Happy Anniversary!

It's amazing to think that 5 years ago today John and I were married.  I still get a chuckle out of how I met John: my junior year in college one of my roommates had a huge crush on one of the boys that lived next door to us.  In her zeal to spend time with him she got him to drop by one Saturday night, and he brought a couple of guys with him: his twin brother (who had a thing for one of my other roommates) and some other guy.  I still remember the thought that ran through my head as I saw them - "I hope I don't get stuck with the weird friend."  Though it took John an almost ridiculous amount of time to finally ask me out, I quickly got to know him for the kind, generous, wonderful man that he is.  Even now, 5 years and 2 kids later, there's no one I'd rather be with.

Oh, and my roommate never did manage to get that boy to go out with her.

Potty Training Jack

Sometimes the changes in our household can be abrupt.  We knew in theory that we would need to potty train Jack in the next couple of months, especially since he's starting preschool in the Fall.  What we weren't expecting was for Jack to decide he had a problem with wearing his diaper.  No details are necessary, but we got pretty tired of cleaning up after him, and it quickly became obvious that we needed to start potty training. 

Jack is a strong willed kid, and John and I weren't quite sure what to expect.  We certainly didn't anticipate his reaction to potty training!  He just refused to go.  After the first couple of accidents he figured out what we wanted, and whether it was because he was intimidated or scared or just hadn't figured out his little body yet, the kiddo held everything in.  The training method we're using is an intensive one and John and I were at our wits end by the end of the first day.  We were amazed at the bladder control this kid has - he was easily going 5-6 hours without peeing!  No matter how many times we'd tell him to let us know when he had to go potty, took him to the bathroom, offered him rewards and treats, and tried our best, he just would not go.  The poor kid was miserable!  John and I weren't particularly thrilled either.

The bright side is that now, on Day 5, we finally had a breakthrough: Jack realized that if he pees in the potty he gets a peanut butter M & M.  We were already giving them as rewards, but he finally made the connection between his action and the treat.  Thank goodness.  We're not 100% potty trained, but things are looking up!  And as everyone says, it's not like he's going to college still in diapers.

Win Some, Lose Some

As pretty much everyone knows, Jack is a man of few words.  Where most kids his age are talking up a storm he prefers to be pretty quiet.  He hears just fine and he has excellent comprehension, he just doesn't feel like speaking especially when he can just do things himself.  It's amazing that he's kept quiet this long out of sheer stubbornness - after all, we've heard him speak, he just chooses not to.  But we feel like we finally had a breakthrough!  Over the last few weeks new words have been coming out of his mouth, and John's even gotten him saying "please."  Hooray!  Of course, Jack's not going to make things too easy for us.  Just when we're making progress on something that's been bugging us for over a year, the munchkin throws a new wrench in our plans.  He's decided that he no longer likes wearing a diaper.  Needless to say it's been a long week for us, and I'm starting to get tired of cleaning up all his little messes.  Hopefully we'll make it through this 'bump' quickly and in one piece!

Terrible 2s - Ugh

Jack is a pretty good kid about 90% of the time but lately that other 10% has just been a battle.  This past week has seemed especially difficult.  I know that my family finds it hysterical but I still cannot believe how stubborn this little man can get.  It's amazing!  At 29 months I don't think we have ever successfully gotten that kid to eat a bite that he does not want, and the kid will barely speak.  His hearing his fine and he comprehends what we say, he's just not interested in speaking.  And lately he's added a new tactic into his arsenal: when I ask him to do something he doesn't want to do he'll ignore me - as though his toys are now the most interesting thing in the world and he's too engrossed in them to even make eye contact with me.  It's been like talking to a brick wall!  The real tipping point for John and I, though, has been Jack's interactions with other kids... because the ignoring me becomes a serious issue when I'm telling him things like "be gentle with the other kids" and "don't tackle them to the ground".  We're trying to nip this in the bud before Jack becomes that kid.

So here's a photo of my handsome, stubborn boy, and here's hoping that this week sees some real progress!

Jack

Apparently this is Jack's pose of choice.  He walked up, handed me the camera and then proceeded to climb onto our couch (with his truck, of course) and cover himself with pillows.  Of course I obliged him and took a picture :)

Saturday Morning Donut Date

As most of our family members know at this point, John and I switch off weekend mornings to sleep in.  So I get up with the boys on Saturday mornings, and frequently I like to take them on outings or an activity of some sort to help pass the time.  A favorite?  Getting donuts at Frost in Mill Creek.  Jack gets excited just going into the store, and when we get our donuts he and I sit at the counter (with Nate in his carseat on the floor) and split a donut.  It's one of those moments that's a special thing for just Jack and I, and while it's not something we'll do every weekend I really look forward to the Saturdays that we do.

Painting with Jack

Today I busted out Jack's paints and smock (courtesy of Allison) and he had a blast!  As soon as I got everything out he plopped down on his little table and sat there at the ready, excited to do some painting.  Jack is already enjoying the arts and crafts from the Bates aunties and cousins.