I think they should change this saying to, "You can lead a toddler to the toilet, but you can't force him to poop." The drama around the BMs never seems to end.
Whenever I talk to people about it, they don't understand why he's winning and we're losing. I'll tell you why -- his #1 dominant personality trait is stubbornness. I can't even begin to tell you how stubborn he is. If he doesn't want to eat something, do something, try something etc... there is absolutely nothing anyone can do to change his mind. He has to come around to the idea on his own terms. Eventually he does, but it's an extremely frustrating process.
That's my weekly bitch on the topic...
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I've been trying to get rid of toys. Lots and lots of toys. The nursery school is having a kids yard sale and fair next weekend I've being putting together boxes full of donations.
There's just one problem....Every time I set aside some toys, you-know-who finds them and starts playing with them again. Toys he hasn't looked sideways at for months have suddenly taken on a new life. I swear he can sense when I'm about to chuck something! Has anyone else experience this? I'm not going to let this phase me though. All of his babyish toys have got to go. Same goes for the old Playmobile toys that have millions and millions of little pieces. I have a love-hate relationship with Playmobile. The toys are very cool and spark a lot of imaginative play, but good lord are they messy! I'm constantly tripping over little parts and pieces. They drive me nuts! When he's older and better at keeping track of the pieces we'll get him more Playmobile but, right now, they have got to go.
I'm going to load up the car tonight so he doesn't see them leave the house. My guess is that he's never miss any of those toys. He probably won't even notice they are gone.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Negotiating
We've figured out a way to get the little guy to pee on the toilet on command. Just offer him one dollar.
"One dollar?" he asks in disbelief, as if he's just won the jackpot. "Can I have one dollar if I do a pee?"
When he asks for payment we just tell him we owe him and will pay him next Tuesday. He seems okay with that.
I wonder if this strategy will work for poops?
***********************
Speaking of money....On Saturday we hit a giant neighbourhood garage sale. I gave the little guy five dollars in quarters to spend. After a great deal of house hopping looking for the perfect toy he stumbled across a large sack of emergency vehicles. It was packed full of some really nice fire engines, ambulances and police cars. They were bundled together with the price tag of $5. When I told him that he had just enough money to buy them he was overjoyed.
I helped him count the money and give it to the vendor. He was so please with himself and his big purchase!
**********************
So we've gone back to diapers at bedtime after FOUR nights in a row of bed wetting. Maybe we'll try again in a few weeks.
"One dollar?" he asks in disbelief, as if he's just won the jackpot. "Can I have one dollar if I do a pee?"
When he asks for payment we just tell him we owe him and will pay him next Tuesday. He seems okay with that.
I wonder if this strategy will work for poops?
***********************
Speaking of money....On Saturday we hit a giant neighbourhood garage sale. I gave the little guy five dollars in quarters to spend. After a great deal of house hopping looking for the perfect toy he stumbled across a large sack of emergency vehicles. It was packed full of some really nice fire engines, ambulances and police cars. They were bundled together with the price tag of $5. When I told him that he had just enough money to buy them he was overjoyed.
I helped him count the money and give it to the vendor. He was so please with himself and his big purchase!
**********************
So we've gone back to diapers at bedtime after FOUR nights in a row of bed wetting. Maybe we'll try again in a few weeks.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Just stick it in the IV
The little guy has a new Playmobile toy - an ambulance complete with driver and medical supplies. One of the little pieces is a miniature IV. He's been asking us tons of questions about what it is and how it works. I was pretty sure he had it all figured out until he he told me today that the IV had soap in it, not medicine.
"Why does it have soap?" I asked.
"At CC's house she uses IV soap," he told me.
It took me a long time to convince him that she really used Ivory soap. :)
"Why does it have soap?" I asked.
"At CC's house she uses IV soap," he told me.
It took me a long time to convince him that she really used Ivory soap. :)
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Toilet training update 1,543,209
Two days ago we took all of the diapers away (except for at daycare). He doesn't even get one at night anymore. For a few months now he's been wearing underwear full time when he's at home so it seemed like a natural thing to do.
When I told him there were no more diapers, he just shrugged his shoulders and said, "I'll do my poohs at CC's house (his caregiver)." Pretty soon those diapers are going to disappear too. Once nursery school is out for the year I'm going to ask her to put away the diapers too. It's going to be underwear all the time this summer!
Other than the poohs, toilet training has been going really well. He's even made some progress using the potty at daycare. I'm feeling optimistic that the worst is over.
Stay tuned
When I told him there were no more diapers, he just shrugged his shoulders and said, "I'll do my poohs at CC's house (his caregiver)." Pretty soon those diapers are going to disappear too. Once nursery school is out for the year I'm going to ask her to put away the diapers too. It's going to be underwear all the time this summer!
Other than the poohs, toilet training has been going really well. He's even made some progress using the potty at daycare. I'm feeling optimistic that the worst is over.
Stay tuned
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Long weekend: the final chapter
Here are a few more pictures from the weekend.
Did I mention that the purpose of our visit was to celebrate my big brother's 40th birthday? I was impressed by how he embraced this milestone. He has had no less than five birthday parties to date, including a trip to New York with nine of his best buds. On Saturday night my family marked the occasion with a swanky dinner out for just the adults.
Three peas in a pod.
Going for a little spin.
So cute!
My nephew loves to play with these little pylons. He was kind enough to make a wheelchair zone for Grandpa :)
Did I mention that the purpose of our visit was to celebrate my big brother's 40th birthday? I was impressed by how he embraced this milestone. He has had no less than five birthday parties to date, including a trip to New York with nine of his best buds. On Saturday night my family marked the occasion with a swanky dinner out for just the adults.
Three peas in a pod.
Going for a little spin.
So cute!
My nephew loves to play with these little pylons. He was kind enough to make a wheelchair zone for Grandpa :)
Monday, May 18, 2009
Long weekend part 2
We made history this weekend. It was the first time that all six of the cousins were all together in one place. As you can see, capturing the moment on film was a bit of a challenge :-)
Wait a minute....Where's JK?
Okay, Grandma's got him. Quick, take the picture!
We have an escapee. Let's try that again.
Lining up pre-schoolers is like herding cats. Believe it or not, this was the best shot I was able to get.
Too funny!
Wait a minute....Where's JK?
Okay, Grandma's got him. Quick, take the picture!
We have an escapee. Let's try that again.
Lining up pre-schoolers is like herding cats. Believe it or not, this was the best shot I was able to get.
Too funny!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Long weekend fun!
This weekend the little guy had an awesome time hanging out with his cousins JK and AK. Here are a few pictures of them playing with the hose at the park on Saturday. They didn't let the fact that it was cold and miserable get in the way of their fun. They had a blast building a river in the sand, getting very wet in the process!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Soccer: Night 2
This weeks soccer practice started off on the wrong foot. The little guy was so nervous that he wouldn't let go of my leg. He just stood there yelling, "I want to go home!" Hubby and I calmed him down and then took turns escorting him onto the field until he felt comfortable. We weren't alone. There were at least three other kids who were just as nervous.
It wasn't until they played some really fun games started that the little guy forgot about us completely. They played hide and go seek soccer, which was a big hit. This was followed by a game called "kick the ball at the coach." Every time that a ball successfully hit one of the coaches they would pretend to be hurt. They would yelp and cry and roll around in the grass feigning pain. The kids thought it was hysterical. I've never seen my child so engaged in an organized game. He must have kicked the ball at his coach 50 times.
What a goof!
It wasn't until they played some really fun games started that the little guy forgot about us completely. They played hide and go seek soccer, which was a big hit. This was followed by a game called "kick the ball at the coach." Every time that a ball successfully hit one of the coaches they would pretend to be hurt. They would yelp and cry and roll around in the grass feigning pain. The kids thought it was hysterical. I've never seen my child so engaged in an organized game. He must have kicked the ball at his coach 50 times.
What a goof!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mother's Day
I was one spoiled mom this year. On Friday, I was invited to a Mother's Day brunch at nursery school. Virtually everything on the menu had been prepared ahead of time by the kids. My little guy took all of the credit for the pancakes (which were, of course, delicious). Even the butter was homemade.
In honour of Mother's Day all of the kids were asked to create a portrait of their moms. Beside my portrait was a description of me that the teacher had transcribed. Here is what it said:
My mom is called J****.
She's not at school she is at work.
She is having lunch with me.
She has brown eyes a nose and a mouth.
She looks like my mom.
She has feet.
She has toes.
She has socks.
She has a belly button.
I'd say that was a pretty accurate description, don't you?
On Sunday, I had a full day of culinary delights. In the morning, hubby and the little guy made me french toast with strawberries. Later on they took me out for lunch. And for dinner, hubby made one of my favourite Thai dishes. My boys know that the way to this mom's heart is through her stomach :)
In honour of Mother's Day all of the kids were asked to create a portrait of their moms. Beside my portrait was a description of me that the teacher had transcribed. Here is what it said:
My mom is called J****.
She's not at school she is at work.
She is having lunch with me.
She has brown eyes a nose and a mouth.
She looks like my mom.
She has feet.
She has toes.
She has socks.
She has a belly button.
I'd say that was a pretty accurate description, don't you?
On Sunday, I had a full day of culinary delights. In the morning, hubby and the little guy made me french toast with strawberries. Later on they took me out for lunch. And for dinner, hubby made one of my favourite Thai dishes. My boys know that the way to this mom's heart is through her stomach :)
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
A real nail biter
Yesterday, the little guy and I had to drive hubby to the train station. While we waited in the car for him to grab his suitcase I started biting one of my nails (a terrible, lifelong habit).
The little guy yelled, "No mommy." At that moment I was totally unconscious of the fact that I had been biting my nails and had no idea why he was saying no. So I shrugged my shoulders and continued to gnaw on my nail.
"Mommy, you stop that!"
"Stop what?" I asked, still completely clued out.
"Stop doing that to your hands," he said. "If you don't stop doing that right now I'm not going with you to see daddy's train!"
Well I sure learned my lesson. Maybe he'll help me to kick my habit for good :-)
The little guy yelled, "No mommy." At that moment I was totally unconscious of the fact that I had been biting my nails and had no idea why he was saying no. So I shrugged my shoulders and continued to gnaw on my nail.
"Mommy, you stop that!"
"Stop what?" I asked, still completely clued out.
"Stop doing that to your hands," he said. "If you don't stop doing that right now I'm not going with you to see daddy's train!"
Well I sure learned my lesson. Maybe he'll help me to kick my habit for good :-)
Monday, May 04, 2009
First night of soccer
There were 15 kids at soccer tonight. Most knew enough to chase and kick the ball in the general direction of the net. And then there was my son, forever beating to his own drum. If the coach said run, he would stand still. If the coach said kick the ball, he would pick it up and carry it.
He was the one who excitedly called one of the coaches over to show him a rock he found in the grass. The one who abandoned a fully charged game of What Time is it Mr. Wolf in favour of kicking up dust clouds along the chalk line. The one who switched teams intermittently and shot at the wrong net.
At one point he decided to just run off the field to come see us. The coaches called after him, "Where are you going? You're supposed to sit with the team." He casually replied, "I'm going to have a nap now."
He may have completely missed the point of soccer, but he sure had fun!
He was the one who excitedly called one of the coaches over to show him a rock he found in the grass. The one who abandoned a fully charged game of What Time is it Mr. Wolf in favour of kicking up dust clouds along the chalk line. The one who switched teams intermittently and shot at the wrong net.
At one point he decided to just run off the field to come see us. The coaches called after him, "Where are you going? You're supposed to sit with the team." He casually replied, "I'm going to have a nap now."
He may have completely missed the point of soccer, but he sure had fun!
Sunday, May 03, 2009
After 30....
It was my friend's 30th birthday last night (spring chicken!) and it really got me thinking about how different you become as you get older. For example, we went to a nightclub for drinks and to listen to a celtic band. All of us 30+ year olds got there early so that we could find a table. Because when you're over 30, who wants to stand in a cramped bar all night?
As the night drew on, I couldn't help but notice a huge serpentine line-up winding around the building. The wait to get in to the bar was at least 45 minutes. I'm pretty sure that all of the people in line were in their early 20s. After all, no one in their 30s (or even mid-to-late 20s for that matter) would ever wait in line to get into a nightclub unless, of course, they were total losers. When you are a 30 something you just shrug your shoulders and say, "oh well, let's go somewhere else." Another way I could tell that the people in line were much younger than me was by their choice of clothing. Many of the females were scantily clad (I've seen a handkerchief provide more coverage!) despite the frigid temperature. We live in Canada for crying out loud! In the very unlikely event that a 30+ year old did decide to wait in a long bar line-up they would at least be smart enough to wear a jacket.
When the bar closed at 2 a.m., I would hazard to guess that there were very few people in their 30s left in the establishment. Why? Because people in their 30s go home when they are tired (unless, of course, they are hanging out with a younger crowd and trying to keep up)! I got home at midnight which is pretty good for a 34-year old don't you think?
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Last night when the little guy asked where I had gone, hubby said, "Mommy went to a nightclub with SB."
"Oh," he said. "Why did SB want to go with mommy to her book club?"
My lack of a lively social life really shows through sometimes, doesn't it?
**********************************
Today, the little guy and I both learned something the hard way while on a wilderness hike.
He learned that there is a good reason why we tell him to not get to close to the edge of a stream. And I learned that I should never leave his change of clothes in the car.
Photos to follow..
As the night drew on, I couldn't help but notice a huge serpentine line-up winding around the building. The wait to get in to the bar was at least 45 minutes. I'm pretty sure that all of the people in line were in their early 20s. After all, no one in their 30s (or even mid-to-late 20s for that matter) would ever wait in line to get into a nightclub unless, of course, they were total losers. When you are a 30 something you just shrug your shoulders and say, "oh well, let's go somewhere else." Another way I could tell that the people in line were much younger than me was by their choice of clothing. Many of the females were scantily clad (I've seen a handkerchief provide more coverage!) despite the frigid temperature. We live in Canada for crying out loud! In the very unlikely event that a 30+ year old did decide to wait in a long bar line-up they would at least be smart enough to wear a jacket.
When the bar closed at 2 a.m., I would hazard to guess that there were very few people in their 30s left in the establishment. Why? Because people in their 30s go home when they are tired (unless, of course, they are hanging out with a younger crowd and trying to keep up)! I got home at midnight which is pretty good for a 34-year old don't you think?
***********************************
Last night when the little guy asked where I had gone, hubby said, "Mommy went to a nightclub with SB."
"Oh," he said. "Why did SB want to go with mommy to her book club?"
My lack of a lively social life really shows through sometimes, doesn't it?
**********************************
Today, the little guy and I both learned something the hard way while on a wilderness hike.
He learned that there is a good reason why we tell him to not get to close to the edge of a stream. And I learned that I should never leave his change of clothes in the car.
Photos to follow..
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