to her) and then she will finish on the potty... which is great!... except we still have to change her panties.  So we are working on that.  But for the most part, we are doing great! 

Yay for pee pee in the potty.


Here are links to get the stuff we bought:

Elmo Potty Ring
Plastic Potty
The New Potty Book
Frozen Panties - Also, I would just recommend seriously like 20 pairs of undies. And we ended up buying Elsy more pants because she went through a lot.

Mt. Vernon Tulip Festival

Yesterday we took an hour drive up to Mt. Vernon where they were having their annual Tulip Festival.  It was absolutely gorgeous!  Despite the clouds and wind we had a wonderful time.  

Elsy ran around saying "Too-yips!" and loved smelling them.  And thank you Grandma Merkley for the hat!  She just loves it, and I do too!

We almost opted for putting Elsy in the backpack and Tommy in a frontpack but we were so glad we decided to take the stroller.  We would have been so tired if we had done that.  

Product plug! I just LOVE our double stroller we just got, the Joovy Caboose Ultralite Too.  It is a sit 'n stand with an attachable seat in the back.  It is awesome if you are looking for a double.  However, the wheels were not really meant for as much off roading as we did. ;)  I love it because it is light, fits in our car, contains Elsy while letting her have the freedom she wants (when the attachable seat is removed), and pivots really well.  Plus it is cute.

Two things we learned for next year, wear rain boots and don't buy food there.  The cheeseburgers were just under $10 a pop and they weren't that great. :(

Logan recently taught Elsy his and my name.  She keeps calling him "Yo-gan" and its so cute but we both wish she would go back to calling him "Daddy" and me "Mommy" more often.

Everything was just delightful to look at.  I loved the huge fields but also loved all the formations with the different colors in the flower beds and gardens.  

This picture reminds me of The Wizard of Oz a little bit.

My babes slept all the way home.  Okay, Thomas slept all the way there, all the time there, and all the way back.  He slept ALL day.  But I just loved being in the car with the three people I love most of all.  I just love family outings!

A Sunday Trip

Today we decided to make a little run to Snoqualmie Falls for a little Sunday family outing.  Logan said we must be true Seattle-ites now because the rain didn't deter our plans in the slightest... except it may have shortened our stay just a smidge.

Elsy really, really wanted to touch the water and kept reaching out to no avail.

I am grateful for a husband who thinks of fun outings.  I think I enjoyed the drive more than the actual time at the falls because I just love talking with him while I get to crochet. ;)

Thomas' Baby Blessing

Baby Thomas was blessed on March 1, 2015.

Yay for family pictures!  (Except Elsy wouldn't put down her lovely roses....)

For those who don't know, a baby blessing is simply a blessing given to a baby by a worthy priesthood holder.  The purpose of the blessing is to give the baby a name that will be recorded on the records of the church.  For Latter Day Saint's it is not a christening or a baptism.  We believe that infants are born innocent and therefore do not need to be cleansed of sin because they have yet to have sinned.   Children do not need to be baptized until the age of 8, when they have reached the age of accountability.  If you want to know more about what we believe on this subject click here.

Both of our parents were able to come up for the blessing as well as a few of our siblings.  And of course Chris, Logan's longtime best bud.

These are the men who participated in the blessing.  Christopher Woodhouse, David Bean, Logan, Marshall Bean, and David Volmer.  The only one missing is Bishop Nathan von Niederhausern... and some random guy that we didn't know.  We had a good laugh after because we didn't recognize him and wondered who it was.  I am pretty sure he was a high councilman though. :)

Thomas looked so stinkin' adorable in his little blessing getup!

And of course, Elsy needed to be in a picture.  She is such a character these days...

Continue In Patience

Today I listened to a talk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf entitled Continue In Patience.  His remarks seemed rather fitting for me because of the way things have been going at our house lately... what with a newborn and a little girl who seems to be entering the "terrible twos" a little bit too early.  Here are some of the things he said that really resonated well with me and made me want to be a better mother, wife, and all around person.  

"Patience—the ability to put our desires on hold for a time."

"As parents, we know how unwise it would be to indulge our children’s every desire. But children are not the only ones who spoil when showered with immediate gratification. Our Heavenly Father knows what good parents come to understand over time: if children are ever going to mature and reach their potential, they must learn to wait."

"Patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace."

"Impatience... is a symptom of selfishness. It is a trait of the self-absorbed. It arises from the all-too-prevalent condition called “center of the universe” syndrome, which leads people to believe that the world revolves around them and that all others are just supporting cast in the grand theater of mortality in which only they have the starring role."

"Patience is a godly attribute that can heal souls, unlock treasures of knowledge and understanding, and transform ordinary men and women into saints and angels."

"Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith."

"As the Lord is patient with us, let us be patient with those we serve. Understand that they, like us, are imperfect. They, like us, make mistakes. They, like us, want others to give them the benefit of the doubt."

Elsy's Valentine

 We had a small Valentine's Day this year because we still aren't ready to go out with the new little guy quite yet.  But!  Elsy did make Logan a Valentine that she was so darn cute and excited about.

I picked up some paint at Target and used a little canvas I had and some masking tape.

Elsy was so excited because we didn't use the paint for a few days so when we did she was overjoyed.  I made a makeshift apron out of a dish towel and some pins.  Someday I will make her an apron but for now this worked really well. ;)

Aaaaaand she finally says "cheese" for pictures!

We painted and painted until the masking tape started to come off.

The canvas ended like this.  You can't really tell but it seemed like there was an inch of paint on top!

I pulled off the tape later that night and voila!  Elsy kept saying "Daddy Paint!" And was so happy to give it to Logan the next day.  Every year since Logan and I were dating we make crepes for breakfast. That's really all we did but it was still wonderful to just spend a day at home together.

And of course, Tommy helped in his own quiet way.