2012 GOALS

Rambling.....

A few weeks ago, we welcomed a new year and like millions of others, I decided to set some goals for myself. The problem I often face is that I write my goals and don't read them often enough.Sometimes the goals are too specific and I start to waffle on them and eventually fail.  FOR EXAMPLE: Every year I commit to exercising 3 times a week. I may get off track being sick/out of town and only exercise once that week, then I feel bad and somehow quit exercising completely because I can't seem to re-motivate myself.

I seem to set the same goals every year - I would consider them LIFE goals that I just renew each year. Specifics for the goals are different based on the my progress the year before and the situation in my life at the time. I am reminded of a few scriptures that explain my thoughts....

"For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts..." (2Nephi 28:30)
This scripture teaches me that I cannot do or be everything all at once...the Lord will help me to learn and grow according to my willingness. Growth happens a little at a time.  My goals adjust to my growth.

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." (Ecc 3:1)
I need to accept that I can't do it all at once, all the time. For example, I no longer have countless hours to devote to my family history research. At this time in my life I feel like I CAN devote a little time each week to my personal and family journal for my posterity. I CAN also spend a little time each week to index records in familysearch.org. I PROMISE that there will be another season for me to devote countless hours to my family history research - but not right now.

So, THIS year I decided to make 1-2 word goals. Each goal represents a whole vision in my head of my self-expectations. Based on the season of my life, I will fulfill each goal to the best I can. I'd like to post these somewhere in my home so I can see them often. So, here it goes...(in no particular order)

SCRIPTURES
PRAYER
SERVICE
TESTIMONY
KAIROS TIME
FRIENDSHIP
JOURNAL
FAMILY HISTORY
EXERCISE
D.I.Y.
GARDEN
READ
PUNCTUAL
BLOG
1 YEAR SUPPLY
PHOTO ALBUMS

LAST ONE!!

This is the LAST potty training post, I PROMISE. I said that yesterday, but I have a funny story and couldn't resist posting for everyone to get a chuckle.

So, as a new approach, I decided to give the boys some "naked time."  
Yes, completely naked.
Good thing that our house has all hard floors, because I wouldn't be so bold if the house was carpeted.
11:30am -  Arlo realizes that he needs to go pee so he jumps on the little potty in the family room. At that very moment, Josiah realized that he needed to pee as well but didn't have time/interest to run to the bathroom. So, in a flash he grabbed the plastic ice cream bucket, dumped out the toys and peed STANDING UP in the bucket!!! I sat there in shock, but burst out laughing when I realized everyone had avoided an accident. Good aim, boys.

Quick thinking Josiah! Let's not make this a habit though.

New Strategy

Day 3 was the same 'ole as Day 1 & 2 - lots of accidents, another load of underwear in the washing machine, disinfectant spray & paper towels, movie watching, blah blah blah...

Today was Day 4 - (see above note about Day 3)

So, bedtime is a new challenge because they see trips to the bathroom as a great excuse to delay bedtime....  and boy do they use that trick a lot. Back & forth to the bathroom multiple times and you KNOW that one boy can't go without the other boy following....ugh.  It tries my patience at the end of the day. 

I think that Josiah will be ready for the "real world" by the time I head to back to work on Monday (in other words, it won't be a total disaster at day care.) He had 1 accident today, but I think he just got caught up playing with his friends that came over.

I need a new strategy for Arlo - he's just not making any progress & he'll be wearing diapers to college if things don't change. So, I pulled out my original potty training book and have been doing some reading - the idea is that you center the training around the child's personality. So, we took the quiz and it turns out that Arlo scored highest in the IMPULSIVE CHILD category - surprise, surprise, right?? So, I'm reading that chapter of the book and we'll start all over tomorrow with a new strategy.

For anyone who knows my children, you'll know that this defines Arlo's personality exactly: (book excerpt)

"Impulsive children are the ones who are into everything, jump from one ambitious activity to another and never seem to tire. You may easily spot the parents of an impulsive child - they're usually sweaty from nonstop running. Impulsive children are energetic and active...they seldom or never sit still....Bodily risk-takers, they're the ones who climb all over the furniture...These are the kids for whom safety latches were invented...They are easily excitable and anticipate everything as a great adventure. Being typically happy children, they recover quickly from being upset and are usually adaptable. They easily interact with familiar and unfamiliar people or situations. For the impulsive child, every day is a new day and he lives for the moment"     (Stress-free Potty Training, By Sara Au and Peter Stavinoha)

So, I know that potty training isn't the most exciting topic to read about - so thank you for bearing with me. I use this blog as a "journal" of sorts for my personal/family records. I promise this will be the last long post about P.T....back to all the other "exciting" parts of my life. =) 

DAY 2 = POOP

Let's back up to last night....I decided to camp out on the floor between the boys' toddler beds - just in case someone woke up and needed help to the bathroom. It was a pretty miserable night for me...sleeping on the floor with a huge pregnant belly combined with anxiety over the boys wetting their beds and a sinus infection. I got NO sleep; I woke up every hour. BUT, in the end, the boys both woke up with DRY beds!!! SUCCESSFUL NIGHT!

On to Day 2 of Potty Training...

Total accidents: 11 (Arlo-9, Josiah-2)
Successful pee pees in potty: 8 ( Arlo-0, Josiah-8)

Josiah has POOPED in the POTTY!!! Guess who gets an ice cream cone from McDonalds? I was going to take a picture to send to Jason, but Arlo got excited and flushed the toilet too fast. Overall, he had a great day (as you can see by the numbers above.) He seems to anticipate the pee before it comes out and sometimes takes himself to the potty. He's still had a few accidents, but one happened the last 15 minutes of his nap (yes, I was there checking their pants every 15 minutes even during naptime!)

Arlo is a mystery to me. Here's how his day went:
After 5 accidents this morning I took the little potty seat into the family room. I gave him another 8oz of juice and he sat there for 90 minutes watching a movie - no pee. I put him down for a 2 hour nap, no pee. When he woke up he was back on the toilet for another 30 minutes, no pee. Finally I took him outside to play in the yard with nothing but a shirt & shoes - no pee. (Next time I won't be taking him out at 4pm - it seems that's when all the school buses & minivans full of carpool kids drive by my house!!!) Please ignore the pant-less child in my yard. I gave up and we went to run a QUICK errand at a friend's house and what do you think happened? He had an accident at her house.  5 1/2 hours of no pee and he decides to have an accident there? Oh and then after dinner, he pooped on the kitchen floor. Arlo is quite the personality - it doesn't seem to upset him when he has accidents - he apologizes and we have a little talk, but he stays in the BEST mood ever. His positive attitude is so admirable. I continue to be patient with him because he's so sweet and I know that they are just accidents. He'll figure it out.

So, after 2 days of potty training, we have used an entire roll of paper towels to clean up messes & our disinfectant spray is worth it's weight in gold.

BTW - does it count as an accident or success if they pee in the bathtub??

Arlo

DAY 1 = STRESSFUL

I have been dreading this day for the past year when I started thinking about it, buying books, reading articles, and asking advice. I knew that this day was inevitable, so I decided to make sure we were 100% before baby #3 arrives.

And so today was Day #1 of Potty Training. 

Total accidents: 14 (Arlo-10, Josiah-4)
Successful pee pees in potty: 6 (Arlo-1, Josiah-5)

I am using the "3 day potty training" method which was recommended by several people. The boys spent the day in underwear and a pajama shirt. LOTS of accidents were to be expected today, but the idea is that they learn the muscles to control their bladder, rather than coincidentally peeing while sitting on the potty. So, each day SHOULD get a little easier. 
 The boys both took naps and woke up dry.....AWESOME. (We'll see what happens overnight!) Part of my struggle with the boys is that they BOTH want to sit on the big toilet with ring, rather than the little potty that sits on the floor. We had 2 accidents IN THE BATHROOM just because they were fighting over who gets to sit on the "big" potty!!! (If only I could install 2 toilets in one room, right?!)

Wish me luck for Day #2!!!

Christmas 2011 in Photos

My FAVORITE Christmas decoration is my nativity. It may not be a big wreath or flashy lights, but I feel like it represents the humble reason forth our celebrations.

Arlo enjoyed sitting with Santa this year, but Josiah still couldn't handle the idea.

 

A new Christmas Eve tradition: "Home Alone" time!!! (And the stockings we got this year)

Christmas MORNING!! The boys enjoying some of their new Christmas gifts (including suckers from their stockings!)

We didn't go anywhere for the holidays and we didn't have anyone come visit. I had to work Christmas Eve and the morning after Christmas, but we were able to have a FABULOUS Christmas weekend. We created a few new traditions for our family which included lots of eating. Overall, it was a relaxing, peaceful and perfect Christmas!