I know I haven't blogged in a while... it's not that I haven't had anything to write about. It's just that this month has been so busy. In the last couple of weeks, we've gotten new windows, refinanced our home, started working out at the local rec center, and started leading a Thursday night Bible study. (Trey's actually the one leading the Bible study... but I help with preparation. And I make yummy snacks.) It seems like we've had something to do or somewhere to go every night lately.
For some reason, time seems to go by so much faster when you have a lot to do. I feel like my life is on fast-forward right now. Not to mention that Perrin will be two next month. TWO! I can't believe we have a two-year-old. His life must be stuck on fast-forward too. His vocabulary is really exploding, and he's starting to string together words into simple sentences (things like "Where poo-poo go?" when he flushes the potty, or "want this" when he sees, well, anything.) He's not a baby anymore. But that fact still seems to take me by surprise every day.
I miss having a tiny, snuggly, cooing baby. But I love having a noisy, adventurous, mud-covered little boy. The toddler stage can be a lot of fun. It can be difficult too--like when he stands up on his chair at the dinner table and Trey tells him to sit down, so he sits down on the table. Or when my mom hands him his toothbrush but forgets to put toothpaste on it, so he hurls it across the room and yells, "paste!" He's defiant, willful, stubborn, selfish, disobedient, and prone to the worst temper tantrums I have ever seen. He's also incredibly smart, independent, funny, determined, and affectionate. Not to mention super cute. :)
I can't slow down time, but I can try to let go of the things that make me want to pull my hair out and just appreciate this awesome stage he's in. Yes, toddlers can be difficult to handle. But they can be so much fun too. These years are going by fast, and I'll never get to enjoy this stage with Perrin again. So I'm making it a goal to press the pause button now and then. I'll leave the dishes undone, the computer turned off, and promise myself to exercise "later." Then I'll give Perrin my undivided attention and simply live in the moment with him. I think he's waking up from his nap now, so it's time to go practice what I preach!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Adventures in potty training
Perrin has recently taken an interest in the potty. Yay! Up until now, he's enjoyed playing in the toilet, flushing the toilet, and occasionally throwing items in the toilet, but not doing anything, um, productive in it. But for the last couple of weeks, he's really impressed me. I'd say he's using the potty at least 50% of the time now. (Which means we're saving 50% on diapers--woo hoo!)
A couple of hiccups we've run into along the way:
1. When it's time to get down to business, only the grown-up potty will do. He refuses to use his cute soccer ball potty chair that we bought for him. I'm not sure why... it even cheers for him. But alas, the soccer ball goes largely unused... except for when he wants something to sit on while he's watching cartoons. Then he'll drag it into the living room and plop down on it like it's a recliner. Classy.
2. Perrin has been sitting down to pee, which works great. But a few days ago I guess he realized that Daddy gets to stand and pee, and now I cannot get that boy to put his butt on the toilet seat to save my life. He insists on standing. The problem is that he's not tall enough to reach the potty on his own, and his aim isn't that great. My attempts to hold him over the toilet and aim him have resulted mostly in temper tantrums and a big mess to clean. I've wrestled with him over this issue for the last couple of days, and I'm finally throwing in the towel. Trey is at the store as we speak looking for a nice step stool so that Perrin can stand up to pee and I don't have to spray down the entire bathroom with bleach every time afterwards (I hope).
3. Now that Perrin is in the midst of potty training, he's interested in all things potty related. He loves books about potties; he loves playing with potties; he loves talking about pee pee and poo poo. This is a fair warning to you: if you need to use the bathroom and Perrin is in the near vicinity, he WILL want to stand three inches away and watch your every move. He'll also tear a 10-foot wad of toilet paper off the roll for you and flush the toilet for you--whether you're ready or not.
All in all, I can't complain. Potty training is messy business, but we are inching our way closer to the days of no more diapers (does anyone else hear the Hallelujah chorus?)
A couple of hiccups we've run into along the way:
1. When it's time to get down to business, only the grown-up potty will do. He refuses to use his cute soccer ball potty chair that we bought for him. I'm not sure why... it even cheers for him. But alas, the soccer ball goes largely unused... except for when he wants something to sit on while he's watching cartoons. Then he'll drag it into the living room and plop down on it like it's a recliner. Classy.
2. Perrin has been sitting down to pee, which works great. But a few days ago I guess he realized that Daddy gets to stand and pee, and now I cannot get that boy to put his butt on the toilet seat to save my life. He insists on standing. The problem is that he's not tall enough to reach the potty on his own, and his aim isn't that great. My attempts to hold him over the toilet and aim him have resulted mostly in temper tantrums and a big mess to clean. I've wrestled with him over this issue for the last couple of days, and I'm finally throwing in the towel. Trey is at the store as we speak looking for a nice step stool so that Perrin can stand up to pee and I don't have to spray down the entire bathroom with bleach every time afterwards (I hope).
3. Now that Perrin is in the midst of potty training, he's interested in all things potty related. He loves books about potties; he loves playing with potties; he loves talking about pee pee and poo poo. This is a fair warning to you: if you need to use the bathroom and Perrin is in the near vicinity, he WILL want to stand three inches away and watch your every move. He'll also tear a 10-foot wad of toilet paper off the roll for you and flush the toilet for you--whether you're ready or not.
All in all, I can't complain. Potty training is messy business, but we are inching our way closer to the days of no more diapers (does anyone else hear the Hallelujah chorus?)
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