Thank You Grandmomma!

Wow - we have the coolest grandmomma ever! Today when Wyatt and I got home there were two packages waiting for us that the mail lady brought today!

Wyatt got a Thomas the Train Sticker Book and also got a little Golden Book that tells a Thomas story.

I got a Mariposa Barbie Doll Coloring book and a new Disney Princess Sticker book!!!

We really love our presents grandmomma - you're the best. We miss you and hope you'll come visit soon!

I made this picture for you - it made mommy laugh! I put baby clothes on the Prince Eric from the Little Mermaid!

Sixth Pic Tag...

Courtesy of my friend Lindsey on Granola Chicks...

Here's how it works. Go into your photo folder (or for me I just pulled up iPhoto) and post the sixth picture.



This is a picture of me and Wyatt when he was 8 months old :) awwww!

Now once you're tagged you must of course tag others - how many is up to you - but I'll try to tag six people :)

and this picture must be posted in this one because this picture is what got the many silly faces photosessions started... it's of me and my best friend Becca...

Wyatt's rambles tonight

mommy, open it

piggy (piggy bank)

baseball

one, two, three

did it!

I don't know

I don't think so

hold me

I'm stuck

(sings the florida state chant)

Go

"wyatt, it's time to go to bed," I say again...

"MILK!" he responds. He's also a procrastinator... it's probably the 10th time he's nursed in an hour. They're all incredibly short - a few seconds at best. "Side. side, side."

man, i'm ready for bed.

Tea and Tub on a non-napping afternoon

Some afternoons I just get tired of being the nap tyrant and give up - maybe it's just frustration, or possibly compassion for my frustrated little girl who is so tired she's just beside herself in her refusal to go to sleep.

Today was one of those days- and finally I just gave up. I could see how upset she was and that there would be no nap - and fighting about it was just upsetting both of us.

So instead I suggested taking a bath - just Maddie and Mommy. It's usually me, Maddie and Wyatt in the bath or shower - so just two (or even more rare - just me!) is a nice treat.

Unfortunately I'd just run the washer on hot and we had to wait for more hot water - thank goodness we have a gas hot water heater!

Eventually there was enough warmth for me to feel comfortable in the tub and we settled in - side by side - sharing an apple as a snack. 

She continued to ask me questions about how God makes things - and I was enjoying the conversations. Pumpkin the kitten also joined us and after doing the balancing act of walking the side of the tub - he settled on the floor and took a snooze. 

Maddie loves make believe and role playing and I'll be honest that it's not my forte (and I often feel silly, but I know how important it is for kids). So today in the tub we played Mermaids and Crocodiles. I was the Mermaid and she was the baby crocodile who had lost her mommy. I took care of my baby croc - cuddling her and feeding her some seaweed that was growing at the end of the tub.

Then the baby crocodile found her mommy (me) and we went and rescued two other mermaids out of the cave - and Maddie tried to convince them to leave their families and live with us.

Then the mommy crocodile (me) said she was getting cold and wanted to get out of the water for a while. 

After getting dressed in much warmer clothes - I made us some hot tea and we sipped it from her tiny tea cups with milk and sugar  - and played a million games of Zingo - which I think is a cute game. Maddie picked it up instantly and even got competitive (you have to grab the tiles that correspond with your bingo card and there are often duplicates between players so you have to be fast!). 

We drank all the tea and I was a little tired of playing the game, so I told her I'd let her watch Noggin for a bit if she'd let me work on my Blog :)

Nice trade-off for us both I think :)

The Perils of Potty Learning on Wood Floors

....slick when peed on...

This morning Wyatt was constantly asking me to take off his diaper so he could go sit on the potty. I'd take off his prefold, he'd sit on the potty and then run off - bare naked. 

Honestly I think he just likes being naked!

I finally got tired of putting the diaper on and off every 5 minutes - and wasn't keen on him running around naked and inevitably peeing all over the house - so I put some of his underwear on him.

He kept them dry for almost 2 hours - and then after he'd eaten lunch and I was just sitting down to eat mine with my girlfriend Christina - there was a loud thump followed by Wyatt's screaming and crying.

We both rushed in to see what had happened and I scooped up my wet little boy - wet with pee and wet from sliding and slipping on the pee on the floor. He was also wet with tears and a good little bit of blood from biting his upper lip when he fell.

Poor little man!

He'd held his pee for so long - always sitting, but never peeing on the potty!

A quick little nursing session calmed him down and we put a diaper back on and he took a very nice nap.

Note to self- be on the guard for more slippery pee situations in the future.

And it's time to mop the floor - AGAIN... :)

Talk about Procrastination

Bedtimes are always a bit of a challenge - especially with Madeleine. 

Tonight - after hugs and kisses, her Bible devotion and prayers - she was all tucked in and I'm starting to close the door...

"Mom, I just have one question," she said.

"What is it?" I asked a little impatiently.

"How does God make things?"

Um, that's not exactly a question I can answer in 30 seconds or less!

Rain, Fairies, Laundry and the secrets of motherhood!

The much needed rain has finally stopped after two days. This afternoon the sun peeked out and other than the oppressive humidity the day was suddenly beautiful. I tried for a few moments to convince myself that when I stepped outside I would be greeted with crisp, Fall weather - but I was instantly contradicted by the heat and water vapor. Mike tells me there is a cold front on the other end of this weather system and I'm optimistic that tomorrow I'll wake up to a chilly morning. At least I have my dreams! My computer says that the high tomorrow is only 83... humphf!

Tonight the Paci Fairy came to visit Maddie. We've been talking it up for a while - that the Paci Fairy would come and take her pacis and leave her a special present in return. She asked for the new Barbie in the Diamond Castle Doll - the one with the purple and blue dress. Mike picked it up this afternoon and even disguised his voice on the phone so she could talk to the Paci Fairy! I wrote her a sweet note and put the Barbie on the shelf of her dollhouse (where she said she wanted the Paci Fairy to leave it). I can't wait to see her reaction in the morning. I also pray that we won't have a meltdown tomorrow night.

Pumpkin the kitten is settling in well with our household. We had a bit of a scary time tonight when he kept throwing up, but he seems to have got whatever it was out of his system. The kids and I took him to the vet this morning and they gave him a shot and a dewormer and I think something must have upset his tummy.

Wyatt is such a big boy now - he's really showing an interest in the potty all of a sudden. I swear I spent more time taking him to sit on the toilet during our cruise - always during meals, too! Just as soon as I get settled it's, "I potty, I pee pee."

I did find out last night that for some reason he doesn't seem to mind a poopy diaper, but he pooped in his underwear and had a royal fit! I guess that's a good thing. We just keep having underwear time (it's safer than naked time with him!).

It's funny how similar some of us momma's are. I was talking to my online friend Krys tonight - she's the momma behind Cotton Momma - and makes the best soaps and bath salts ever! We were actually talking about stripping diapers and washing routines and the conversation eventually went to our own personal laundry habits.. I was laughing as we divulged our secrets and shortcuts...

krystynanicole says: I HATE folding LMBO

Jemima Puddleduck says: i live out of baskets of clean clothes

krystynanicole says: i enjoy laundry but folding i hate.

krystynanicole says: me too

Jemima Puddleduck says: i suck at folding and putting away

krystynanicole says: i am staring at one now that i have been digging out of for two days lol

Jemima Puddleduck says: i've washed everything from vacation and actually put maddie's stuff away, but the rest of it is in baskets

Jemima Puddleduck says: two peas in a pod when it comes to laundry - you and me :)

Jemima Puddleduck says: lol

krystynanicole says: i have been known to take stuff from the washer and put it in  the dryer with already dry clothes in the dryer lmao

krystynanicole says: i'm like ok more stuff will fit.

Jemima Puddleduck says: i did that today! lol- so i could wash dipes and not have to fold clothes

Jemima Puddleduck says: too funny

I don't know why, but it tickled me so much to know that there is another mom out there who stuffs another load of wet clothes into the dryer that is already full of completely dry clothes. The cats were looking at me with a confused expression - as I laughed in the quiet of my sleeping house.

I feel I've accomplished much if the clothes are clean. Sure I'd like them to be folded and put away, but seriously - have you ever tried to fold clothes with an almost 2-year-old sitting there ready to pounce on the stack of neatly folded items? It's just easier to throw them in a basket, pull out a wrinkled shirt and either go with the wrinkled look or toss it back into the already overflowing dryer for a quick warm-up and de-wrinkling. 

I'd never win housekeeper of the year, but I'm a pretty good mom if I do say so myself. Life passes much too quickly to obsess about having a spotlessly organized home. My kids are loved and loved well - that's what really matters.

And besides one day the kids will be gone and the laundry will still be there - waiting for me to catch up 20 years later!