Here is what I’m working on this week:
1. Serious potty-training. It is time, I really mean it, we are seriously doing this even if we completely soak every inch of the house in the process, I don’t care anymore about “child-led” because my children are apparently FOLLOWERS.
2. Looking for more Dinofours books for Elizabeth’s current obsession. I can get them used for 1 cent each on Amazon—but then it’s $3.99 shipping EACH, which seems…unreasonable, especially if I order them all from the same seller. I wish I could find more at our library book sale section: that’s where I got the few we have now, at 3/$1.
3. Experimenting with hot fudge sauce.
4. Doing laundry: our washer and dryer were out of commission for a week (we’re putting in a second bathroom! See also: potty training), so although I could use my parents’, we still have astonishing piles of dirty laundry. (See also: potty-training.)
5. Implementing new “If All Five of You Talk at the Same Time I Will Run Screaming Into the Sea” policy. I’ve always done a lot of correcting on this subject (“One at a time, please” and “Wait, Edward: someone else is talking”), but I am turning it up to 11. Because seriously: the sea is calling my name, and that makes SIX talking all at once.
Dang. I wish I would have known about the Dinofours books…I saw about six of them at a garage sale this weekend for a quarter a piece…and I’m sure they would have shipped cheap. All six at once! :D
So, does hot fudge sauce in the mouths of children make them stop talking?
That’s what we finally decided about potty training. We realized Addy is a pretty intense, perfectionist type of kid who just wasn’t going to even try until she felt she could do it JUST RIGHT. She’d been doing well, started having some accidents, and then got freaked out and just gave up. So yeah, the first week in January we were both home all day, and we just sucked it up and told her “Diapers are gone!” We were never mean about it, but yeah, all we DID was take her to the potty, empty the potty, change sheets, soak underpants, comfort her when she freaked out, etc. For about a week solid. People who have these magical, easy-transition stories about potty training always make me want to reach through the computer screen and choke them out of sheer jealousy.
Ah well. Maybe with Eli…
It is posts like these that make me realize that two children, potty trained 15 years ago is my correct destiny.
Good luck!
I don’t know if you’ve ever looked at half.com but they also have really reasonable priced books and I just did a quick search and found a buttload of dinofour books(and a blurb that said you can save on shipping by buying two or more books from the same seller). I didn’t mean to say buttload on a post about potty training, but I’m leaving it.
I’d like to hear more about your hot fudge experiments. mmmmmmmmm
Three talking at once and I’m off to the sea. I do have one (generally two) who is always at FULL volume, so perhaps I can, indeed, relate. Maybe we’ll get stopped on the beach before the sea and served drinks with umbrellas by cabana boys… now we’re talkin’.
Well, that looks like a nice To-Do list for the summer. ;) Ok, maybe sooner would be better for some of those.
HAHAHA!! Will join you in the sea. I frequently have 2 children and a husband talking at me at the same time.
Good luck with the potty training!
The potty training. Oy. Best of luck to you. It sounds like all kinds of fun at your place. :)
My kids were potty training followers too. As was I. I had to be reprimanded by my pediatrician and literally shoved into getting started, especially with the last one.
I am going into full potty training assault mode next week after my older is out of school. I really want the younger to be able to go to preschool next year and he just needs a little nudge…
Oh, potty training. I have been half heartedly attempting this with my 2.5 year old son for the last few months. I know that’s not the way to do it, but man, what is so wrong with diapers? I’m starting to love them more and more. As long as he’s out of them by say, kindergarten, we’ll be fine, right?
I’m going on maternity leave with #2 in a couple of months and I guess we’ll make a real attempt then. I think it will be easier when I’m home with him full time and it’s summer so he can be naked. Or maybe I’m insane. What else will I have to do besides take care of a newborn? Hahahahahahaha.
Good luck with your potty training and please post with successful tips!
I never really begrudge the shipping on the 1-cent books. It really just means that they are charging the price of the shipping for the book, you know? $4 for a book doesn’t sound THAT bad. Although if you got the others at three for a dollar, I can understand how $4 seems ASTRONOMICAL.
We are potty training, too…but I don’t think I could do it without a running washer and dryer.
GOOD LUCK!
Swistle: My son had (has?) a bunch of the DinoFour books. I am at work right now, but when I get home I would be happy to see if they are still in his room (very likely as I am bad about weeding out books). If we still have them, you are welcome to all of them…
I’m honestly unclear on how you’ve managed this long with five children and one bathroom.
Good luck with the potty training!
After reading all of the “just wait” comments on your potty-training post, I thought about it and decided, “Nah.” We did the It’s TIME version instead. It was painful for about a week, but we’re definitely on the way. You can do it!
Sadly, my second child wanted nothing to do with the potty training. It was her weapon of choice, the little bugger. She was over 3 when she finally agreed to use the toilet. The only reason she decided it was time was because I told her she could go to a big girl school, but only if she used the potty chair. And, being the uber-geek that she is, she thought that was the coolest thing EVER.
Yeah – I don’t really understand it either. But hey – it worked.
HOLD THE PHONE. Do you mean to tell me that I’ve been over here complaining about having only one bathroom for two adults and one toddler (plus the frequent in-laws/parent visits) and you have ONE bathroom for your SEVEN member family!?!?!
How have you refrained from smacking me upside the head?!
:-)
Good luck with the training.
I lasted about two weeks with my three year old before go back to diapers. During that whole time, she only peed on the potty once. It was a pretty grim two weeks. We’re taking a break, but we’ll be back at it soon. She’s supposed to be trained by September for school. Yikes!
Ugh, my kids don’t really talk yet but sometimes they swarm me and I feel like I’m going to lose my mind. There was a clip this weekend going around of Kate from That Show and a few kids were swarming her and she made a face and everyone’s point was “look at what a bad mom she is!” and all I could think was “stop the swarm!”
Explain this experimenting with hot fudge? Like does is tast better on a spoon or off my finger? Or is it better in a bowl or out of a pan? Or are you experimenting with recipes? Do tell, hot fudge is the yummmmm. Also tackling the potty training with the girl. She always poops on the potty, but will pee in the pullup so she doesn’t miss out on playing. So we are having her wear her new princess undies. Messy but seems to be working. Good luck
re: dinofour books – i have no clue what they are, but you may want to take a look on ebay for used copies there too; most shippers there will combine shipping costs if you buy multiple books from them.
re: potty training – egads. good luck. i dread the day i am involved in this myself.
Good luck with the potty training. I hate it so much.
I’m dying for my 2YO to show the slightest interest in potty training besides “You pee on potty, mommy?”
Funny story about followers and why it’s okay to be one: a dear family friend was writing her college applications, and the question was “are you a leader, or a follower? explain.” She pondered it, and wrote a very thoughtful essay about how she likes to consider all of her options and follow those who seem the smartest, kindest, and best informed. The DEAN OF THE SCHOOL called her personally to let her know she’d been admitted, saying “well, we figured if we’re admitting 499 leaders in your class, it would help to have at least one follower!”
So let those kiddos follow your lead to the potty, I say!
We are doing Serious Potty Training this week too! I announced it yesterday morning and told Wednesday he’d get 1 M&M everytime he went pee-pee. He found the old Bumbo seat in his closet and promptly sat down and peed in it! We got him a really potty today, but he’s already earned 8 M&Ms!! We are very excited, as summer camp starts next week and I want him to be On The Path to the Potty..LOL
Re: Hot fudge sauce
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup shemi-sweet chocolate chips or pieces (6 ounces)
1 13 ounce can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a saucepan, melt butter & chocolate over low heat. Stir in evaporated milk and sugar, then bring mixture to a boil while continuing to stir. Lower the heat to simmer and stir for 3-5 minutes until the sauce has thickened. remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Serve hot or cold. Makes 2 cups.
Label as “Stewed Prunes” in the fridge to keep it from disappearing. You’ll cry it’s so good.
Wow, I give you all the credit in the world, because if I had 5 voices talking at me at once on a general basis, I would have checked myself “away” for a nice rest a long time ago. : )
Ahhhh – potty training with no washer/dryer would have sent me running to the sea the first day.
im potty training too. last night codi walked over to his potty stood next to it, squatted down, took a dump and then clapped and yelled YAY!
also recipe for hot fudge
make some
send to shannon
mix well!
HEE! I love that experimenting with hot fudge is on the list too. VERY IMPORTANT. PLEASE REPORT RESULTS.
Ha ha! I think we’re jumping into the deep end with potty training, too. We’re already down to very few diapers a week from our diaper service, so it’s tempting us to just cancel and go whole hog into underpants! Only our kid hates underpants. Sigh.
We completely have no washer/dryer. It’s diaper service and laundry service all the way, baby. I’m going to miss our diaper service. Double sigh.
i am NOT looking forward to potty training my non speaking very stubborn 3 year old son..but it must take place…i’m thinking some time this fall…my original plan was this summer, but having twins and all of that threw those plans right out of the water! and the laundry, it’s consuming us too! it never ends, it never goes away, along with the dishes!
Thank goodness that, amidst everything else, you’re going to be experimenting with hot fugde sauce. That means that you just MIGHT survive it all.
Re: hot fudge – I don’t know if you like hit and harden sauce (known as “Magic Shell” in the storebought form), but it’s my family’s favorite way to decorate ice cream with chocolate. The recipe I use is super-simple:
1 stick butter
about 6 ounces dark chocolate (I usually just eyeball the amount, depending on how thick I want it to pour)
Melt them together in a double-boiler; when it’s all melted, pour it over ice cream!
It’s not very sweet, which I really like as a contrast to the ice cream. You can use German sweet chocolate if you like it sweeter.
Wait – are you potty training Henry?! I will be so impressed – it is easy to forget how much they change, in a year because I cannot imagine Michael being ready for that in 2010.
Also, the talking thing? Try teaching first grade!!! I am actually capable of taking statements from about six kids at a time (see also: summer camp counseling). BUT the noise level still drives me insane. Actually if the dog is barking and Michael is crying that’s about all it takes for me to feel like running from the house and never turning back.