Potty Talk

Ok--so this whole potty training thing is much more difficult than I ever could have imagined. I asked a lot of questions before I started, got lots of advice, listened to lots of stories...but nothing has worked so far with Will. Brian and I spent Saturday morning from 7-2:30 implementing all the potty techniques we have heard about and I have come to the conclusion (at nearly 3 years old) Will is still not ready. We went through 7 pairs of underwear, cleaned up two pee accidents, and then finally gave up. It was the most stressful morning/afternoon that we have experienced yet with Will. He was as miserable as we were. We obviously can't make him use the restroom on his big boy potty so the only thing we know to do is wait a little longer. A woman at church (whom is a kindergarten aide) told us she has never once had a kindergartner show up in Pull-Ups so we felt a little better. Lets just hope Will doesn't write history. :)

Abby is a little under the weather with a cold but she has remained in good spirits. I pray she gets feeling better fast.

As of Tuesday, our family will be officially complete with just Abby and Will. It was not an easy decision but we have our boy and girl....both healthy and thriving...and we are ready to move on with next phase of our lives and just grow our family. It is a little sad thinking that there will be no more babies in our future but I feel at peace with our decision. Hope all of you are doing well.

Success

Today was the first day of my bible study and I am so excited about it. The study is about self-talk and the good Lord knows that I could use some improvement in this area. If I am not talking aloud, then I am always thinking about something...a conversation, what someone said, what I said, what I should have said, what if scenarios,.....you name it...my wheels are always turning. My prayer is that this bible study gets them all turning in the right direction. I will keep you updated on my progress. (Nik--are you enrolled in the study?)
I had quite a bit of anxiety going into today because I didn't know how Abby was going to do but when I went to pick her up the nursery worker told me she was the best baby in there. I couldn't believe it. I know this was the first day but it sure helped ease my mind about the rest of the study. Will also had a big time as he is in a room with Eli and Norah...our neighbors. He didn't even bat an eye when I dropped him off this morning. Today certainly put a little pep in my step.....not to mention that Abby is giving me 7 hours of continuous sleep a night. Whew Hew! I am batting a thousand.
I will end with a quick video of Will and Abby that I took the other night though neither one of them knew I was filming. It was one of the those moments that make you just smile all over. Though not a huge fan of her slobber, Will loves Abby so much.

More Rambling...

Not much news to report on the homestead. We went home for the weekend for my brother's wedding shower/family get together. It was so nice to visit with all of my family. As a young girl, I have such found memories of our times together and I still enjoy my time with them even now. My uncle has a boat and a motorcycle and the neighbor has roosters (only in Kentucky) so Will had a big time.
I begin a new bible study tomorrow and am a little anxious to see how Abby is going to do. She barely makes it for a one hour church service much less a two hour bible study. I am going to hold off buying my book for a couple weeks until I see how she does. I feel sorry for those poor workers.
I got my hair cut on Monday and can't figure out what I don't like about it. I had a couple inches cut off to try and take some of the layers out but it just isn't laying right. I don't want to go any shorter therefore I'm not sure how to fix it. :(
Will has really enjoyed the nice weather. We spend as much time outside as we can and that usually includes playing soccer, baseball, and golf. He is pretty fascinated with all 3 sports....particularly baseball and golf. Though not quite a Tiger Woods, I think he's getting pretty close.

Bee-lieve it or not

Jen, my neighbor, saw something swarming...like a mini tornado...outside her back door yesterday and could hardly make out what it was. After the swarm of insects moved from her house....to the neighbors....back to her house....and then finally the neighbors she went outside to take a look and saw this.

After doing some research, she figured out that it was a drone of honey bees. So, she called a bee keeper and he told her if they stayed there overnight (which he didn't think they would) then he would come get them in the morning and sure enough...they were still there when she woke up. So, we had the privilege this morning of watching Mr. Bee Keeper capture the bees. It was quite a sight to see. All the kids were totally amazed. There were bees swarming every around Mr. Bee Keeper and he only got stung once.

He is going to leave his bee catcher there the rest of the day and then bring us all back some home grown honey when he returns this evening! Yum. Yum. What a great science lesson right outside our door.

Abby's Other Talent

Abby just learned how to roll from her back-to-belly today. It was so exciting to watch her. And believe it or not, I got her first official roll on camera. Yea! I suppose this makes her multi-talented :)



Oh...and never mind Brady doing a quick diaper check.

PS...Abby's new talent

I forgot in my weekly wrap-up to mention Abby's new talent.

For now, she can only roll one way (belly-to-back) but she is so very close to being able to roll from her back to her belly. Here are some other snap shots from tonight. She is really coming into her own and getting oh so fun.

Weekly Wrap-Up

I promise I have not been neglecting my blog.....there just hasn't been much to write about. We have been playing outside as much as we can (with friends and neighbors) and I have continued my evening walks with Jen, Ms. Bonnie, or by myself. Other than that, we have barely left the house. So, the weekly-wrap up won't take very long.

1. Matt and Ash are getting married in a month so wedding thoughts have been lurking around in my head.....what to wear, what should the kids wear, what to get them,.....so exciting.

2. We reworked our budget Wednesday night (always a fun task). We are now debt free (except for the mortgage). YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!. (No more student loans!!!) Yet, there is still not a whole lot left over in a month. We have just come to conclusion that in this time of our life (me at home, two young kids) we might not be able to save as much as we'd like. It just amazes me how fast the money goes....and trust me....our budget is pretty modest. However, I have always been told if you want to compare...compare down...and then you realize just how lucky you are. And with out even having to do that....I KNOW we are very blessed.

3. This weekend promises more yard work (if the weather cooperates), church, and family time. Brian's dad will be here Monday and his mom Tuesday and Wednesday so lots of company ahead which I (and especially Will) enjoy.

4. See if you can guess where me, Will, and Abby went this morning. Will loved every bite. Hope you have a nice weekend.

Neighborly Love

We are blessed with great people and great kids in our neighborhood. Everyday is like one big play date when the weather is nice. The boys love their dump trucks, bikes, and swing sets. They have so much fun. Here are a couple clips I took this afternoon of them playing.

Brotherly Love

I can't get over how much Will loves Abby. I don't think he really knew what to think the first few months of her life but it is very evident how he feels about her now. He is always asking about her, talking about her, kissing her, holding her hand, and wanting me to take pictures of the two of them together (which you know me and pictures....say no more). It warms my heart to see them together and though I don't expect this sibling bliss to continue all their lives (or even next month), I'll take whatever I can get. I sure do love my children.

Two entries in one day!

I couldn't wait to share with you Sissy's new talent. Will thinks it is the greatest thing ever and if you listen carefully in this first video clip you will hear him say, "she took a big toot."

Abby will continue doing this until her face is completely soaked. It is so funny.

Green thumb...we'll see

Well, the weekend was non-stop, go-go-go. I survived the dentist (but must go back for a tooth repair and a filling replacement), did lots of yard work (which I will discuss in a minute), and we even ate at one of my old college favorites...Zaxbys. It was nice to just have some time with the four of us.

Back to the planting, Brian has always wished that I cared more (or at all) about gardening. I can't help it...I just don't. I don't mind the planting part but it is the upkeep that drives me nuts. I get so tired of watering all the time and the flowers seem to die anyway. I need the kind of flowers that don't require any water or t.l.c......which is why one year we bought fake flowers and planted them in front of our house and believe it or not...they didn't look half bad.

Well--this year I decided I would REALLY try to be the gardener my husband desires. So, we went to Lowes where I (with a little help) picked out a variety of flowers and planted them (which I had never done before). I am going to try my best to keep them alive this year. It was kind of exciting seeing the end result once I was done. The front of my house just might have a little color this year. Will was just as thrilled with all of the planting and helped me every step of the way which is great because I will need his encouragement and enthusiasm when it comes to watering the flowers. Here are some pictures of our hard work.

Oh...and Brian planted tomatoes too! YUM. YUM.

Weekly Wrap-Up

Wow...this week flew by. Crazy that it is already Friday and already May 1st!

1. I went to the dentist today which I never look forward to. Fortunately, my last visit was 6 months ago so they didn't have to scrape too much. Unfortunately, I have to go back to get a cavity re-filled and a tooth repaired. Yuck.

2. Went to a neighborhood yard sale this morning and found lots of goodies for cheap. One house had mostly Gap and Old Navy stuff all for a $1.00 or 50 cents. I love when I find houses like that. I got Will lots of good stuff and found some stuff too cute to pass on for Abby.

3. Brian and I went on our monthly date last night to Stoney River. We had such a nice time. It is such a treat to sit across from him, talk uninterruptedly, and enjoy a nice, leisure dinner. I never want to quit dating him.

4. The kids and I had a play date on Thursday with some friends. We had such a nice time and the kids had so much fun. It was the first time that Will really got in there and played with all the other kids. He is usually so timid and so cautious that he wants me near by but not this time. He played his heart out and it was so great to see. He is really coming out of his shell.

5. Abby will be 5 months old tomorrow and I can hardly believe where the time is going. She is getting so big and growing so fast. I know this time, while my kids are young, won't last long and I see it flying by before my eyes. It makes me sad. Brian and I have both decided though that we don't want anymore kids so we are just trying to soak up all the baby stuff while we can because Abby is it.....and a great one to end on.

6. The rest of the weekend holds lots of yard work, church, and family time with the four of us. Should be a good one.