February 29, 2008

Happy Leap Day!

Quick update on the Alex marriage front. Last night he decided he's not ever going to get married. Apparently his line of reasoning is that if he doesn't get married, he'll never have to move out of the house. When he announced this at dinner, Jeremy very vehemently told him that all kids leave the house at age 18 married or not, at which Adam burst into tears. I'm sure this conversation will be very funny to the boys in about 10 years or so. And so, onto

Potty Training Day #5

7:15 Drop off.

7:30 Nice pee on the potty. They boys liked singing the happy pee-pee song before they had to go to school.

Breakfast - bogurt

8:00 Got home from taking Alex to school. I was out of the regular hot cereal so I actually had to boil oats for breakfast. Ariel was not impressed.

8:50 After going potty, Ariel and I took a shower. She got dressed in her first non-pj outfit of the week and while I was getting dressed she had a accident, so off came the cute jeans.

9:45 Got to Kangaroo Kingdom. Almost immediately she had a pee accident.

10:25 Sat on her little potty in the KK bathroom and peed.

10:50 We made it over an hour before she pooped her pants. Luckily it was a very contained accident and by the time I had her cleaned up it was time to go.

11:30 Ariel looked very squirmy when we got to Adam's school so we went in and sat on her little potty in the girl's bathroom. While this was very entertaining to some 3rd graders (One conversation - "Is she ok?" "Yes, she's just being stubborn." "I don't think she old enough to know what stubborn means.") Ariel did not pee.

11:45 Got home. Ariel peed on the potty and then had some orangish sauce and not much mac&cheese for lunch.

After lunch Ariel and Adam were playing and Ariel had another accident. I found Ariel in the office taking her wet pants off. I sent her to her potty and Adam kept her company.

12:45 Got Ariel out of the bathroom. She had been sitting on her potty so long it had adhered to her thighs and when she stood up it flipped over. This is not the first time that's happened, but it is the first time it was full of pee. Sigh.

1:00 Ariel went down for a nap.

2:30 Woke Ariel up (with a slightly wet pullup) and she peed quickly before we went to pick Alex up.

2:50 Got home. I threw the challah ingredients into the bread machine and then we dashed off to Target.

So, backstory - a month ago Alex got a report from his teacher that he wasn't behaving well in class and not doing his work. This was very surprising, in 2 1/2 years of school we've never heard of Alex not behaving. We've been talking to Alex about what's going on and how his teacher gives up weekly reports (mostly in the form of happy/neutral/sad faces). At the same time, Alex has been begging to get a new bionicle, because apparently the 12 he already has just aren't enough. So last week I told him that if he got a good report and a smiley face he could get the bionicle today. He had great week, his teacher says he's like a new kid. I'm not much for the bribing, but I'm glad he's back on track. And he was almost as excited about the good report as he was about the bionicle.

3:15 Fast Target trip. Alex got his bionicle and Adam ended up with one too for being in the right place at the right time. I'm glad that Alex didn't notice or complain that he had to earn his and Adam didn't. And I got a new cheap cordless phone to replace the old cheap cordless phone that stopped working 2 weeks ago.

3:45 Got home. Ariel peed in the potty and then finished her lunch while the boys put their bionicles together:



And some good Alex stuff... Alex has never been into drawing or art until recently. A few weeks ago he brought home an art portfolio from art class at school and we framed a couple pictures. The top is monkeys in banana trees and the bottom is a self portrait (his friend commented, "You look very strong). Alex is very proud of these and we're glad he showing some more self confidence with his art work:



And at Sunday school last week he made a challah cover that we used tonight. It is a very elaborate Star Wars scene that I couldn't even begin to explain since it's one he made up and not from any movie. Ted did a pokemon one so I assumed all the kids just drew what they liked until I talked to Lauren. She drew a Jewish star and a kiddish cup. Ah, those crazy boys.



4:15 Ariel peed on the potty again. No accidents since she woke up from her nap AND she didn't soil Target (unlike poor Kangaroo Kingdom).

4:30 Pick up.

So, potty training... I agree with Becky, we may have to expand my original 7 day forecast. Ariel can do it, she's just being stubborn. And regardless of what a 9 year old thinks, Ariel can be stubborn without knowing what the word means. So, I think we have to wait for Ariel to come around. Eventually she'll get sick of wetting herself, right?