Hey Peeps

I may or may not have been waiting all year for my post title. We are gearing up for Easter here. Do you have those days when you think, man, I am awesome. Like so efficient and checking things off your list left and right? That's me right now. Love it when it happens. I mean I had a billion open items on my to do list when I made the list this a.m. but now I'm feeling like I have control of the craziness! For writing this post I will probably have a mess of a day tomorrow but I'll enjoy this moment. The rest of my peeps are sleeping (like how I got peeps into this post again) and you can see pics of what I have been busy with tonight.
Happy Easter and safe travels. Hope to have pics from our weekend up on Monday!

Potty Training Disaster

Well people, our first real attempt at potty training has turned into a complete disaster with all kinds of crazy.  We've had calls to our nurse line, trip to Urgent Care in the middle of the night last night (yeah, that was fun), trips to Walgreens....and lots of hours of a uncomfortable kid. Did I ever mention that Ella one day held her pee for 18 hours.  EIGHTEEN HOURS people.  That is not good. Is she part robot?  I mean, who can control their bladder for that long?  Anyway....our attempt at the 3 Day Potty Training program is a big fat FAIL.  And, I don't think it's necessarily us that is the cause of the failure.  I kind of thing the program isn't going to work for us.  The concept is loving, patient approach with lots of praise and attempting to get the child to register that when they have to go they need to get to the bathroom.  We kept reminding Ella to keep her undies dry and let's get to the bathroom when you have to go.  Well, those reminders TOTALLY BACKFIRED.  18 hours of backfire.  Ella has been a miserable chic the past, well, since Saturday or maybe Sunday. That's a long time.  I feel terrible with a capital T that the reason for her miserable-ness was due to our quest for her to be potty trained.  I mean, in the grand scheme of things, it's not a big deal if she's not potty trained yet.  We have her lined up for preschool in the fall, and she will have to potty trained to attend, but I think now, if she's not, fine, we'll wait until she's 4 to attend preschool.  I'd rather have my sweet Ella around vs. the nutso screaming child that has been living in our house for the past week.

After 2 suppositories today (and almost was going to have to get an enema) plus a juice and miralax cocktail, Ella finally pooped tonight.  Praise the Lord!  You'd think I may have learned a thing or two about poop.  Remember this and this?  Wow....I think I must have blacked those times out.  I do remember the screaming though, and those screams were similar to what Ella had been doing this week.

So, thanks for following along with us on this crazy potty training ride.  We're taking a break.  I put everything away tonight and I pray that Ella will just forget all about the past week and what we've been trying to instill in her brain.  Rewind.  Do over please.

But, at the beginning of this ordeal, I kept snapping pictures of Ella in her big girl undies b/c she looked so adorable and grown up!  Even though she's not potty trained and we'll be back at Sam's Club for diapers, these pictures are too cute not to share (even though they are sideways....no idea why).

And the Potty Training goes on....

So much for potty training in 3 days.  We are well into Day 5.  Ella has been holding it all for unreal amounts of time (we're talking like past 12 hours).  Not good.  We think she's scared to go (both in her undies & on the potty).  Not sure why.  We're going to keep trying for a few (maybe one) more days....

Potty Progress Report

I wanted to update on the potty training multiple times over the weekend, and each time our internet was down.  Lovely....

So today is the beginning of Day 4 of our potty training madness.  We didn't reach success at 3 days (which was the magic day per the guide we're following).  We're just wading through the trials and errors of getting Ms. Ella to sit on the potty.  For some reason she's terrified of it.  She knows when she's going and she (now) gets that we have to run to the bathroom.  But she doesn't want to sit down and finish going.  We'll get there.....we'll get there....I know....but man it can get frustrating.

Let's pray Social Services doesn't show up today.  Last night (windows wide open....) Ella was screaming bloody murder when she started to pee in the living room and I rushed her to the bathroom.  She was screaming the most terrifying sound I think I've heard from her since her newborn days.  It was not pretty.  Jay was not impressed (now, I'm sure, were the neighbors).  But, I kept it together, got her upstairs and we had a bath to redirect and regroup.  It's been a long weekend my friends.....very long....

This morning half awake on the bus I opened my Real Simple magazine to see this quote (God, you must know what I need to hear!):  "Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time."  ~Mark Twain

As my mom always says:  Patience is golden.  :)  I will continue to be patient and we will get through this madness (this I know).  It's a habit we have to break and train her a step at a time to use the toilet.

Here's to what may be a long week.

Potty training in 3 days or less?

Let the potty training begin!!

Home Depot Project Saturday (NASCAR anyone?)

Jay and Ella have started attending the Home Depot project Saturday (the first Saturday of each month), where they get to make a project (for free!)  It's their daddy/daughter time, but this past Saturday I went along too.  It was NASCAR-themed because The Home Depot sponsors the No. 20 car.  Side note:  I am a No. 88 (Dale Jr.) fan and Jay roots for whichever car is being sponsored by Best Buy (currently Kenseth, No. 17).  Yes, we know more than you would think about NASCAR.  So be it.  Anyway.....

Here are pictures from the morning.  Ella was awesome.  She started working on it but then she wanted Jay or I to do some of it too.  She's a little young for some of these projects anyway, but she has a good time.

 Ella and Jay getting organized (and playing peek-a-boo with the camera)

 Ella rocking the shop goggles!  She kept telling me:  "Safety first!  Safety first Mommy!" 

 Hammering away getting the race car together!  She was great!

  Ella & the finished project.  Now Ella, there will be no cheering for No. 20 on Sundays....only No. 88....

Prayers for healing

Happy March!  I've got a post in the wings about our weekend, but it'll have to be later today.  Just wanted to ask for prayers for my Grandma Alice.  She had another fall at the Meadows over the weekend (or maybe on Friday?) and she was in the hospital.  They have done a few scans of her brain and there is bleeding, however, it hasn't gotten any worse, so the dr. believes it will heal on its own.  I'm so sad for her.  She's had a rough time since moving into the Meadows, and I hope that she will heal.  She's tough and I pray she will.  Don't know if I ever posted any of these pics, but over Turkey Day weekend 2011 (the one where Jay & I ran our first Turkey Day 10K), we grabbed these pictures.  I came across them yesterday and they make me smile. 

A few funny things Ella is doing lately (this is more for me to remember):

- She likes to be a pirate, excuse me, she is Captain Ella.  She'll say "Arghhh Matey, I am Captain Ella!"  Hilarious.

- She is singing and dancing all the time and now she likes to instruct us how to do it.  "Ok – bend your knees like this – then wiggle like a lion"  ?  Who knows where she comes up with her dances, but it's so cute.

- She knows Tobby Keith's song "Red Solo Cup" and will stop whatever she's doing to sing along when she hears it.  We have no idea how she learned this song, but most likely picked it up from the radio playing in the car.  Last night she sang it at dinner.  Whenever it strikes her, she'll just break into songs. 

- Ella is obsessed with her dollhouse and telling the dollhouse people what to do.  They go in the car to the library or to "Halloween" or to Target.  HA!

- She will wrap her blanket around her waist and twirl like a princess.  "Look mommy, I'm a princess!"

She's keeping us on our toes!