Potty Training...again.

This week I have been attempting to potty train dear Miss. Payden. Last week I bought her new panties and those awesome plastic covers that crinkle every time she moves and a cute pink potty seat. I was ready...however it's day four of her "training" and I have nothing to show for it but a lot of laundry and a very clean potty seat.

She is not a fan of her cute pink potty seat and would much prefer to spend her time on a real toliet dropping shreds of toilet paper in. Today I was determined to get her to go at least once in the potty but she just sat there...and sat there. So I refused to put her panties back on thinking letting her go comando would do the trick...but no, she just held it. I never got her to go at all and had to put a diaper on her for nap time.

 I do not enjoy potty training (not sure who does) but I keep hoping that one of my children will be a potty genius and just "get it". Some people hope for their kids to become presidents, I just hope they stop peeing in their pants. You've got to set high standards for your children. ;)

Is he old?

Last weekend the girls and I were at a farm that had some chickens running around. The girls were watching them when Ashlyn asked "Mom, is that chicken old?" "Umm...no I don't think so, why?" "Because it's hair is all short and white."

Ashlyn had caught on to one of life's greatest mystery's...when a women gets old and her hair turns white or grey they cut it really short and...perm it? Curl it? I have no idea what they do to all master the exact same look.
Why? I have no idea why almost every women from 70 - 90 years old has the same hair do! I think it's just one of those things you have to wait until your that age to know. Until then I giggle every time I see one of these "old" chickens.

Soap Dispenser

For as long as I can remember I have looked upon the plastic soap dispenser sitting on our kitchen sink in disgust. Maybe it's the faded purple flowers or simply the fact that it looks a million years old but I never liked it.
So last week as I aimed an empty salad dressing jar for the trash I stopped short and threw away my ugly soap dispenser instead. I had big plans for my empty salad dressing jar and it wasn't to make more salad dressing like I had promised Adam.
I looked up how to make mason jar soap dispensers and found this lovely tutorial from apartmenttherapy. Then I went to work cutting, drilling, gluing and finally painting and wa-lah and new soap dispenser! Now when I wash my hands I no longer think "wow, how ugly". Instead I think..."wish I could paint better." Which makes me think perhaps I have a discontentment issues with soap dispensers. Regardless I do think this one is a serious step up from the ugly plastic one.

My empty glass jar

After putting it together

Final product. I'm no Picasso ok? 

Native American Costume

It all started when we went to one of my favorite Mexican restaurants as a family. Hanging on the walls were pictures of Aztec Indians and Ashlyn was mesmerized...soon the questions started. Who were they? Why were they dressed like that?  Why did they have feathers in their hair?
Twenty minutes later I was drawing a map of the of the Americas on the back of our place mat trying to explain Aztec Indians vs. Native Americans. I finally gave up and enjoyed my smothered burrito but Ashlyn had found her new passion in life (and it wasn't shoving her face with Mexican food like her mother) it was Native Americans! After a week of watching Ashlyn play Pocahontas I decided she needed a costume.

So to Wholesale Costume Club I went to check out their many different options of Indian costumes. After placing my order it came within a few days and she was so excited to get it!!

Pretty cute huh?! Now she can play Pocahontas in style! The costume itself is very soft which I like and is holding up well from being "loved". Even though she normally wears a size 5T I ordered a size 3-4T and it fits her really well so the sizing seems to run a little big. The v-neck border and tassel piece is actually velcroed on giving you the option of wearing it with or without. Not sure why you would want it off...perhaps if you wanted a more "simple" Native American look. ;) The velcro headband fit Ashlyn well and amazingly enough stayed on her head better than most headbands do. Overall I think this is a cute, well made costume...and with girls you can never have to many dress up clothes!!
Now next time we visit New York we will have to visit The Museum of The Native American so Ashlyn can learn all the history behind them! They probably explain things a little better than mommy and her crayon drawn map on the back of a place mat!!

REMEMBER THAT LADIES!

Yesterday I was visiting one of my favorite stores A.C.Moore (I can spend hours wandering around that place). I was in the parking lot getting my kids out of the car when I heard some honking. At first I ignored it but it was so consistent and close to us I finally stopped what I was doing and went around to look.
There was a old car pulling out of a parking space honking away. I figured someone must have installed something that makes a honking sound as they backup. But then as the car kept backing out I spotted the lady in the car, window down with her head cranked to one side peering over her glasses as she hit the steering wheel with amazing precision, honking away.
I admit I left my four children half unbuckled to stop and stare at this sight. And I wasn't alone, the two ladies next to me also abandoned getting into their car to watch this spectacle. As she continued to turn she noticed us standing there staring at her, I'm guessing we had a questioning look on our faces because she volunteered to explain her actions and yelled at us "If you hit someone backing out they can sue you!! But if you honk, you've got a case!" And then as if we would forget this weird experience she yelled "REMEMBER THAT LADIES!!" with such passion she almost seemed angry at us. Ok lady, no need to worry, I promise I will not be forgetting your crazy driving tip anytime soon!

Four and a half hours!

Last night I went to bed at 10:30 after feeding dear Miss. Maddie and the next thing I knew it was 3:00 am! I couldn't believe my luck to have slept almost five hours, something I haven't done since Maddie was born. It felt so good and I was about to roll over and go back to sleep when the thoughts started to roll through my head. 
What if Maddie isn't really sleeping but something's happened? What if she got caught in the blanket? Or her room got to hot? Or to cold? What if, what if, what if??? I tried to talk myself out of it. "This is your fourth baby and you know one night they just start sleeping longer, go to bed!! Sleep!!" But in the end my irrational mother brain wouldn't let me go back to bed. So I attempted to "sneak" into her room knowing full well that after four and a half hours of sleep the slightest sound was going to wake her. I opened the door in slow motion but to no avail, it creaked and Maddie's arms flew up in the air. Here I am worried something's happened to her so I sneak in and give her a heart attack. 
Ah well, at least she is alive and well! Why I couldn't listen to reason and just keep sleeping I don't know. After feeding her I tried to go back to sleep but I wasn't that tired after my amazing four and a half hours so I think the night ended in me getting less sleep than usual! Hoping it happen's again tonight and this time I will not be getting up until I hear her awake!!

Love

I  love...


baby smiles


baby toes


baby lips


big baby stretches when they first wake up


baby snuggles (can you believe how warm and sweet they are?)


baby eyes


soft baby skin


baby coo's


and most of all I love how much they love me just because I'm their mama and I love them just because their my baby.