Three Kids & A Pear Tree

My thoughts have been on our sprouting children the past little while.  Hugo is 5, and as a five year old, he believes that he can do just about anything.  It's wonderful and trying to watch the excitement exude from his little body, a smattering of time-outs round out our days.  He starts Kindergarten in a few short weeks.  All day Kindergarten.  So I have these mixed feelings inside me of my own excitement for him and his growth, but I also am experiencing a surprising sense of loss while knowing all sorts of good things are before him.  We've been such a duo since his birth and now someone else, his teacher, will have this first of outside role model positions in his life.  I've been moody.  I am going to miss him.  My memories of my own Kindergarten teacher have faded, but I do remember that she was Hawaiian and I thought she was beautiful.  I also remember barfing into her out stretched hands one morning.

New words the girls are saying:  eye, outside, the beginnings of what's that, cookie, kitty, juice, apple, and hi.  Marlo says another very helpful word, poop.  This word brings on fits of giggles from Hugo.  He'll ask her to say it over and over and over.  I've had to remind him that it's best if we save this word for the privacy of the bathroom.  So, bath time is full of rolling giggles from Hugo requesting his little sister Miss Marlo to say "poop" over and over again. 

The poop word has me considering the beginnings of potty training the girls.   I'm scared at the idea of two naked girls running around the house in separate directions, peeing hither and yon, as I run crazily about with the Clorox and paper towels in hand.  One afternoon at my parents, my Mom said Marlo was intensely watching one of her wee cousins on the toilet.   Mom thought Marlo was putting two and two together.  Not two minutes later, Marlo strolled into the living room, dug into the diaper bag and brought me a diaper and wipes as she said, "poop."  I hope to start the potty training with Marlo and that Sabine will simply follow suit.  I'm hoping.  But I'm a big, fat chicken to start the process.

The Rec Center

We went to the Rec for play time today. Hugo was a champ and told me twice that he needed to go potty! This is getting exciting. For him and me! He is really getting it. I guess we were both ready this last go around. One thing I discovered today is that I haven't ever visited the bathroom in the Rec. Not once. So today, I was pretty surprised as we descended the stairs where I have seen so many children disappear with their mothers, to find our descent to the basement facilities incredibly dark and dingy. It was creepy. The area would work well in a horror film or a freaky Halloween maze. They could seriously charge admission. Hugo was not letting go of my hand.

Here are a few shots from the inside of the ancient Ladies Bath/Locker Room.

Potty Time Part... 3?

*Read at your own Potty Training means yucky stuff is in store risk!

Potty training is messy. Hugo has tinkled in the toilet twice this morning. He is sick of sitting on the toilet every 20 minutes. He could care less that he will get a jelly bean reward. He does want the beans. He just doesn't want to sit on the toilet to get the bean. He is rebelling and yelling at me. I decided to show him a glimpse of what the prize filled pillowcase holds. He thought it was a fun game as I opened up the top of the pillow for him to peek inside. Once his little hand started reaching for the goods I clamped the opening shut. He laughed and laughed and the pillowcase top was opened and shut in our little game many, many times. When I declared the game to be over he threw a monster fit on the floor. He wanted the cars. At this very minute he is telling me, "Mommy, I want toooooys." I am ignoring him. I am especially ignoring him because he, 15 minutes ago or so, just filled the entire leg of his pajamas with you know what. A giant clump of the stuff rolled down said leg and settled beside his foot. He was playing in his room, I was gathering up the laundry. I heard, "Momma, poopies!" I had hoped he meant hurry and help me Momma. But no. The deed was done. Potty training is messy.

Potty Training Update

Yesterday was fun and hard. It was fun racing to the bathroom each time the timer ding a ling linged. I was amazed and somewhat frustrated with how quickly 20 minutes flies by. I remembered the growth spurt days of nursing when instead of feeding Hugo every 3 hours, he was freaking and demanding to nurse every 2 - 2 1/2 hours. I felt like my name should have been changed to Bessie the Guernsey Cow during those random weeks of his physical growth.

Hugo did okay for his first day in big boy underpants. In the end, the day was not a complete loss. The score looked something like ...

Toilet - 5 / Super Hero Pants - 4

Unfortunately for me, his you know whats, all ended up in the pants. The positive part of this uncool situation is that he didn't like it. Hugo would call out to me, "Momma, Momma, Momma!" It was funny to see him standing there with his legs spread as if he'd just hopped off a donkey from a long days journey through the Grand Canyon. The laundry machines are in for a workout I'm afraid.

Another part that made our first Potty Training day tricky was that we had some unplanned errands come up which we had to do for Cesar. Tax stuff. No way around it. Tuesday nights are also my Mutual nights at church. I couldn't face leaving the girls every 20 minutes to track down Hugo and drag him into the bathroom. So, I caved and he wore a diaper from around 4 pm on through waking this morning. Not the same one. I did change him before bed! Today is our Barnes and Noble day but we're not going. Staying home as slaves to the kitchen timer.

Friends just called and might come over to play after story time ends at Barnes & Noble. These friends usually like to go to McDonald's and climb around in the jungle gym to tire the kids out afterward. It is awesome how well the climbing = sleeping children each and every time. Our last visit there found us all completely grossed out at how filthy the play structure was. We all swore we wouldn't go back. It would be nice to have friends join us here in our potty seclusion. I had thought about borrowing one of Hugo's little friends who is already potty trained who might help to encourage Hugo along. She knows the drill and will love all the juice and jelly beans. I wonder if I'd need girly poop prizes? That might be the plan for our Friday.

The weather is beautiful. Perfect even. I want to spend the entire day outside. Maybe Hugo will copy the dogs and learn to potty amongst the trees and leaves.

The End.

Potty Time - Fo Real!

We drank a whole lot of apple juice and chocolate milk today.

Can anyone guess why???

BECAUSE WE WORE THESE TODAY!!!

All day long. Well, except for nap time.
Momma was a chicken.

We ate snacks like these.

We used this to help remind us all of Potty Time.

I was downstairs this afternoon and I heard the timer buzz upstairs. I left it next to Hugo while he watched a movie. I was a little worried about how engrossed he might be with the movie. Would he hear the timer? Would I hear the timer downstairs? We both heard the timer ding a ling ling! Before I had a chance to say anything, Hugo hopped off his chair and did his Rhino stomp to the stair railing and yelled out, "Momma, potty!"

So why would little Hugo be so interested in being sure that I knew that the timer had buzzed?

Colorful and tasty Jelly Belly beans!

He gets a bean each time he tinkles.
He wanted a bean even when he didn't tinkle. I gave in.
The beans are pretty small and he only gets one - every 20 minutes!

Hugo does like to use the big potty. We just haven't been diligent.

My sister Millie told me this morning, when I phoned her up for moral support, that the Mom has to potty train herself first. Diapers are just too easy.
I have fallen into the trap.
But no more!

These are some of his favorite animals and these are hiding on the top shelf amongst the bath towels. Hugo will get one when he you know whats in the toilet.

Today he "filled" his new Buzz Lightyear undies.
He doesn't know who Buzz Lightyear is yet.
I wonder if it might have been a problem if he had?

Poppa had a little free time and made a pit stop in Toy-R-Us.
He picked up some cars which Hugo l-o-v-e-s!
These are also you know what prizes.

Have I mentioned here before that Hugo asks to watch Cars all the time? I do play it for him but... The problem you see, for me, is that he'll only watch 10-15 minutes of it and then he'll want to watch something else. He doesn't do this with any of his other movies. Just Cars. Movie time is when I can get something done or simply have some free time for myself. Sometimes, I think about hiding his movie Cars away somewhere.

This here truck is for something big. Cesar said I can give it to Hugo anytime.
I think this is a reward for like, a week without poopy undies!
The truck bed opens up to reveal a spa for McQueen.
I think Hugo will flip for it.

Red was in the present pile last night.
This morning, I found Hugo playing with it.
I questioned Cesar.
He simply couldn't resist.

So we have our fingers, toes, knees and ankles all crossed in hopes of a smooth,
and clean!, undies wearin first week!

Wish us all luck please!