Potty Training: It has begun

Well. We did it. We took the parenting leap into potty training.

We were nervous. We weren't sure what we were doing. We didn't know if he was really ready. But we did it anyway.

It has not been great, but it hasn't been awful either. I think we are getting some where, but we aren't there yet.

We started the process Saturday by taking him out to buy special treats, a new potty, and underwear. We then sent him off to nap time with his last diaper on. When he woke up, it was go time.

There have been accidents, but nothing crazy or home-destroying. Here is a bit of our recap:

• We had a hard time getting into a flow with Calan. It took him a little while to get the whole wetness feeling. 
• He wants to get off the toilet quickly without exactly finishing, so we really have to push him to "empty." Once we started to do that we eliminated most of our accidents
• We are using pull-ups for nap times and bed times, which of course meant that he waited to poop till he was in his pull-up for nap time. It ended up being a bit of debacle because it gave him a bit of a rash, which made Sunday afternoon potty training a bit of a struggle, but his bottom is healing quickly because he isn't in a diaper. Hopefully this set back will be fixed tomorrow. 
• We need to trust a little more on him that when he actually has to go, he does go with us to the potty. He is getting a little resentful toward the potty and doesn't want to be forced to go. 
• We need to stay consistent and uplifting toward him. It is easy to lose enthusiasm as the days go on. When it's two steps forward and one step back, it is hard not to focus on the step back instead of how far we have come in such a short amount of time. 
• We let frustration get to us and weren't working as a parenting team on the same page. Once we kind of regrouped, it got better. Working as a team is ALWAYS the way to go. 

We are sticking with it. I really believe that he is ready and I have to keep reminding myself that it has only been a day and a half since we started. Potty training is a bit of a journey, but I hope to have him daytime trained by the end of this week. Let's be honest, I am not prepared to have 3 children in diapers, so we have a few months to get this right.

This week we are sticking to home. As soon as Calan starts asking me to go potty, we will venture out. I am hoping that maybe we will be able to go to our playgroup Wednesday morning since it is only 2 blocks from our house, but I'll figure that out once we get through Monday and Tuesday. I am taking it one day at a time.

I am proud of our little guy. He isn't thrilled about potty training, but he is doing it. This process hasn't been perfect and we are doing a lot of trial and error as parents, but we are doing it.

Here is the video that we watched in preparation for potty training;

Potty Training 1-2-3 from Growing Kids on Vimeo.

The Nesting is Strong with this One

Oh my goodness, am I nesting or what?!!??

I can't think about anything else other than getting ready for our little one. I am cleaning, sorting, making lists, sewing, organizing, planning. My head is constantly spinning.

Source: etsy.com via Jodie on Pinterest

I can guarantee that 90% of my day I am thinking about getting ready for this baby. I have a mental list going on in my head at all times. I have so much I want to get done, yet I have very little that I actually need to get done.

Let's be honest. With your first, you get so much ready for his or her arrival; with your second, you realize that you didn't need or use half the stuff you had ready; with your third, well .... let's just say poor third child.

But even though there is very little that I need for our newest addition, there is so much I want to do. This third baby is the game changer. I don't need any necessity things, so I get to SPLURGE. I get to do all the extras. Which for me means that I get to create, craft, and sew.

I am so excited to get so many things done for our little one. I have so many plans in my head it is a bit ridiculous. I want to make so many things for her nursery. I want to make a cute, crafty nursery that will easily be made into the girls' room once they are ready to share.

I think I have decided on a purple color scheme. I think that it works perfectly with what I want to do. I have a vision in my head that I can't wait to make happen. Have I mentioned I am nesting?

We had talked about not setting up a nursery till after our little one got here, but I think things have changed. I can't seem to quench my nesting urges with just thoughts. I need to start piecing everything together. It is going to be a slow process, since I want to make so much of it myself.

I really hope my nesting instinct stays up so that I actually get all the things I want done, DONE.

The nesting is strong with this one; oh yes, it is definitely strong.

Project #2: Quilted Bibs

My second sewing project for our new little girl - quilted bibs. I think you can say I might be nesting. 

These two are my favorite. I can't wait to see our little one
wearing them. 

My husband thinks I am a bit obsessed. I think I am just excited. Either way, I am having a ton of fun learning to sew and I am loving these quilted bibs I made this weekend.

I wanted to figure out how to do buttonholes. I had never done one before and figured that bibs would be a great practical way to practice.

For the bibs, I followed an easy tutorial over at Sew She Sews that includes a free pattern printable. The tutorial is super beginner friendly. I had no issues getting the bibs sewn and ready for my buttons.

I am  not sure why, but sewing buttonholes has always intimated me. I just figured it would be this complex process. IT'S NOT.

The two important steps that I kept forgetting or screwing
up while practicing my buttonholes were to either pushing
the buttonhole lever back or I would forget to hold my
needle thread in the beginning. 

My sewing machine basically does it all by itself. There is no measuring or major adjustments to figure out. I just attach my button to the back of my buttonhole foot and my machine knows how large to make the buttonhole.

It did take me a few tries to figure out how to do it though. I think I was trying to make it more complicated than it was. I am still getting use to the dials on my machine, so I use my manual often to make sure that everything is set to what it should be.

This was the last hole that I did and I barely needed to
check my manual to know how to do it. 

I found this old post by Puking Pastilles that gave a buttonhole step-by-step tutorial on a Brother sewing machine. Her tutorial had great photos for each step that helped me to visualize what my manual was trying to tell me.

I can't believe that I was able to make 5 bibs so easily. The first one took me about 2 hours because of the buttonhole, but the rest took me about 45 minutes each. Each one got easier and easier to do. Sewing really is all about practice and repetition.

Each bib has flaws, but each one looks fabulous. They are not perfect, but I love them and can't wait for our daughter to wear them. She is going to look adorable.

Final Cost

Fabric Square Novelty Bundle (front of bib) = $10

1/2 yard of fabric (back of bib) = $2

Quilt Batting (34 X 45) = $5

Buttons = $3.50

Total = $20.50

Next project: Crib Railing Cover

Winter Unit Study Week 2: Snowmen

1) Calan playing in our Winter Sensory Bin. 2) Calan and Maisie playing with Cloud Dough, next time we will do that in the bath tub or outside. 3) The crafts we made. 4) Maisie drawing with an ice cube on her travel Aquadoodle. 5) Our goal board on our refrigerator. 

Our first week was pretty successful We got through almost everything and the kids enjoyed almost everything I had planned. Calan is starting to count objects. He knows how to count, but tends to just count quickly and not get to how many they are. This week he has started to count small amounts of things. It was definitely a break through for me. Maisie is really starting to develop her stacking and sorting skills. She really enjoyed sorting cotton balls in an egg carton with tweezers.

This week we are continuing winter with Snowmen activities. Here's the plan:

Goals

• Color: Blue
• Number: 3
• Shape: Circle
• Letter: S
• Books: 1) "S is for Snowman" - Wonderful alphabet book celebrating all of winter's blessings. 2) "The Stranger in the Woods" - A photographic journey of winter animals discovering a snowman in the woods after a snow fall.
• Characteristic: Kindness
• Bible Verse: 

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

• Luke 6:31•

Jan. 14

Dress a Snowman and Snowman Sequencing

Source: allfreekidscrafts.com via Jodie on Pinterest

Jan. 15

Snowman in a bag and Snowman Craft stick puzzle

Source: dollarstoremom.com via Jodie on Pinterest

Jan. 16

Snowman and Letter S coloring pages and play with our winter sensory bin.

Jan. 17

If there is snow, I'll bring some inside for us to play with and build mini snowmen. If not, we will play with Cloud Dough again.

Jan. 18

Play musical freeze. I'll play music and top it when we should freeze like snowmen. Also, we will play snowball toss again, where I line up baskets with numbers on them and we toss rolled up socks into the bins counting them. . 

Menu Plan: Jan. 14-Jan. 20

Last week's meals were all great except the Penne Pasta and Asparagus, which we used broccoli instead of asparagus. It was a bit dry and lacked flavor for our liking. We won't be making that again. The BBQ Chicken Pizza was delicious. We used our homemade crust instead of store bought and it worked out great. Here's this week's plan:

Bacon and Tomato Cups

Source: allrecipes.com via Jodie on Pinterest

Monday

• Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Shells

Tuesday

• Slow-cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Wednesday 

• Bacon and Tomato Cups

Thursday

• Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

Friday

• Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Saturday

• Leftovers or Porcupine Meatballs 

Sunday

• Wilson family dinner TBD

Any recipes with eggs or egg-based ingredients will be substituted or left out.

Staying put

With all the hustle and bustle of raising toddlers and the holidays, I completely forgot to mention that we have taken our house off the market and have decided to stay put for awhile or until the right opportunity opens up.

When we put our house on the market, we knew that we would only be testing the waters. We had no plan if it actually sold. We just thought that we should give it a try.

We had only a handful of showings over 3 months and no offers. Decent feedback that the house showed great, but that no one wanted to live on such a busy street, which we totally get since that would be the main reason as to why we would be moving.

If we moved right now, the truth is we would not be able to move into the type of house we would want. We would be settling and most likely having to move again sooner rather than later.

So, we have decided that it is best for our family to stay put. Is our house perfect, not by a long shot, but are we happy here, absolutely.

Our home feels like home and to me that is the most important thing.

I am not sure how long we will be here, but I know that I am actually very content being here. I figure until either our marriage or family is suffering because of this house, we are fine to stay.

Plus, I have no desire to clean a larger home at this time. I figure let me get a larger home when either A) My children are completing chores regularly and accurately or B) We can afford a cleaning lady. I will soon be taking care of 3 small children who need me and not a perfect home.

We will probably need to a add a second bathroom sooner rather than later, but other than that, our home is our home.

Probably a year ago, I watched this video of a family of 3 who sold everything to live debt free in a 320-square-foot home. In the video the mother said that in their home they have to touch each other. I loved that idea. In our home, we can't be so far away from each other that we aren't interacting. Family unity is very important to Bob and I, and I don't want it to get lost in a larger home.



So, unless the perfect opportunity opens up that works best for our family, we are very happy and content living where we live.

Home is where the heart is.

My little man with a big heart

There are many times a day that I am in awe of my children. I see all their little personality characteristics and intricacies and find them absolutely amazing.

I am obviously very a little bias.

Probably one of the things I love most about my kids are their tender hearts, especially when it comes to Calan.

Even at only 2 ½, Calan has the sweetest heart of any kid I know. He is genuinely concerned when another person is hurting physically or emotionally. I love hearing him console Maisie telling her not to worry or it's OK or even telling her to be patient when I am not fulling her demands fast enough.

He is the only toddler I know that gets teary-eyed at cartoons when the character is sad. (Seriously, this happens all the time.) He even tried to give "Santa" (my step-dad dressed up) presents instead of taking anything for himself.

He'll kiss any boo-boo to make you feel better. He worries when others are upset. I know that he pays close attention to other people's moods; he just knows how they are feeling. I can't explain it, but I know that he does and he always wants to make things better. He wants others to be happy because he is a happy kid.

Our little toddler genuinely cares and it melts my heart every day. His compassion comes so naturally that I know that it is a gift to be cherished (and I do).

I know that as his parents it is our job to make sure not to change, hinder, or alter this natural gift. I pray all the time that I am able to help him foster this tender heart of his in the right way.  I hope his compassion for others will help him do great things.

What can I say? I love him. Obviously.

Glitter Oatmeal Snowflakes

Simple textured snowflake using craft sticks, glue, glitter, and oatmeal.

This was a pretty simple craft that took all of probably 8 minutes to do with 2 toddler boys who just wanted to play.

I did a bit of prep work to keep the craft simple and quick since the boys would rather play with each other than stop to do a silly mom craft. I hot glued the sticks together and added the ribbon the night before. I also pre-mixed the oatmeal and glitter so that all the boys had to do was add glue to the sticks and shake the snow flake in the glitter and oatmeal.

I hot glued the project together the night before to
make this craft very toddler ready, but you could
easy have an older child use wood glue and glue
them together themselves. 

Both boys said wow as we pulled their completed snowflakes from the oatmeal container, so I think the craft was a success.

Supplies

• ½ cup of oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon silver glitter
• Some type of container with lid (I used an empty oatmeal container)
• Wood craft sticks
• Hot glue and gun
• Ribbon
• Glue
• Paint brush

Directions

• Before craft time, hot glue wood craft sticks together in the shape of a snow flake and add a ribbon loop to the top of one of the sticks. 



Putting the snowflake decorations
in a shakable container made this
craft basically mess free, and the kids
loved pulling their creations
 out once they were done. 

• In empty container, combine oatmeal and glitter. An child can do this part. I just did it to make it easier on the day of the craft. 
• Have child paint craft sticks with glue and then place in container. Tighten lid and shake (definitely Calan's favorite party). 
• Take snowflake out and let dry. 

You could use a lot of alternatives to the oatmeal and glitter like rock salt or sugar or sequins. I just had oatmeal and glitter on hand, so that is what we used. I just recommend adding different textures together to give a fun look to the snowflake.

I got this craft idea from 

Post linked @ 

Project #1: Frayed Flannel Burp Cloths

These were a great first project. Very forgiving when it comes to stitching
and super easy to get comfortable with my new machine. 

My mother gave me this Brother
LX2600 sewing machine for
Christmas. I couldn't wait to
get started.

My first sewing project was a complete success. I completed 4 frayed flannel burp cloths in about 3 hours. Yes, a more experienced seamstress would have had them done in an hour, but I was happy getting them done all in one evening.

I chose this project to start with because I knew that I would be able to do it and it would get me familiar with my new sewing machine. I am happy to say that I was able to set it up with out a single issue. My machine is very beginner friendly, so it was a cinch to figure out.

I just ripped out the seam to

where I got off track and then

started from there. Easy Fix.

I chose 2 coordinating flannel fabrics (Little Cuddles Green and Love Floral) from Jo-Ann, one for the front and one for the back; and bought quilting batting for the inside.

I followed an easy tutorial with printable pattern from Homemade by Jill.

The burp cloths were very simple, but a little tedious. I cut out everything for all 4 burp cloths and and then sewed. It was a lot of pinning, cutting, unpinning, and pinning again. Like most craft projects, it's the prep work that takes the longest time. The actual sewing took me only about 30 minutes.

Trimming away the quilt batting

and fraying the edges was easy,

but very tedious. My neck

was aching by the end.

I only had to use my seam ripper once, and oddly enough it was on my last one. I got a little over zealous and went too quickly. My seam allowance got too thick and I just needed to stop, rip, and start over.

After getting the seams sewn, I switched out my top thread to white to sew a stitch across the center of my burp cloth to keep the batting in place. I didn't want a bright teal line on the light floral print. I kept the bobbin as the teal so that the bottom stitch still matched the teal fabric. It worked out great.

You can still see a bit of the teal

thread along the center, but it is not
as noticeable as it would have been

 if I had kept the top thread teal. 

Final Cost

Flannel Fabric (1 yd) = $7

Quilt Batting (34 X 45) = $6 (used 40% coupon and have leftovers for at least 4 more)

Teal Thread = $1.50

Total = $14.50

Winter Unit Study

During the month of January Calan, Maisie and myself will be learning about different aspects of winter. I am not sure how structured learning is going to go in my household, but we are going to try again. I am keeping everything pretty simple and repeatative, so if we don't get to something, no big deal. I have set some goals for us to learn, but again, it is just about us keeping our days filled and engaging.

So here is the plan:

Goals

• Color: White
• Number: 3
• Letter: W
• Books: 1) "The First Day of Winter" - A rhyming play off of the 12 days of Christmas, but instead the 10 days of Winter bring all the special things needed to build a snowman. 2) "The Snow Bear" - A little cub gets help from friends while he waits patiently for his mother to find him.
• Characteristic: Patience
• Bible Verse: 

Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him.

• Psalm 37:7 •

Jan. 7

Making Popsicle Stick Snowflakes and W is for winter coloring pages. (Hosting my monthly craft playdate with our good friends)

Source: mrskarensclass.blogspot.com via Jodie on Pinterest

Jan. 8

Sorting cotton balls with tweezers in egg carton with Maisie and placing cotton balls on the number 3 and letter W with Calan. As well as, playing in our snow sensory bin. (Attending a Mom's Club playdate in the morning)
Found these great artic animals online for our sensory bin. There were $12 after shipping.

Source: secure.thebigzoo.com via Jodie on Pinterest

Jan. 9

Painting with ice cubes on their Aquadoodle mat. (Continuing our Playaway class on Wednesday mornings.)

Jan. 10

Playing with Cloud Dough (8 cups flour mixed with 1 cup baby oil). 

Source: funfamilycrafts.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Jan. 11

Having a snowball toss. I'll set up baskets and bins around the room and the kids will be able to toss rolled up white socks into them.