Potty Training 101

One of the definitive truths I've found being a mother of three, is that having more than one kid in diapers really is about as fun as it sounds. I feel like changing diapers takes up a healthy chunk of my day, which I could be spending doing something other than changing diapers. I also know that I am lazy, and it would require effort to potty train Rayce. So thus far I haven't been trying that hard. I figured when he was ready he would let me know. Dan must also think changing two sets of diapers is no fun, because he is actually taking measures to potty train Rayce; so enters the cars atop the fridge.

Rayce seems to have a slight obsession with Cars, the movie. He also has a couple of little cars from the movie, well, he lost his Lightening McQueen car so Dan replaced it with the tiny stipulation that Rayce couldn't have it, until he went poo poo on the potty. Dan ended up giving in after Rayce went pee pee on the potty (sucker). That's fine and I'm glad Rayce did it, but I don't mind changing the pee, it's the other stuff. Rayce ended up breaking that Lightening McQueen, so another new one sits atop the fridge, only to be given this time when he goes number two.

Avie experienced her first dip in the pool, and I think she liked it. She didn't scream anyway, so I assume she liked it. My friend Heather gave her the cutest swim suit. (Thanks Heather!)

Danielle made her goal of advancing to level three in swimming! She was very pleased with herself. As for Rayce, he ended up doing better in swimming than I thought. As long as Dan was actually in the water with him, he seemed to be okay. He even let his teacher help him a little.


What else we did this week:

A little soccer

A few chores

Some fun at the XRKade!

Avie Goes Camping!

So last weekend Avie had her first camping trip. Actually, now that I think about it, Rayce had his first camping trip as well. We went with two of my favorite families, the Cook's and the Lefteroff's/Deforge's. We went to a place right above Lake Mary just outside Flagstaff. The kids had a lot of fun, and Avie...well I don't know if I would say she's a huge fan of roughin' it, but she did okay.

She kept warm.

We were finally able to break in the tent we purchased about four years ago. Now, two kids later we've already outgrown it. Dan, Danielle and Raycey slept in the tent and Avie and I slept in the back of the MDX. Not the most comfortable I've ever been, but I didn't want to keep the whole camp up if Avie wasn't going to sleep.

Overall, other than a dead car battery (not ours), and a broken car window (also not ours), it was a pretty uneventful trip. There were a lot of smores, games, and a fair share of screaming kids (ours, of course). I don't know if I would be in a hurry to take a three month old camping again, but it sure made me appreciate my bed and my shower, and also Avie's crib!! It may be our first and last camping excursion for the next little while.

A beautiful sunset!

It didn't take long for the kids to get completely filthy
(I would have made a horrible pioneer).

Raycey sniffed out the marshmellows, and he wasn't putting them down until he got some.

Big Sis and Little Sis.

SUPERSTAR

Danielle's dance recital was this last Saturday, and she did an amazing job. She had her very own part in the beginning of the dance, and she didn't seem at all nervous. Completely opposite of me when I was her age. Her class only had ten weeks to prepare, but they did so well, especially for such a large class. Dan and I couldn't be prouder. We feel so blessed to be her parents. I often feel like I learn way more from my kids than they ever learn from me. Maybe that's one of the great rewards of parenting, or biggest frustrations, depends on the day and kid. We signed up for another session of swimming lessons. Rayce moved up from a parent taught class to being with a teacher, and it's going okay other than the fact that he won't allow his teacher to touch him at all. He likes to be in the water, but he mostly wants to do his own thing and not worry so much about technique. Maybe they'll demote us back down to parent taught. Danielle remains in level 2 another session, but is determined to move up to the next level, we'll see. Avie is talking up a storm, and just keeps getting cuter and cuter, if that's possible. She doesn't care for her bouncer much, or her swing; she prefers to be carried around like the princess she is.
Dan is starting to get back into the rhythm of studying, and hopefully he can get these boards out of the way soon so he can have some sort of a summer break.

Finally, Some Down Time.

Thank goodness for summer vacation, that's all I can say. We are finally getting a chance to relax, and actually spend some time as a family, and with some great friends. This last week has consisted of swimming lessons, more swimming with friends and a lot of BBQing. Our friends, the Christensen's have an amazing backyard pool that we have been fortunate to frequent these hot Phoenix days. The kids are having so much fun, and wearing themselves out at the same time, which is a huge plus. We've only had one incident so far, and that was Danielle getting stung by a bee while she was swimming in the pool. Dan told her it was a thorn so she wouldn't freak out as much. She still lost it for a good 45 minutes. Bee stings hurt, believe me I know. Poor girl, I finally told her it was a bee sting since I didn't think she could possibly lose it any more than she already had. I was wrong. So, we found out the hard way that she is not allergic to bee stings, and her finger is all right. I tried to get a picture of her swollen finger to put on the blog, but Danielle screamed at the top of her lungs that she just wanted to forget it ever happened. I can respect that, so no picture. Although, I did get a great shot of Austen and Rayce hanging out in their diapers, which I'm sure they'll appreciate when they're older. Austen has since been potty trained...Rayce has no interest.
Swimming lessons are coming along great. Danielle got a new pair of goggles and is now putting her whole head in the water. I have to admit I still plug my nose when going underwater (haha), so I am so proud of her. She may turn into a fish yet. Rayce is loving swimming too, especially with his friend Austen. Avie is not the biggest fan of the water, but she seems to enjoy falling asleep by the pool! Don't worry mom, she's never left unattended! (I know what she's thinking looking at that picture of Avie). Dan headed back to school yesterday to start studying for the boards and it's been really hard to let him go. It's nice to not have to parent alone. I had almost forgotten what it was like to eat meals together, all of us. The boards are kind of the last big hurdle for him for the next little while. So I guess we can give him a couple of hours a day to prepare. Good luck Dan, don't study too hard...cause I need all the help I can get!