Happy Friday!

While the girls were playing outside, enjoying the crisp fall air and one last mow of the yard.....exhibited here:
and here:
I noticed a certain toddler (whom is still refusing to willingly use the facilities for numero dos), making this array of facial expressions:
Any guesses as to what the little lady was up to (before she was promptly rushed inside to the bathroom)?   

On that note.......Happy Friday!  Enjoy the weekend!

Friday morning artwork...

Topless of course.  Since it is cold and dreary (LOVING this glimpse of fall weather, by the way) and because we are relatively house-bound with the potty training and all, we've been doing our fair share of coloring...
Ryan has added her sister's name to her spelling repertoire.
*Potty Alert* - stop reading now and start your weekend if you don't want to hear about the inner workings of toddler intestines....you have been warned.
So...an honest update to Reese's potty training. I started out with the 3-day potty training practice in mind....we had a tearful farewell to all of our diapers first thing Monday morning - Reese was uber-sad to say the least. Grant's parting words as he took off for work were "have fun with that"....we devoted all day Monday-Wednesday to staying inside (minus the need to take/pickup Ryan from school), wearing our big-girl underwear and using the potty (either little one or real ones, her call). I offered potty toys (usually cheapos from the Target dollar bin until Grandma showed up with awesome Christmas in September-type toys) and a skittle reward for each success.  And I scolded, chastised and punished her for each accident.  Kidding.  Just making sure you were still with me.  I knew her #2s weren't their usual going in, but didn't think too much of it b/c she wasn't extremely off and I didn't want to procrastinate another week.  Well by Tuesday, we quickly learned something wasn't up because while she got the knack of going #1 extremely fast, she would cry and fight #2 and then muster out the tiniest bit...only to repeat 4 or 5 times over the next hour or so. To say it was exhausting (for both her and I) would be an understatement. And, naturally, Grant was out of the town the last few days so it was all me, all day and night. I quickly started sneaking in as much fiber as I possibly could, we have tried prune juice and this morning I started my first round of Miralax in her juice. We shall see what the weekend holds.  But, for the positives, KNOCK ON WOOD, I have yet to have any accidents during naps or bedtime and we have successfully ventured out to the farmers market and store!!! If it weren't for the poop-debacle (or lack thereof), I think we could have mastered potty training in full by 3-4 days. Now, however, I think it'll definitely take until we get her parts moving again but rest assured, those diapers are out of sight.  The last thing I will do is throw away the previous insanely long 5 days by putting her back in diapers....oh hells no. Our weekend will be chalk full of fiber, juices, and Dad spending some quality time with his ladies while mom sneaks away for an hour or two to avoid a mental breakdown.  Happy Friday!  Just the kind of topic you wanted to hear about, eh?

I take shower!

So Ryan, remember her?  Hates water on her head?  Finally, finally listened to mom and dad last week and realized if you look to the ceiling while getting your hair washed the water doesn't get in your eyes.  Talk about stubborn.  Whoa.  We've been preaching that nifty little trick since her hatred with water on her head began, months ago.  Anyway, imagine my surprise last night as I was finishing up my shower and Ryan came in the bathroom, didn't say a word, but started stripping down to her birthday suit.  She opened the door and said "I shower too".  Well, okay then, hop on in.  She was reluctant at first and I even offered to hold her to keep her head above the mist but no, "I do it myself".  So the little mermaid stood there.  And stood there.  And stood there.  Our 50+ year old house isn't too generous with the hot water so when it got too luke-warmy for me to bear, I jumped ship offering to take my first-born with me.   Again, no "Two more minutes, I showering".  Almost ten minutes later and the girl is still standing in there mesmerized by the falling water, hair totally soaked by the way.  I go back in to check on her and get a whiff of an unpleasant odor, open the shower door and there is my precious child squatting like a linebacker with a grunt on her face.  "Are you trying to go potty?" I ask her...."Close the door mama".  Right.  I'll close the door but your dirty little rear is coming with me. 

Water on the head - success
Poopin' on the potty and not in mom and dad's shower - not so much

Potty humor...part deux

Seriously? Again?

Potty humor

Oh Ryan, you and your 'tricks'.

Ryan has added taking her diaper off and peeing wherever she may be to her repertoire of skills. A few times last week we got her up from her nap or from sleep only to find her crying "poo-poo" and sitting in a puddle of urine. Thankfully, she has yet to deliver any actual poo-poo. She really brought it up a notch when she started trying to take her diaper off in broad daylight -- kitchen, family room, etc..... Potty training is still a bit in the future as she is scared sh*tless of the toilet and considers her baby toilet a toy, although she loves to point out the potty and help gather the toilet paper. We did wise up and she now only sleeps in onesies with her pajama bottoms.

I caught her in action yesterday, thankfully before she had time to water the floor:

It starts with a slow, nonchalant move for the pants

Followed by an attempt to step out of her drawers

Thankfully mom stopped this one before it went too far, but if she fails to get the pants all the way off, no need to worry, she just whips the diaper right out from under herself.

Talent. True talent.