Birthday Aftermath

Favorite dance party music: Trolls

Thora has become obsessed with dancing in front of the fireplace glass.

Sam...just fingers in the mouth.

Such a happy way for this boy to start the morning: finding Mom and Dad's leftover popcorn on the table. "This is soooo good, Mom!"

I started potty training Sam in early March. He had been there every step of the way with me potty training Thora: "Good job, Fowa, you did it!" "Wow, dat's a huge poop! Let's dump it! Now wash yow hands." "Mom, Fowa's calling you! Run! She needs help!" "Yay! Let's get Skittles!" My mom said she trained both of my brothers at the same time and that two wasn't much different than one. So I gave it a try. He mastered pee in a day. Became comfortable sitting on the potty seat, sitting on the toilet with the insert seat, standing to pee like Dad, and letting me hold him up to pee in a public toilet. But the poop readiness never came. I knew he'd have his poops in the morning and I'd have him sit repeatedly and try pushing, only to have to clean his underwear or the floor five minutes later. People suggested just putting a diaper or pullup on him to go out in public so I wouldn't have to worry about accidents, but then he'd pee in those and be confused later as to whether he was wearing underwear or a diaper and I'd have two or three accidents a day to clean up. I tried taking a break, but then he'd be upset at not getting to wear his underwear, or I'd forget that he was wearing a diaper and it'd get so full and fall off him and then I'd still walk out of the library with an accident. But finally, after a long stressful headache of a struggle, I succeeded in getting us backed out of potty training and on a break for the summer. We'll resume in the fall unless Sam suddenly expresses interest in pooping in the toilet. He still loves to pee in the toilet from time to time, so that's nice for me that I won't have to completely start all over.

Sometimes I walk into a room and hear voices but don't see humans. And then they back themselves out from under the bed.

{Sam and Dancy}

This is the face of one who is happy to be sitting on his toilet and has just eaten blueberry pie.

Tommy reading to Samson...

...and Samson reading to Tommy.

Shad sent me out for a break one night, so I got my hair cut, then went to Mimi's Café to eat crème brulee while reading War and Peace, which I started before Sam's birthday and am still only some 86 pages in on May 12. The rest of my family set up awesome car ramps while I was gone.

{Katie, Thora, Dancy, Samson}

{Samson, Dancy, Thora, Tommy, Katie}

{Tommy, Katie, Thora, Samson}

March 14 is Pi Day, and we celebrated by eating circular foods and learning what Pi means. Retention levels may be low at this age, but I think they at least remember why March 14 is Pi Day. Bagels for breakfast, pizza for lunch. I don't remember what they had for dinner because I had to go to Canon City for a work event and to meet my exchange student I'm supervising. Cucumbers were probably involved, though.

Thora with her bagel

Sam with his

There were times when he would actually poop in the toilet, but I can only count 3 times in a month and a half. And we'd praise and celebrate the heck out of it, load him up with treats to eat, clap and cheer, take pictures to send to Grandma, let him call Grandma, and still he wouldn't care to do it again. Ugh!

I read Everyone Poops countless times trying to get this boy to make a movement, and still I got no reward. Except for the very first time I read the book and got to this page and read, "What does whale poop look like?" Without missing a beat, he answered, "A turtle!" So now you know. You're welcome.

During the cold evening months, we started doing movie marathons with the kids. Harry Potter, Christmas movies, Pirates of the Caribbean, then Star Wars. The kids actually understood some of these references on this car. Thora talks a lot about Obi Wan Kenklobi.