Is the drought over?

About three weeks ago, Kallie had a GREAT potty training week. For the first couple of days, she made it to the potty for all of her #1's, (which she has been REALLY good about even through naps and overnight since she started potty training), and about 1/2 of her #2's, (which is better than the other way around). Then, for the last 4 days of the week, she was PERFECT in her pottying. Then, for some reason, she suddenly stopped making any attempt to get to the potty for #2. Ryan and I were pretty frustrated, especially because we knew that she knew what to do and had the ability to make it happen. But no amount of coercing, convincing, or plain old bribing made any kind of difference in her desire to make it to the potty. For the past 2 weeks straight, Kallie has absolutely refused to do #2's in the potty.

We tried having her clean her own poopy panties, but she loves playing in the water, so that wasn't much of a deterrent. We tried putting her in time out after it happened, and that didn't work either. We tried having her sit on the potty until she finally pooped. And, she would wait until we gave up, climb off the potty, and do it in her panties. We started a "bean jar" to focus on positive behaviors, one of which was pottying, and that caught her attention for everything BUT the potty. We made a few big bribes for new toys, sleepovers at Grandma's house, and anything else we could think of. And, still she refused to "do her business."

Finally, at the end of my rope, completely exhausted and tired of cleaning poopy panties, I decided to take drastic measures. As much as it was a punishment for me as well, I told Kallie that big girls put their poops in the potty and babies put their poops in their pants, so until she could put poops in the potty, she was going to have to wear a diaper. She did NOT like this idea at first--but after a few minutes of wearing a diaper again, she got used to it. And, I started resigning myself to the idea that I would, once again, have 2 kids in diapers.

She spent all day today wearing a diaper. I took every opportunity to remind her that big girls wear panties and when she could put poops in the potty, I was more than happy to let her wear her panties again. I knew it was on her mind when she threw the word "poop" into various conversations...and I wondered how long she was going to go wearing diapers again. As I put her to bed tonight, I reminded her that once she put poops in the potty, she would get to wear panties again. About 30 minutes later, Ryan and I heard her in the bathroom--where she announced to me that she was going to do poops. AND SHE DID!!! Needless to say, I was thrilled beyond belief. It's amazing how something as simple as a child not pooping in the potty can make you feel so frustrated and helpless--it's just something they have to do for themselves.

Now, I have to say this--I'm sure this isn't how all potty training parents feel, but when I put Kallie back in a diaper this morning, I felt terrible. I know that the cardinal rule of potty training is that you don't go back to diapers once you've moved up to panties. And, I felt that, in a way, I was admitting defeat and surrendering for now, (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). But, tonight, I feel validated in my choice. I know that what I was doing wasn't admitting total defeat. Instead, I feel that I helped Kallie see logical consequences and she was able to make her decision based on that knowledge. I know this doesn't work for all kids--but I'm really grateful that there's finally an end to the preschooler potty drought in our house.

So, Mom

I was working on something at the computer today and Kallie set up her little camping chair next to me and then turned it so it was facing me. She sat down, leaned back, put her arms on the arms of the chair, looked at me, and said, "So, Mom, what di' you do today?" And we proceeded to have quite the conversation about the things we've done today. Since this happened around 10 a.m., there wasn't a whole lot of doings to cover, but we talked for a while anyway. It cracked me up that she was able to communicate that she was in the mood for a chat.

The Worth of a Mother: Polar Opposites

Last week sometime, Ryan sent me a transcript of a Glenn Beck show. He mainly sent it to me for the bit on potty training at the beginning, since we are still in the trenches of potty training in our own home. While the beginning gave me a chuckle or two, what really caught my attention was toward the end of the transcript. While the whole thing is very interesting, I have bolded the lines that really stood out to me the most:

Remember Hillary Clinton is a -- she's a new Progressive. In the middle of the early 20th century Progressive. You've got to understand what that means. These are crazy people. Example? Rights of a child, if I may quote Dr. Louise Silverstein. She wrote in the American Psychologist that, quote, "Psychologists must refuse to undertake any more research that looks for the negative consequences of 'other than mother' care." It's almost like it's their global consensus. I can't find anything that says putting your kid in day care would be a bad thing. Sheez. Dr. Silverstein is almost saying in the American Psychologist that Psychologists must refuse to take on any research that even looks for anything bad that might happen with child care, taking care of anybody else but mom.
Another famous Progressive philosopher and good friend of Hillary Clinton's, Linda Hershman, said that "women cannot be fully realized human beings if they don't make work a bigger priority than mothering." They're not fully realized human beings. Women are made to feel judged or shamed by their choice of day care. "This negativity will be paid forward in the form of brain-warping stress." Who is making them feel less than adequate for not working? Instead working the hardest job, the one at home. Who's making them feel that way? I know I'm not. Sandra Scarr, possibly the most quoted expert on the "Other than mother" care in America and past president of the American Psychological Society says, and I quote, "However desirable or undesirable the ideal of a full-time maternal care may be, it is now completely unrealistic in the world of the late 20th century. We must and need to create, quoting, a new century's new ideal children. These children will need to learn to love everybody like a family member. Quoting: Multiple attachments to others will become the ideal. Shyness and exclusive maternal attachment will seem dysfunctional. Quoting: New treatments will be developed for children with exclusive maternal attachments, end quote.

After reading that again, I have a jumble of thoughts running through my mind. FIRST OF ALL--I don't care whether you are a working mom or a stay-at-home mom--that fact is completely irrelevant to me since we each must decide what is best for our families and circumstances. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland stated in the recent Worldwide Leadership Training for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,"Now, I hope this helps you understand why we talk about the pattern, the ideal, of marriage and family when we know full well that not everyone now lives in that ideal circumstance...Individual adaptations have to be made as marital status and family circumstances differ. But all of us can agree on the pattern as it comes from God, and we can strive for its realization the best way we can" (General Patterns and Specific Lives, Feb. 9, 2008). So--keeping this in mind--the fact that research on "other than mother care" is not allowed is absolutely maddening. No matter what a mother chooses to do, I think she has the right to be informed of the consequences of her choice, as far as that information is available. To withold this information on the basis of "making" a woman feel guilty is completely wrong. Regardless of the choices we make, the positive and negative consequences will be there, and forbidding anyone the opportunity to have an idea of what those consequences may be is nothing more than blatant censorship.

Secondly, the quote from Linda Hershmann "women cannot be fully realized human beings if they don't make work a bigger priority than mothering" is a bold-faced lie. I have been in the corporate world and I am now a stay-at-home mother. I have never been a corporate diva, and maybe Linda has had that empty opportunity, but the corporate world that I am familiar with is filled with people trying to prove their superiority over each other. You work day in and day out on things that aren't really going to matter once you're dead--hoping that you can prove yourself enough to continue up the corporate ladder and gain a position of "true" power someday. I have no idea how this never-ending process of proving yourself, (which continues even after you have "arrived"), brings full-realization to any human being.

Let me tell you about being a fully-realized human being. First of all, the fact that a woman's body can and does make another person is absolutely amazing and brings unanticipated depth and meaning to your life. Then, those first few weeks after the birth push you to your limits--late night and early morning feedings, the roller-coaster of hormones from having a baby, and starting to get this parenting thing down--you really start to learn what you're made of. And, after several weeks, (or months), when you finally get into a schedule, you feel like you can take on the world. If you can calm a screaming child and anticipate and fulfill their every need, you can do ANYTHING. Talk about fully realizing yourself! As you continue to raise your child, you are constantly pushed to your limits. Your home needs organization, your creativity lights up as you promote a developing brain, you contstantly look for ways to improve your self and your surroundings. When you accomplish any of those things or myriad others, you recognize that full realization has nothing to do with corporate meetings, conference calls, or big presentations. Yeah--those things feel good when they're done well--but they offer no long term fulfillment. It's only through being a mother that you work day in and day out on the tiny details of a lifetime that you will most likely not live to see through to fruition. Learning to trust in your self and your abilities to accomplish such a monumental undertaking certainly allows for full realization of both your strengths and your failings--and if you're not frankly looking at both, how can you experience full realization as a human being?

OK--and the last thing--multiple attachments will be normal? Are you kidding me? I remember working in day care with children who were between 12-24 months of age. There were days, (many of them), that parents would come to pick up their kids and the kids would cling to me and cry because they were more attached to me, the babysitter, than the parent. Can I tell you how confused those poor little kids were? Steady home life, to me, is like base camp. You can go off and conquer or be defeated by any mountain--but when you go back to base camp, you can recharge and regroup before you head out on another quest. Without this steady base, you feel fragmented and scattered--and that is reflected in the details of your life. With all that is happening today as a result of parenting the children of yesterday, I can only imagine what tomorrow will be like when "multiple attachments" are the norm.

One of the reasons that this hit me with so much force was that I had read Julie B. Beck's talk from October 2007 General Relief Society Meeting the day before. There were two quotes from her talk that stood out to me:

Knowing and defending the divine roles of women is so important in a world where women are bombarded with false messages about their identity. Popular media figures on the radio and television set themselves up as authorities and spokespersons for women. While these media messages may contain elements of truth, most preach a gospel of individual fulfillment and self-worship, often misleading women regarding their true identity and worth. These voices offer a counterfeit happiness, and as a result, many women are miserable, lonely, and confused.

The things women can and should do very best are championed and taught without apology here. We believe in the formation of eternal families. That means we believe in getting married. We know that the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. That means we believe in having children. We have faith that with the Lord's help we can be successful in rearing and teaching children. These are vital responsibilities in the plan of happiness, and when women embrace those roles with all their hearts, they are happy! Knowing and defending the truth about families is the privilege of every sister in this Church. (What Latter-Day Saint Women Do Best: Stand Strong and Immovable, Ensign, Nov. 2006, p. 110)

What a difference between the two schools of thought. Most days, the pull of the world seems so subtle that it can be hard to see where the line is drawn. But, reading these two polar opposites within such a short time frame really struck me with the blatant difference between the pull of my religious beliefs and the pull of the world. How grateful I am that I know what the Lord's standard for me is. It makes it much easier to make my choices and stick to them--even on the days when gratification and excitement seem years off.

Not Judging

I love what Sister Cheryl C. Lant said at the Worldwide Leadership Training meeting a few weeks ago:

We had a large family, and my husband was the bishop when all the children were still very young. I would work all day Saturday and all morning Sunday to get them to church, and I had to get them there early or we just didn’t even get there. We would line the whole bench—the whole center bench was filled with our children on the second row back—and we would be there before the meeting started.

I remember one day a sister came up behind me and leaned over and said, “Sister Lant, if my kids were as good as yours and if it was as easy for me as it is for you, I would have a large family too.”

Well, I started to cry, and I cried clear through the whole meeting. And my husband kept looking at me like “What is wrong? What is wrong?” I was a mess. I completely had a come-apart. And it was because it wasn’t easy.

We tend to judge one another. We judge harshly. Or we judge unfairly as we look at others unkindly. And we don’t really know what one another’s situations are. We just have to love each other.

The Upswing

YAY! YAY! YAY! I seriously cannot write enough YAYs for how happy I am that I'm feeling better today! I'm still not over this darn cold, but for the first time since Saturday, my throat doesn't feel like it's being sliced open with every breath. And, I'm amazed at how much energy I have again. Thanks to a wonderful blessing, I got a good nights sleep last night and just feel SO much better today. I can deal with occasional coughing fits and some congestion for another couple of weeks if I have to--I'm just so glad that the exhaustion, excruciating throat pain, and general not-well-ness are gone!!

This is how it starts...

Last week, Ryan came home from school and told me he'd spent a good part of the day talking with the PhD student in his security lab about the pros and cons of a PhD. And, the first thing I said was, "Isn't this how getting a Masters started, too?" With a darling smile, he admitted that, quite possibly, maybe, this is how we got into our current situation.

Since then, we have been discussing the benefits and opportunity costs of Ryan obtaining a PhD. One second, we start to feel like maybe that's the direction we should go. Then, the next second, we remember that we don't have a dishwasher or a washer/dryer and the siren song of having a real salary (and a house! with a yard! and a washer/dryer and dishwasher!) once again plays in our minds. At this point, we're trying to determine whether the time spent getting a PhD will translate into better employment or if it would lead to being over-qualified for the things Ryan really wants to do with his career. Regardless of ALL of those questions, the main thought is that we just want to do what's right--for our family, and for Ryan, in the long run.

Then, today, Ryan had a job interview. From what Ryan told me, it went really well--the experience he had with his last job is right on track with what these guys are looking for--and they said they will be calling him for a second interview by the end of the week. (Note the verbiage: they will be calling, not we'll be in contact, or something that interviewers like to say.) I really like the sound of the company. It's a small, growing company, (only about 50 employees), completely free of debt and venture captialism, VERY family friendly, fairly close to where we are, and require only a 40-hour work week. Even when they're working to finish a project, they tend to stick with the 40-hour rule. (I love them just for that!) Also, the president of the company will occasionally call a "Family Day" and everyone heads up into the canyon for lunch with their families. All of this fits in with the goals Ryan and I have decided are important in his future employment.

So, if this company continues to think my husband is great, (I realize I'm a bit biased, but honestly, who wouldn't think Ryan is great?), we are going to have a lot of decisions to make in the next few weeks. And, in the end, we'll have to decide whether this is the blessing we've been watching for to ease our financial situation...or whether we are succumbing to the siren song.

Quick...VERY Quick update

I was a bit apprehensive of the Nyquil coma last night, so I waited until the last possible second before bed to take it. That way, I figured, I might possibly be asleep before the worst of it hit. No such luck. I woke up 45 minutes later coughing so hard and frequently that I thought my bronchial tubes would come flying out. (They didn't.) I thought that maybe sleeping propped up would help...so I grabbed my pillow and a blanket and got comfy on the couch. I guess it doesn't really matter what I try, I'm still going to have a terrible night's sleep until this sickness is completely gone. Unfortunately, so far, it's hanging on like a bad house guest.

I've Been Tagged!

Megan tagged me...hmm...probably a week ago now. I'm finally getting to it! I know you're all DYING to read this information. :)

What I was doing 10 years ago: Finishing up my sophomore year at BYU. I seriously think that was the most fun year of my entire college career. See this if you want details.

5 Things on my "to-do" list today: Hmmm...since the day is almost over, I can post what I did. 1. Visiting teachers came over, (risking lung and throat, since I'm still sick). 2. Sleep. 3. Eat ice cream, (only thing that makes a difference on my throat at the moment). 4. Pray that Nyquil induces a coma like it did yesterday afternoon, but failed to do last night. 5. Profusely thank my wonderful husband for taking such good care of me all day today--including a run for lemon chiffon frozen custard that I couldn't live without tonight!

3 of my bad habits: Only 3? Hmmm... 1. Wasting time on the computer. 2. Waiting until I'm fixing dinner to do the dishes from the entire day. 3. Staying up later than I really should.

Places I've lived: Mesa, AZ; Riga, Latvia; Tallinn, Estonia; Vilnius, Lithuania; Provo, UT

Things most people don't know about me: **I feel like I'm such an open book that there's not much people don't know.** I played the violin for about a year in elementary school; I took several cake decorating classes when I was about 12; I can touch the tip of my nose with my tongue.

Thumbs Down!!

That's what I give my weekend. A HUGE thumbs down. It started off innocently enough on Friday: a prickly throat, an occasional cough...by that evening, I was hoping I could fend off the impending illness. Well, I didn't.

Saturday, I spent pretty much the entire day moving from my bed to the couch and eating soup and saltines. Sunday, I still felt a bit yucky, but thought I was on the upside. Until that night...I was coughing so much that I managed to make my throat raw and keep myself from sleeping. After drinking some "Sleepy Time" tea with a little honey and taking a vitamin that makes me sleep, I finally drifted off somewhere between 1:30-2 a.m. (I'm sure that's normal for some of you, but, besides midterms and final exam time in college, it has never been normal for me!) I woke up at 6:30 when Kallie came into our room to get up for the day. By then, I was so congested and my throat was so sore that I couldn't sleep anyway. So, I waited a while until Urgent Care opened and headed on over there. Basically, I'm just sick and there's nothing I can do about it. (Nevermind that I'm coughing up and blowing out technicolor blobs...) The Dr. was going to prescribe some cough medicine with codeine, but after informing him that all narcotics make me throw-up, (something I've learned between getting my wisdom teeth out and 2 c-sections), he told me that pretty much my only option was Nyquil.

As much as I hate taking drugs, I was willing to drink the entire bottle of Nyquil for some kind of relief. It's a good thing I only took the suggested dose, because I was in a Nyquil stupor for quite a large chunk of my day. At one point, after sleeping for what I felt was about 2 hours, Ryan came into the bedroom and commented that I hadn't slept yet. I assured him that I had, but was then puzzled by the comment.

So, here I sit. My throat feels like it has turned into very sensitive, sandpaper-covered, small rocks jamming themselves together every time I cough, swallow, breathe, etc. My fever is now up to 101, (Why couldn't it have spiked this morning?), and I'm not looking forward to another Nyquil induced coma.

Whitney's Turn

OK--since I wrote the funny things Kallie has done lately, I needed to write down some of Whitney's accomplishments lately.

First of all, she's REALLY picking up on signing. Her latest sign word is "noodles". It's just swirling your pinky fingers away from each other like a spiral noodle--but when Whitney does it, her arms and entire body get into it, so she looks like she's doing the Funky Chicken. It's hilarious!

Whitney has also started to say a few words here and there. Nothing consistent yet, but she has definitely said, "no," "done," and "night-night." It's exciting to watch her try these things out.

The last thing is that Whitney is finally starting to show an interest in walking. Kallie walked at 12 1/2 mos., but was free standing in the middle of the floor at 11 1/2 mos. Whitney still won't stand on her own, but has recently started to push her "walky toy" around the house. She also loves to push anything stable and slidable across the floor. I'm just hoping that she'll decide walking's the way to go before too long. I'm tired of carrying her!

Kallie Funnies

Today, Kallie has been more like herself than she's been in a LONG time. Guess that's what a little antibiotic plus pain reliever will do for a 2-year old. She said some really funny things today that I wanted to write down before I forgot.

1. Kallie had one of those "quick, run to the potty" moments today. After she'd been in there a second, I went to check on her. As I came to the door, she informed me, "I'm doing my buisness."

2. Tonight, our family scripture study picture was the one of Nephi's family on the boat as they sail toward the promised land. Since we've been studying the Book of Mormon pictures all week, we started out by asking Kallie who the people in the picture were. When we got to Lehi, Kallie informed us that he was Santa Claus. Guess the long white beard and red clothing gave it away! LOL!

3. After singing bedtime songs to Kallie and doing our "kiss" routine, (a butterfly kiss, an eskimo kiss, a real kiss, and squeezes and loves), Kallie told me that she is very proud of me. When I questioned why, she said, "Because you sing lots!" It was so sweet!

OH! That's why she's been crabby...

After Kallie whined all last week, (to my complete frustration), Sunday night, while we were eating dinner at my mom's, she goes, "My mouth hurts!" I did what any decent mother would do and poked my finger into her mouth to determine the status of her teeth. Sure enough, she has at least one molar coming in. (Suddenly, the events of the previous week became clear to me!) I started giving her Tylenol/Ibuprofin that same night and suddenly, she slept better and was in a better mood on Monday. Tuesday morning, at the end of preschool, she started the fussiness and whining again--so I gave her a dose of pain reliever and she did alright the rest of the day...until she got more medicine at bedtime.

This morning, when she woke up, her eyes had bigger "sleepies" in them than usual and she was still complaining of mouth pain. Yesterday and this morning, she had a mild fever, (right around 100), but I attributed all of it to that darn molar. Well, after she woke up from her nap, her eyes were crusty and oozing green stuff...and I really didn't think THAT was a typical result of breaking teeth. So we headed over to the BYU Health Center's Urgent Care office. Apparently, after having a cold 2 weeks ago, the congestion continued, turned thick and green, and settled in right behind her right ear drum. Once there wasn't any more room there, it started coming out her tear ducts and infected both of her poor little eyes. My poor little girl feels absolutely miserable! (I can't blame her! I had something similar when I was a freshman in college--and it was neither pretty nor comfortable.)

Tomorrow we were supposed to have the preschool co-op Valentine's party at our house, but that's obviously not happening now. :( Kallie's always up for a party, so I'm sad she's going to miss it. Maybe we'll have to have a St. Patty's Day or Easter party instead.

The Learning Curve

When I was younger, I had visions of being a mommy. They generally included happy, smiling children, milk & cookies, and lots of figurative sunshine. Even though I grew up as one of the oldest children in a family of 6 kids and saw how day-to-day living was, I was determined that my kids, my home, and my own family wouldn't be like that.

For the first year or so of Kallie's life, things were great! I felt that I had a handle on this parenting thing and patience and perpetual feelings of love and goodwill came very easily. Even when I was sick during my pregnancy with Whitney, I still felt like I was doing a pretty good job as a parent. And then, in an almost fateful twist of revenge, Kallie turned two.

I will say, now that they're almost over, the "terrible twos" really haven't been too terrible. In fact, Kallie started going through that phase several months before she turned two. Being our oldest, we wondered how much more "terrible" she could get at that point and have been relieved that it hasn't changed much. But, that was about that time I realized constant milk & cookies just wasn't the way it was going to be--even in my own family with my kids.

For several months, I struggled through parenting. I had a new baby, a terribly two toddler, and was dealing with low adrenal functioning, (symptoms similar to post-partum depression). So, for many months, it was all a matter of just getting through the day as I pushed toward the light at the end of the tunnel. I thought that once the adrenal issues were taken care of, I would return to being the parent I imagined I would be. As my adrenal functioning improved and my parenting didn't, I slowly came to the realization that the problem wasn't with outside influences--it was with me.

Last Sunday, we had ward conference with the theme of "Behold Your Little Ones." In order to help us prepare for what we would learn at our conference, starting 2 weeks before the meeting, we were asked to study our scriptures daily, use the LDS Church Hymns in our home, use the General Conference Ensign for our FHE lessons, read talks related to the theme, and fast from media the day before. Since many of these things are already part of our daily routine, and I made a point to participate in the things that weren't, I felt like I was going to be really prepared for our meetings on Sunday.

What I didn't anticipate was that the week before was one of the most challenging weeks in recent history for us. Honestly, nothing major happened, (it's not usually the major things that get to us, anyway). The fact was that from Monday morning until...well, this is still happening today, Kallie whined and cried literally ALL DAY LONG. And, when I say that, I'm not exaggerating. One day of a fussy nearly-three-year old starts to grate on you...but seven days straight is more than enough to rattle even a veteran parent. I tried so hard to stay calm and be patient and loving, but by Sunday morning, I had had enough. To compound my frustrations, Kallie decided, after 4 days of NO accidents, (I was so proud of her!), that she didn't need to put her poops in the potty that day. Honestly, even with all of my careful preparations, I don't remember a thing that was said on Sunday. I was much too frustrated to let anything sink into my heart that day.

The next night, my wonderful, amazing husband and I started talking. You know those talks you have when it's time for bed, but you just have to much to discuss to put it on hold for the sake of sleep? We shared our concerns about the way things were going with Kallie, as we both felt we weren't parenting her the way we would like. As we talked, Ryan said in the Priesthood lesson on
Sunday, they had talked about giving blessing to their family members. I said, "What a great idea! You can give Kallie a blessing!" (And, my thought was, "Then all of these issues will be solved!" I know--you can laugh about that one with me.) And, my ever sweet and patient husband said, "Actually, I was thinking that you might need one." I agreed that it could only help...and he gave me a beautiful blessing that I didn't know how much I needed.

Since that evening, (I realize it's only been a couple of days), I have felt such a change in my life. I feel that Heavenly Father has started breaking down whatever walls I had put in place and I am now ready to progress again. At first, I was a little perturbed that I "had" to go through this difficulty. But, as I thought about it, within moments, I realized that there is no other way but straight through to get me where we need to be. As much as I think it would be nice to skirt the issue and not really deal with it, that would not give me the chance to improve and become a more loving, more patient, and more understanding person.

I am actually excited to have such a challenge in my life right now. Since God never gives us more than we can handle, I feel that it means I'm done dealing with the physical adrenal issues and am ready to take on this next challenge, which is of a more spiritual nature. I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father who loves me enough to let me have these experiences--and helps me through them every step of the way. I am grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ--because that is what allows me to improve and move forward with my life. I am grateful for Their love for and confidence in me and my abilities--otherwise, I wouldn't have this chance to grow and become a better person.

Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too?

If you are what you eat, then Kallie is going to start looking pretty interesting. The other day, I left a green bell pepper sitting on the kitchen table while I went to do something else. When I came back, it looked like this:

...Well, it was a little more intact when I first found it. Have you ever known a child who likes to eat peppers like apples?

Since it was Kallie's nap time when she started gnawing on it, I put it away until her usual post-nap snack time. When I placed it in front of her again, she got this "I'm so excited!" look on her face, (and if you know Kallie, you know the face), and she went to town and had it finished off before I finished the dishes. This kid LOVES peppers...and actually most vegetables. In fact, at the family SuperBowl party on Sunday, she ate about 5-6 mini bell peppers, a couple of handfuls of pea pods, and at least a handful of cherry tomatoes before I finally moved her away from the veggie tray. Compare that to the birthday party she went to last week where she ate two bites of cake and refused to eat any more. At this point, I'm glad she didn't get my sweet tooth, but seems to have inherited Ryan's broccoli tooth instead. Hopefully, it will serve her well in the future!

A Literate Family

Last Friday, I was invited to attend a mini-conference on Family Literacy at the Provo City Library with a couple of friends. The keynote speaker was Mary Leonhardt, author of "99 Ways to Get Kids to Love Reading: And 100 Books They'll Love," whom they flew in from the East Coast just for this event. She was SO entertaining to listen to! She had about a million reasons to get your children to love reading and a million entertaining stories associated with them. The overarching theme was children who see parents reading will become avid readers themselves. She also emphasized that it doesn't really matter what kids read, (magazines, comic books, etc.), as long as they're reading, they're headed in the right direction. There was also a lot of discussion about getting boys into reading--since it's becoming a dying art among younger male generations. Although I don't have boys, I'm pretty sure we'll have at least one somewhere along the way, so I filed the information into the "very useful in the future" section in my brain.

There were several breakout sessions to choose from after the keynote speech was over--and I chose to attend "Books for Boys and Books for Girls," which basically taught about the differences in what boys and girls like to read. They illustrated the point very well by starting off with a story called "Once upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude"--a story told from the perspective of a girl and then a boy and finally both. It's a really cute read! (I have to admit, out of all of the books we talked about, I was a bit more interested in the boy books...there were some really fun stories!) Overall, I enjoyed the evening and feel that I learned a lot about making my home a reader-friendly environment.

The best part of all of this, though, happened today. Even before the conference, I felt it was important for my kids to enjoy reading. They're going to have to read at some point for school, so they might as well view it as an enjoyable activity instead of drudgery. So, this afternoon, while Ryan and I were watching President Hinckely's funeral, Kallie disappeared into her room and closed the door. She was quiet for a while...and I realized it was a little TOO quiet, so I went in to investigate. I opened the door and said, "Kallie, what are you doing?" And she replied, "I'm just readin', Mom." I love that she took her doll stroller full of books into her bedroom and sat in the quiet to enjoy "reading" her books. I really hope she will keep this habit up for the rest of her life!

Kallie the Fairy

The side bar on my blog contains sections of a few of my favorites. Under the Kid's Book section, you'll see that "Alice the Fairy" by David Shannon is one of the favorite books around our home. So, it's one of the books we got the girls for Christmas. Kallie now insists that we read this book to her almost every day. And, every day, she says the same things as we read the same story over again. Things like, "I want to turn my daddy into a horse!" and "Mommy, tell me about the light switch." We even made Kallie a "magic wand" just like Alice's. I knew that she loved the book and I was pretty sure she was close to having it memorized, but what she did last week caught me off guard.

Kallie had gone to her first "real" birthday party...you know, the kind where there are about 20 kids running around and they play games and have cake. Well, this party happened to be a princess themed party and when Kallie explored her goodie bag at home, she found a little "compact" style mirror--minus the makeup. A few seconds later, I heard her flip the mirror open and say, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the greatest...MOST of all?" And then she would smile and flip it shut. Of course, I know that she picked this up from Alice the Fairy because Alice says something very similar in the book--but to hear it coming from my 2-year old was absolutely hilarious! I couldn't help but laugh inside!

The Jump Seat

Anyone who has ever potty trained a child has experienced the "hurry up and run" situation in random places. No matter how many times your child goes potty before you leave...even if they happen to go literally 2 minutes before you head out the door...this situation is inevitable. This past week, I was lucky enough to have this experience twice--in two different locations.

The first event happened two weeks into potty training when we realized that 17 pairs of princess panties are not enough to get through a week. So, I loaded the girls in the car and headed over to Wal-Mart. Apparently, just the thought of new puppy-printed panties is enough to make a 2-year old girl need to go potty. After encouraging Kallie to hold it for a few minutes, the urgency became apparent and we rushed to the bathroom. Now--keep in mind that carts and merchandise are not allowed in the bathroom AND I had both Kallie and Whitney with me. So, I ditched my cart, merchandise, and our coats next to the drinking fountains just outside the bathroom. (I may not have been so bold, but saw another mom had done the same thing...) I slung my purse over my shoulder, hitched Whitney up on my hip, and took Kallie by the hand into the bathroom. When I got in there, I headed for the stall usually reserved for disabled people. Having a party of three, I decided I needed the extra space just to maneuver everyone. NO ONE wants to put their crawling child down on a Wal-Mart bathroom floor, (or ANY bathroom floor!), so I held her on my hip with one arm while trying to help Kallie assume the potty position. The 5 seconds between getting Kallie on and off the potty were quite do-able. But, once she was done, I once again had to shift Whitney around while trying to help Kallie finish up. At one point, I needed two hands to assist my 2-year old, so I had no choice but to tuck Whitney between my legs and hope I could hold on until I had a free hand. By the time we finished our 3 minute pit stop, I was exhausted and thoroughly frustrated that, especially in Utah--where families generally have more than 2 kids--there was no place to put a baby while helping another child go potty.

Fast forward to Thursday morning. Although I had a major cold coming on, I decided to take the girls to the library. After spending about an hour picking out books and movies for Kallie, I headed upstairs to the QUIET section of the library to get a book for myself. Of course, as soon as we stepped off the elevator, Kallie insisted that she needed to go potty. I parked the stroller outside the bathroom, grabbed my purse, slung Whitney on my hip and headed in for another Gladiator challenge. Once again, we selected the large stall...but this time, to my complete surprise, I saw that there was, attached to the wall, a "jump seat" for children to sit in while their parents used the potty. I snapped the seat down, buckled Whitney in, and helped Kallie with both hands! No juggling a squirmy toddler and a pee-pee dancing preschooler while trying to keep my cool! It was such an improvement over my previous experience. I left the library bathroom feeling completely grateful that SOMEONE on this planet realizes what a hassle it can be to take your kid(s) into a public restroom. Now, if we could get everyone to have this same realization, we could change the world--one stall at a time.