Buy One Get Two Free!: April 2016

Another month has gone by faster than a rocket full of monkeys. Maybe it just seems so quick because my days are filled with running back and forth to the potty, while reading a book, while answering the unending song of 'mommy mommy mommy!'. Either way, here are some updates :)

Elsie has gotten the love of talking from her mother. She never shuts up. The girl has got something to say about everything. Her favorite phrase is 'done me'. This phrase is applicable to the end of meal time, when she is finished on the potty, or basically anything she is resistant to doing. There is no doubt with that one when she is 'done me'. If you are not quick enough to respond to the order, she says it louder and more adamant the second and third time she repeats it.

Sammy has started potty training. I was hoping to do it just like Elsie, go full in with no diapers and commit to watching him like a hawk for a week and teaching him the connection between pee and potty. However, I can't figure out how to do this now that Elsie is trained because I'm in and out of the room a lot bringing her to the potty. And she insists she needs to go as soon as Sam goes on, because, you know, she owns the potty now. Lucky for us we have 2 bathrooms downstairs to accommodate. I think it's hard because Elsie likes to sit and read a book or watch a little video while she relaxes to go. Thinking this will ease up as she gets the routine mastered and asks to go, then sits and just goes. As with anything new, there is an adjustment. But in the meantime, Sam is wearing a pull up and is going pee once or twice a day on the potty. We did get one poop in there this week.

Another great milestone is we are officially out of bottles. We've been down to one bottle a day at 5 am for the last 6 months, but I just didn't feel they were ready to go without it. But the last few weeks I've noticed that one or two of them are still sleeping when we go into the nursery at 5am, so I figured it was now or never. We dropped the bottle and they've been adjusting. Still sleeping till 8-8:30 so yahoo for that. Every morning at least 1 will wake around that time, fuss for a few minutes and then go back to sleep. Danny seems to struggle the most, if he wakes he stays up for 1-2 hours talking to himself and playing in his crib, but falls back to sleep by 6:30-7 and is dead to the world when the others wake at 8.

This transition is leading up to what is soon to be the toddler bed conversion. Not looking forward to this. The kids are fully able to climb out of the cribs, but only occasionally do it. They started in January, and here we are 2.5 months later and they only do it a few times a week. Sammy is definitely the most interested in this new adventure. He climbed out this morning when he woke at 8 and knocked on his bedroom door so I would come let him out. Just imagining this transition makes me want to hide in the corner and cry. The good news is we have a great monitor so we can witness the mayhem that will take place when they are free to roam all night.

The kids are into a bunch of new things this month. Paw Patrol is one of them. Elsie is obsessed. She can name every character and asks to watch 'Paw P' every minute of the day. Sammy is super into cars and trucks and says a lot of 'vroom vrooming' as he pushes them around the living room. Danny is into throwing balls. And Sticks. As soon as you step outside he is looking for a stick. At least it is easy to make him happy. The kids are also into naming colors right now, and objects in books, like moon, stars, trees, flowers, etc. And animal sounds. They like to name the animal and make the sound it does.

Now that they are deep into their 2's, they are pushing some limits and testing. We've introduced the 1-2-3 count, and are generously giving time outs to halt some unwanted behaviors like hitting, screaming, throwing toys, pushing, and tantrums. Danny being the biggest recipient is catching on quickly and will pause on 2 now, and you can see him trying to think it through. It's still 50/50 though that he continues on and gets the time out. We set the kitchen timer for 2 minutes and Danny yells 'beep beep!' when the timer goes off so he can go back to playing. Sam is devastated when he has to go to time out, cries like the end of the world. And Elsie, oh Elsie, she stares you down, sometimes even laughs at the thought of rehabilitation from time out.

Easter was a nice day with family and an egg hunt. The kids were really into it this year, and Danny was an egg hunt professional, scooping them up faster than greased lightning. Sam liked it, but wanted me to carry his bag. Elsie wanted to open each one as she went.