Update

Because I know you are all just dying to know!!! Rylie has not had a single accident since day 2 of potty training. She is doing a great job. We have gone out of the house for a few hours almost every day since then. I am amazed. I don't even have to remind her anymore, she just tells me when she has to go. This just proves one thing... Girls are SO much easier to train than boys!!!!!!!!!!!!! That and when they are ready, they sure are ready!

Potty Training

For months now Rylie has shown all the signs of readiness to be potty trained. I have been leary to start in fear that my result would be the same as Tristan. It took us a year to train him. It was likely my fault for starting before he showed readiness signs and literally trying every method. It finally clicked by just making him run around naked. Now, he is fully trained and goes himself. I never worry about him. Anyway, back to Ry. 3 days ago we were at Target (surprise, surprise!) and she adamantly told me she had to potty. I will admit that I was a little skeptical at first but she was adamant. So I rushed to the bathroom where she immediately went and I discovered her pull up was dry. It was then that I realized I really needed to start with her. So, start we did 2 days ago. Hardcore. Undies only all day. That first day she had 2 accidents but still told me every time she had to potty. Wow. Day 2 was yesterday and she did great. 3 accidents in the morning where she started to go in her undies and the rest in the potty. She still told me every single time. Wow!! Today is day 3. I will continue to follow her around constantly reminding her to tell Mommy if you have to go potty' but I think she is very close to being done. I will say however that she tries to sit on that potty all the time to get that M&M. She has gone way more than necessary but I don't mind. Today is the real test. We have to go to the bank and pick up a few things at the grocery store. I will bring a few changes of clothes just in case but I'm sure she will be great! All this makes me wish I had started with her months ago.. Oh well.

Doesn't she look adorable with her little undies!! She is super cute!

Scared

Every few weeks Jay and I decide we are going to go out and do something fun with the kids. This past Monday we decided we would take them to the Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk. We knew the rides would be closed but thought it would be fun to miniature golf with the kids. I
should realize by now that I always have this grandiose idea of what we will do and how fun the kids will think it is.. Because we are dang good parents! It never works out that way. Problem number 1- it was loud. The golf was inside the arcade. Tristan hates loud. Problem number 2- Tristan looked up and at the entrance of the golf there a skeleton dressed as a pirate that totally freaked Tristan out. He was so scared he was crying hysterically and would not let go of us. Nice.
No golf. So we thought we would walk around the arcade. All kids love that, right?! Wrong. He wouldn't play anything. In the picture below Jay and Ry are playing skeeball but this is how Tristan looked. The whole time. That is, until we left the arcade and bought a licorice rope. He was all better then. I should be used to this by now. Poor Rylie wanted to do everything. Either she didn't see the skeleton or she is braver than her brother. I'm starting to believe the later is
true..

Stinker

Tristan's new favorite thing is to make a 'house' using all the pillows from both couches in the playroom. I feel like I clean them up at least 10 times a day! Maybe I should just leave them.. Clearly he loves it... Dang he is cute!

Auntie Stacia

Many of you know that Jay's sister, Stacia lived with us for 3 or 4 years in Georgia. She had a super busy schedule but still managed to help out a TON (more than i realized at the time, but do now!) with the kids and the house. The kids love her, and really miss her. . praying for her every single night. In fact, she is not only my sister in law, but i consider her a really great friend.

I was giving the kids a bath tonight when there was a knock on the door. I was leary to get up, thinking it would just be a solicitor. I am glad i did though because right outside of my front door were two large boxes. A care package from Stacia. It was huge, really. The first big box was a super cool pool with a slide. The second box had a Nemo slide, small ipod speaker (for the beach!), plates (I just said i needed more of the seperated ones today!) and a mug for Tristan, a cute bathing suit for Ry and a dress, a pair of shorts for Tristan and 2 shirts. Seriously?! What an awesome surprise. In true Stacia fashion i am sure she got insanely good deals for all of it. But still, she thought of us and that means a lot! We miss her. So much. And not because she always buys us super cool things. It is days like this that remind me there are people who care about us. So, thank you, Stacia. We love it!