We have a little something we'd like to share with you today...

And we are SO excited!!!!!!!

On (Not Really) Potty Training

We're at that potty training age with Oren now. Well, since he'll be three next month, we've been at that potty training age for awhile now actually. Usually around their second birthday we pull out the old potty seat, show them the drill (we did this with Wes as well) let them know if they use the toilet they get a small reward (a little piece of candy or marshmallow) and let them have at it. With both boys there was an initial interest (mostly due to the candy factor) which gradually tapered off until they were really, actually ready for potty training. Which usually happens around age three for boys, and I'm totally cool with that.

Some parents might find this wait annoying or frustrating, but here's the thing with me. I HATE potty training. In my opinion it's infinitely easier to change a diaper than deal with taking a toddler to the bathroom. I can change a diaper with my eyes closed (not that I'd recommend that ;) and it takes all of about 10 seconds. Taking a toddler to the bathroom, especially one who's not very interested in it yet, is so much more time consuming with the waiting and the wiping and the hand washing etc etc. Yes, it's true, I may be the only parent in the history of ever who actually wants their kids to stay in diapers! Ok, so I don't actually want them to stay in diapers forever, but I for one, am completely fine with waiting until they're ready. Yes, we pull out the seat and introduce it to them at age two, because I want them to know it's available and an option if they want it, but I surely don't expect a two year old to hop right on board. I found with Wes and I'm finding the same to be true with Oren that they will be ready when they're ready and there's not much you can do to change that.

On the day before Wes's third birthday he came up to me and said he wanted to wear underwear from now on. So I said sure, let him pick out a pair from his drawer and that was the end of it. He never had another accident or used a diaper again (except for over night when I still put a diaper on him just in case). I certainly wasn't going overboard trying to "train" him at the time, I'd simply provided the tools and information he needed and he was just finally ready. He came to me and initiated it himself and I could not have been prouder. The more I thought about it the more I came to believe that you can't force them to be ready to potty train before they actually are. Wes was ready right around his third birthday and that's the typical age for boys in the US, and I didn't do much to get him there. Even if I had, would he have been trained any sooner? I seriously doubt it. I think we would have just had a lot more frustrating days during the process.

Abby baked him his own batch of mini cupcakes to celebrate (which we told him was the grand finale of the treat/reward system which put an end to that nicely) and we were good to go. I never pushed him, never forced him and never, ever made him feel badly for an accident or for not being ready.  And it worked! The best part was how easy the whole thing was.

 Wes and his cupcakes 2011

I'm doing the same with Oren, and I just keep in mind that no matter what form of potty training you do (or don't do), ultimately you end up with the same result  - which is a potty trained kid. And I for one prefer the no stress, no guilt, no rush route. Oren has been using the potty on his accord every day lately and he rarely even remembers to ask for the treat afterwards which tells me we're getting very close. But no matter how long it takes him, I'm ok with it. He won't be 17 and still in diapers. It will happen naturally and in his own time when he's ready. And I'm just fine with that.

So you guys tell me, what approach did you use to potty train? If you made a more concerted effort do you think you got results any sooner than if your child would have determined the time line? If so, how much extra effort did you put in? What methods did you use and most importantly, was it worth it? I'd love to hear!

Wes Turns...Two!

I've been getting busy planning Oren's third birthday party (he's THREE next month) and it dawned on me that I started this blog right after Weston turned two. Which means, I don't have any posts dedicated to his first or second birthdays...yet. It's high time I righted that situation, and you all know how much I love an old throw back post. So Wes, this one's for you buddy!

Back in August 2010 my little Weston Silas turned two years old. We had his two year old photo shoot (which was one of my favorites ever thanks to Katie, of course) and a dino themed birthday party since he was majorly into dinosaurs at the time. Here are the photos I'd like to share if you'd care to take a peek.

On his true birthday we let him open gifts at home and then later that night we went to my mom's for dinner and birthday pie. This was only the second year ever Abby made him his own little personal pie. A now longstanding tradition for our little Booth boys.

 

^^^He was so sute I  could just eat him up!^^^

 

 

And then a couple days later...party time!

 

^^^ THIS PICTURE! ^^^

simultaneously wearing/using as many of his presents as he possibly could...

And that was it! Weston aged two. Hard to believe that was nearly four years ago. And thanks for indulging me in yet another photo heavy throw back post. Now I just have to round up the photos from his first birthday and we'll be all set! ;)

 

xoxo

 

 

 

The Leprechaun Strikes Again

I blame this whole thing on Wes's teacher. He goes to Pre-k at a catholic school whose mascot is the "fighting irish" and so they're obviously pretty into St. Patrick's Day down there. It all actually started last year (this being his second year of Pre-k) when his teacher had the kids make leprechaun traps and the naughtly little fellow would come into their room when they away at recess or gym class and mess up the place -- tipping chairs over and and drawing on their chalkboard. And Wes ate this up. He was so intrigued by the whole thing and it was just pure magic to hear him talking about it. Now, myself, although being one of Irish descent (My mom's maiden name is McGuinness) I never really got much into the holiday. Mostly because as an adult that just means drinking all day. But this, this little ruse of leprechaun trickery was right up my alley. So last year Josh and I played along and after the boys were in bed asleep on St. Paddy's eve we wrecked the house with green footprints and spilled food to make it appear that the leprechaun had paid us a visit too. Wes was thrilled the next day when he awoke to the chaos  - which of course means we are now locked into keeping up the leprechaun charade every year from here on out ;)

 

 

 

We threw this whole thing together late Sunday night and of course the battery was dead in the good camera and having no time to charge it, all I have are a sorry collection of iphone photos to share with you.

 

 

This year I thought a rainbow made of crepe paper would be a fun alternative to the green footprints to switch things up a bit. This of course leading to a pot of gold, which was actully just gold wrapped rolos in a salsa dish...but you get the idea ;)

 

 

And here's a little sneak peek at our yet to be finished back entry. I was hoping to have finished after shots to share this week but...as you can see by the painters tape still covering everything we have not had much progress. Not only did I have to work this weekend which threw a wrench into our plans but one of my light fixtures has still not arrived and my bench cushion needs recovered. So. We're working on it.

 

 

 

The leprechaun was up to his old tricks messing up the house. He even graffiti'd Oren's St. Patrick's day craft we had hanging on our Foyer mirror that Miss Lori sent home the other day.

 

 

 

As per last year he left a mess in the bathroom including green toilet water (food coloring) that somehow turned blue overnight?

 

 

Happily, the whole thing was a hit and the boys gobbled it up. There were even green eggs at breakfast but I'll spare you the picture since, as it turns out, green eggs are an extremely unappetizing site. But it was fun to turn an ordinary monday into something a little more special. And even though it's a little extra work and I stayed up maybe a little later than I wanted to setting it all up, I have to remember they will only be this little for so long. Soon the magic in days like these will be gone forever, and seeing their excitement and the smiles on their faces makes the effort totally worth it.  

 

 

 

Hope you all had a happy and fun St Paddy's day as well!