Friday, November 23, 2012

Library Visits

Growing up I remember my Grandma Betty, my dad's mom, taking my sister Kate and I to the public library by her house. She would take us there for story time and to check out books. I loved every bit of it. I especially loved the smell of the library. Everyone knows the "Old Book" smell--right? Well, whatever that smell is I love it and smelling it brings me back to those special memories I have with my special grandmother.

I take Reese each week to the library. We've visited 3 or 4 in our area, including the newly renovated Southern Oaks Library which I used to visit with my Grandma Betty. Our favorite library is about 15 or 20 minutes from our house, but it's worth the drive because it has the best children's area.

On our most recent trip we walked into the children's area and found a professional photographer taking pictures of all the children playing and reading. They asked permission to take Reese's photograph and said they'd sent it to me if it turned out.

Well, a few days later they sent me this


The most beautiful picture of my beautiful daughter doing one of her most favorite things--Reading.

I love my beautiful reader.
She makes me burst with pride.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

It's Potty Time

Reese has been somewhat interested in the potty lately.

Maybe she sees other kids using the potty at M.D.O.? Maybe it's her new favorite Elmo's Potty Time DVD? A DVD I have watched too many times already and I'm sure I'll watch it many more. Those minutes of my life I'll never get back, but it makes her happy, so I tolerate it.


Whatever has sparked her interest--I am totally encouraging this potty thing!

Let's see--so far I have purchased some pull up style diapers.

I ask, "Reese, do you want to wear these big girl pull up diapers so you can practice using the potty today?"

"NO!"

I have also purchased some big girl underwear or "undies" as Elmo calls them.

"Reese how about wearing these big girl undies with Belle or Minnie on them?"

"NO!" (with a pointed finger in my direction this time)

"Umm, ok," I respond.

See, I am not going to pressure her to use the potty. I want her to be ready and committed and wanting to use the potty otherwise we might be potty training forever. I say this now, but who knows what I'll feel like if she's still not potty trained a year from now.

Despite her resistance for wearing pull ups or undies she will occasionally sit on her floor potty or use the Sesame Street toilet insert to sit on the big potty.

What does she do on the potty? Well currently...

She wipes her nose with toilet paper. Her non runny nose that is.


She tears toilet paper into smaller pieces and puts it into the potty.


She also smells the (clean) toilet paper. She's been on this smelling kick lately.


All these examples to say--She not using the potty on the potty!

What do you call the "business" you do on the potty? I mean as adults we excuse ourselves by saying, "I need to use the restroom." Or we just go without informing those around us what exactly we'll be doing in there. However, when you're dealing with a child you need to explain things about the potty and calling the "business" is part of it.

I always thought most of the world called it pee and poop or number 1 and number 2, but boy did I get an education while watching the Elmo's Potty Time DVD. Apparently, wee-wee and woo-woo are quite popular. So are wittle, tinkle, dukey, poo-pah, poopy, pee-pee, boo-boo, stinky and the list goes on and on. Hearing all these "business" words disturbed me. I mean I was like--what is Elmo going to say next?..."Elmo needs to take a DUMP!" or "Elmo needs to take a sh*t!" Thankfully, the DVD's target audience is toddlers so it never happened.

Speaking of being disturbed. A good friend of mine used this DVD when training her son to use the potty. We were talking about the DVD and she said Elmo's dad was what disturbed her the most--not the "business" words that were used. When she said this I thought--I don't remember Elmo's dad being creepy, but then the next time I watched it--Yep! She was indeed correct. He's a total creeper.


Maybe I'll have to start discouraging the watching of this video? Maybe I'll wait and see if Reese says, "I need to dukey Mommy!" before making that call. I don't know. Maybe it's not that bad. Maybe it's just me. What do you all think?

Reese has been hiding from me lately when she poops. It's like she knows it's not socially acceptable to poop in the same room someone else is in, so she excuses herself. Sometimes I'll follow her--if I think she's about to poop--and when she starts to swat I'll say something like, "Reese let's go poop on the big girl potty." She 99% of the time says, "NO!" and goes ahead and poops and then I chase her around the house until I catch her and then hold her down while I change her. One day she surprised me though and said, "Potty!" and ran as fast as she could to her potty. I thought YEEESSSS! This is it!

Well, Reese went into the bathroom, pointed at her floor potty, said, "NO! NO!", ran out, swatted, grunted, pooped, pointed to her diaper, said, "POOP!", and raised her hands so I could pick her up and change her.

I guess you could say I'm her poop b*tch based on this incident. I've always wanted to be someone's poop b*tch.

Scratch that off my bucket list.

There's never a dull moment with this girl and her potty moments. Really my day would be so boring without her to entertain me, challenge me, exhaust me, and well you get the idea.

Maybe It's (not) Potty Time after all, but boy It'll be exciting when it is!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Halloween 2012

Happy (Belated) Halloween to all!

I sure had a fun evening.
I just love this time of year.

Reese was Elmo.
She wore her costume all night for 5 whole minutes.


Reese loves her some Elmo.
It was a no brainer choosing her costume this year.
I just wish she would have worn it longer.
But that's a toddler for ya--Totally unpredictable!!

Even Nana's "nudging" did no good.
"Are you sure you don't want to wear Elmo Reese?"
"No."
"Let's put on your Elmo."
"NO!"


"Look Reese! Nana is going to wear Elmo then!"


Reese couldn't have cared less. All she really seemed to care about was waving to kids. She'd say
"Hi
"Hi
"HIIIII

She was so excited to greet all the children who came to our house. Quite the hostess she was. We were going to take her trick or treating to a few houses, but she was so happy greeting all the kids we just let her be. Kinda like we let her be in her Elmo t-shirt and leggings and stopped mentioning her Elmo costume.


We (ok, me) planned a whole Halloween house theme based solely on Reese's love for Elmo.

We were SESAME STREET LIVE at the Sanders' house this year!

Big Bird and Oscar showed up
(or Grandma and Papa Sanders)


and so did Bert and Ernie!
(Uncle Bryan and Kyle)


The Count and Grover were there, too.
(Nana and Papa Don)


Daddy was Cookie Monster and Momma was Snuff-a-luff-a-gus. Snuffy is the red headed step child of the Sesame Street gang and I loooove him! Totally under rated in my opinion. I mean he's a Wooly Mammoth people!


The Sesame Street theme was cute even if we were without our Elmo mascot for most of the night.

What I loved seeing most was Reese interact and love on all her favorite people.





I also loved seeing her reaction to meeting our neighbor who dressed up as an Elephant.


It was a great Halloween night.

I love my little family.


Especially my sugar high,
(first Ring Pop experience)


non-Elmo costume wearing,


full of life

little girl.