Happy Friday!

I know, I've been away from my blog and leaving you all hanging. Thanks for the e-mails checking in on me. I appreciate it.

Things are good...just busy. I've been reading your blogs and commenting once in a while too, but I just haven't felt like writing much.

So, here are some bits & photos:

*School is out for our students at my tutoring center. Yesterday was their last day. So Monday starts our summer program with different hours. Plus other things that I really want to talk about soon.

*We had a great Memorial Day weekend with family and friends. We had great weather and spent a lot of time outdoors doing things. And Matt loved that the fish were biting too.

*Zachariah got a much needed hair cut this week. Perfect for summer. And he's happy to have it off his forehead and out of his eyes.

*No news on the TTC front. I took ovulation tests last month, but that apparently didn't help. Even with careful planning. Bummer. I really need to find a good OB/Gyn and schedule an appointment to talk about things. I'm a bit discouraged about the process. But still of the mind that it will happen. It's all about God's timing.

*Rachel is doing awesome! Thanks for all your thoughts, well wishes, and especially prayers!

*I can't believe that May is almost over.

*I also can't believe that the class I had for student teaching (who were in 5th grade then) are graduating this Sunday! I'm fortunate enough to have known one of my student's family very well, so we will be attending his graduation party.

*Last week we reorganized our office/guest room, so it's more of a guest room and a little less of an office now. We still have a desktop computer that we use from time to time, but mostly we use our laptops. So we don't really need all the office space. We are going to sell our 6 foot x 6 foot "L" shaped desk, and we bought a smaller corner desk instead. It's great. I still have some organizing, sorting, and cleaning to do, but it looks nice. Plus I really like the new flat-screen monitor we bought. And there is a new wireless printer on it's way. Yay! Our printer hasn't worked right in a while.

*I have two giveaways up at my review blog right now. One is for a cool DVD for the whole family (contest closes Sunday, May 31st), and the other is a Hip-T to cover your back in those low-rise jeans.

*That is all. Hope that you have a Happy Friday! And a great weekend! We're happy to spend ours at home with few plans.

Catch Up

* I picked the green shoes. I am developing a review for my review blog with them. Keep an eye out for more in upcoming weeks.

*Speaking of my review blog, I have some other reviews and giveaways that I really need to get up.

*My house is messier today than it's been all week. I tore apart Zachariah's room and reorganized it. But that means there are toys to be given away, toys and stuff to be put away, and other things spread throughout the whole house now.

*Rachel is doing great. I'll write more sometime when I can sit and think it all out.

*I can't believe this is only my 3rd post here this month. Slacker! So much has happened, but I just haven't felt like blogging about it. I only had 5 posts up for the whole month of April too.

*There are other things that happened recently that I want to discuss here. It's been a rough month.

*Lots of projects I'd like to work on at home and online. I just can't make myself do it all. I don't know why. I'll get back to it soon enough.

*I hope you're all having a great weekend.

*I'm looking forward to doing some fun things next weekend. I can't believe it's almost Memorial Day already. Wow! Summer is almost here.

Shoes...the great debate

If you had to choose, would you pick this?

Or this?

Help! I've narrowed it down to those.

I want something that I can wear a lot and be comfortable yet cute.

What do you think? Please discuss and offer advice.

Thanks.

Wasn't Meant to Be

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen my family has had some bad things happen this week. I will talk about them more later. But something else happened that I didn't post about there. I wanted to talk about it here, though. And I will tell you about the rest (which seem minor compared to this...at least for me) later.



My sister, Rachel, whom I love and adore is going through a terrible thing right now. She went to her OB appointment for her 18 week check up. Instead of finding out whether they were having a boy or girl, they found out there there is no heartbeat anymore.



They lost the baby.



She called me shortly after she found out. She was devastated. So was I.



But this sister of mine, she is awesome. She has grieved, and she is OK with it. Really! She is. She knows that God is there to comfort her. She isn't questioning why it happened. She's just dealing with it. I'm constantly amazed at the wonderful woman that my sister is.



They don't know what caused this to happen. Nothing apparent as of now. She never suspected any problems. Never even knew anything was wrong.



Today Rachel is at the hospital. They are hoping she can deliver the baby. It not, they will do a D&C. It's been a few hours since I last spoke to her. But she's a trooper and doing well. They will keep her overnight. We're just hoping things will go perfectly for her, and have the best case scenario happen.



She's asked for me to come up to visit at the hospital this evening. Hopefully it will all be over by then. She knows her husband might need some support or a break. And other people might be stopping in, so I can help by being crowd controller. Or I can just help to take her mind off of things.



They've told her different things there, and she has some tough choices to make. To hold the baby or not. To find out whether it's a boy or girl or not. To take pictures or not. To get footprints or not. To bury or not. To donate for research or not. And some of these choices might not be hers to make.


More to come later...

Support March of Dimes

I'm so sorry that I've been MIA for the past...almost 2 weeks. Eek! It's been longer than I thought.

So some things have been happening with my family (well, it all happened today unfortunately) that I really need to share, but now is not the time.

I wanted to tell you about my awesome friend, Shannon. She's a great mother and woman. She has two little girls who were both born too early. Fortunately her little darlings are happy little girls now. But they have had their share of trials. And Shannon is now expecting their third (surprise!) baby. Yay!

She will be participating in her local March of Dimes walk on Saturday. She is trying to raise money for this and is offering up one of her beautiful baby quilts or a bag (winner's choice) for anyone who donates to the March of Dimes through her.

Go HERE to donate!

Shannon still needs some help. I have offered up a hand-crocheted baby blanket for another winner too. All you have to do is make a donation and contact Shannon letting her know you did.

Here is the baby blanket that I made. It's not quite finished, but it won't take me long. The edges will have a white shell all the way around. Or if the winner wishes, I also have a pink/white/purple baby blanket just like this. Unfortunately I don't have a photo. But you can choose either.



Please help support a great cause!

My little break...kind of

Ahh, it is so nice here. Quiet and very peaceful.

Zachariah is at his grandparents' house for a few days. He's having a great time there. And I'm having a great time here.

Last night Matt and I got to walk the aisles of the store without chasing someone else around. And we went out for a nice, leisurely meal and enjoyed ourselves.

Today I went to the grocery store alone. I could get what I needed and get in and out with no hassle. And this afternoon I've been able to watch movies that I want to watch, meaning not Bob the Builder or Strawberry Shortcake.

This evening we have a Good Friday service at our church. The choir is singing, so I have to be there early. But it will be nice not having to worry about whether or not Zachariah will behave through the whole thing. And afterwards we have plans to go out with some friends.

Yay! We're going out tonight with friends! We're having a late supper after the church service. I'm sure we will all have a great time.

The rest of our weekend will be pretty busy too. Saturday morning we're having Easter brunch with my family at my parents' house. She has an Easter egg hunt planned for the kids too. Then we'll head home after that, and in the evening we have plans to have supper with some other friends. Going out again! This time with a kid in tow, but I'm sure we'll still have a good time.

Sunday is Easter, of course. We will be at church in the morning as usual. Then I've invited Matt's family over for an Easter dinner. I have plenty of food planned, and I hope everything turns out well.

And I guess we really don't catch much of a break, because we're still having our regular small group meeting here Sunday night. I'm hoping they'll help us eat the leftover dessert from lunch.

How about you? What fun does your Easter weekend hold?

Still Spring Cleaning

I spent several days last week finishing up my first Spring Cleaning project. And it is finally finished. I did somewhere between 6 and 8 loads of laundry. All the blankets and towels that were stored in there needed wash so badly.

I was happy to get that closet cleaned out. And it has needed reorganized and cleaned out anyway. Then the layer of drywall dust in there has kept us from using it for weeks. That is no longer, the dust is gone, and the layout is easier to use now too.

I also packed away baby blankets and towels. Zachariah says we're saving them for his baby. He talks often about wanting a sibling. Some day, child, some day.

I haven't started a new project today. I will keep an eye on my list and either start something tomorrow morning or perhaps work on something tonight.

*****
Anyone have any new ideas on who to get a certain little boy to poop on the potty? He will pee on it. He does great with that most of the time. He goes at home, at stores, at church, or anywhere else we go. But poop, not so much. Many times he poops when he's in bed and wearing a Pull Up. Then he of course wants changed right away.

I've tried bribing him with numerous things. It works now and then, but nothing consistently. He wanted a Cadbury Egg, so I told him he could gladly have one when he pooped in the potty. So later that day he did just that. And I gave him a Cadbury Egg. I told him there were more where that came from. (Like I told Matt, I'd go buy a whole case of them if I knew it would solve the problem.) Unfortunately that didn't do it.

So, I'm up for ideas. Nothing we try seems to work. And we've tried plenty of things.

*****
In other news I have a new post up at PS Mom Reviews. I did a review for a new Thomas DVD. Go check it out. I am giving away two copies.

Accomplished

I am feeling pretty accomplished today (and this week really).

I did work on my Spring Cleaning Challenge. I started on the bathroom closet, because that needed done first. It was terrible, because everything in there was covered in drywall dust since the work our friend did weeks ago. I cleaned out the rest of the bathroom stuff, but I never got to the big closet. It was full of extra towels, blankets, and bathroom remodel supplies. In general the closet needed cleaned and reorganized anyway.

Yesterday I worked on washing all the towels and blankets. I think I did 5 loads (maybe more) of laundry yesterday, and I still have 2 more to do. I cleaned out the remodel supplies and got them all dusted off. There are a few extra things that I need to pull out and clean, and I'm hoping to do that this evening. Then all the supplies need to go to the garage. The baby towels (that haven't been used in ages) and baby blankets need to be put in bins (will have to buy some) and stored.

It's been funny washing all these baby things. I can't wait to get them out and use them again. But for now, I won't torture myself, they need to be put away. Then I'll have more room in that closet anyway.

So I've worked on that project off and on for 2 days now. Hopefully I'll have it done by tomorrow. And I'm not sure where I'll start next. We shall see.

*****
I'm feeling accomplished (not that it's under my control) that Zachariah has easily taken good naps for the past 2 days. Finally! He's really been fighting them for a while now. We've discussed whether he's ready to drop naps or not, but ultimately we believe the answer is no. He fights falling asleep. He'll continue to come out of his room with different excuses. But once he actually falls asleep, he'll sleep for at least 2 hours. I think that's a kid who still needs a nap. On days when I have to wake him up so I can go tutor, he is a grump. And he's even more of a grump on days he doesn't get a nap at all. Thank goodness it's been a good week for naps.

*****
And lastly I'm feeling accomplished that I made the leap to get a new blog up and running. I have posted two reviews and giveaways already. If you haven't entered, go do that now.

I know I still have a lot to work on with the blog, but I'm making my way. There are some things that I need to learn about that I haven't had to worry about here. But this blog is different. Hopefully things will continue to go well.

A Challenge...Spring Cleaning Style

This is no April Fools joke. I am challenging myself this month in Spring Cleaning. Yes, you read that right. I am going to make a BIG effort to do this.

Here is the challenge. Every day (weekday? 4 days a week?- whatever works) I will do one extra housecleaning project. This meaning something other than the normal laundry, dishes, dusting, vacuuming, bathroom scrubbing, etc.

Right now all my closets and cabinets need emptied out, cleaned, and reorganized. So that is where I plan to start.

Here is my list (and I'm sure it will grow and change):
*bathroom closet
*Zachariah's bedroom closet (that's a big one!)
*my bedroom closet
*hallway cabinet and drawers
*pantry
*upper pantry cabinet
*office cabinet

Some of these things will be a more than one day project, so it will definitely keep me busy. I will get to work and post my progress here.

How about you? Do you need to do some spring cleaning? Would you like to join my challenge? We can encourage each other. Tell me what you need to do with your house. You can leave comments here or post about it on your own blog.

New review blog

So, I finally did it. I started a review blog. Of course I just got it up and running, so there is not too much happening there yet. But I will be working on it.

I just posted my first review there AND I have a cool DVD to give away right now too. We got a preview copy of Marley & Me. We loved it. It's available in stores today. And I have two copies on my new blog to give away. Go check it out now! Thanks.

Well, Don't Wait Too Long

What is that supposed to mean? "Well, don't wait too long?"

That is what someone told me last night. She had asked if we planned to have more children. I told her "Yes, someday". She laughed and said "Well, don't wait too long." I didn't respond.

What can I say to something like that?

I don't even really know how to respond to "Do you plan to have more children?" This isn't the first person to ask. I usually respond the same way.

If I was a snarky person, I'd just start saying things like "Well, we'd love more children, but some people don't get pregnant as easily as others." or "We'd love more, can you snap your fingers and make me pregnant?". Or something equally as good.

But that's not me. What also is not me is revealing all the details of my life. I don't typically tell people that we're trying to get pregnant. In fact the only people that know are you, my lovely blog readers, and my sister, Rachel. That's it. I just don't feel like this is something I want everyone to know.

Most people that know us pretty well, know that it took us a while to get pregnant with Zachariah (this lady who I spoke of earlier probably didn't know that). But we didn't really tell people that we were trying then either.

What do you think? Is this something I should be more candid about? Or should I just develop a better answer for nosy people? Suggestions?

Lucky Me

Well, if this didn't lift my spirits, I don't know what will.

Thanks by the way to EVERYONE who commented on my last post. I am feeling a bit better about things, and I'm so thankful to have friends here how genuinely care about me. Thank you!

So I have won four (4!) prizes from bloggers in the last few weeks! Woo Hoo! I'm won a little something for everyone in my house.

Today I won a Freestyle watch for Matt from The Funky Monkey. He chose this one in black.

Thursday I won a Dunebug's Sand Truck Playset from Sprig Toys and from Babies Gotta Have It for Zachariah. I think this will be a good Easter gift if it comes before then.

2 weeks ago I won a milk storage magnet, courtesy of the authors of The Milk Memos and The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog.

And a week or so ago I won a Yoplait gift pack from Mom Knows It All. It had a Yoplait Yogurt reusable insulated bag (which is SUPER at the grocery store), a coupon for free Yoplait yogurt, a reusable water bottle (that I also LOVE), and a little notepad too.

Guess I'm on a role. I'm glad that I'm able to host some giveaways here, so that I can at least pass the love along a little bit. And Thank You to everyone who I won from! I love it!

I'm a little hum drum

Here I am, blogging from McDonald's PlayPlace. The best place to blog right? Not really (I had a photo of my "happy" face, but I can't get it to load). There are toddlers running around everywhere. I just figured if I had to take Zachariah here, I may as well do something while I'm here (and we're only here thanks to a gift card that Zachariah got in the mail from my aunt for his birthday). Besides, I really wanted to get a new blog post up today.



I feel a bit neglectful. I've been copping out on real blog posts and using giveaways to fill the space. Well, I had the giveaways to do anyway, so why not. But still, I have no intention of turning this blog into a giveaway blog. I am entertaining the idea of starting a separate review/giveaway blog, but I'll let you know if/when that happens.



I've had a rough week. There is no one particular thing that makes me say this. Just several little things that make me feel blah emotionally. That and I have a cold. We all know that doesn't make anyone feel their best.



Things have felt rather "funny" (for lack of a better word to describe it) to me at work (my tutoring job) lately. Just a lot of things that felt like they added up this week. I don't think I really want to work there anymore. But for other reasons I will continue on for now.



I normally try not to let things get to me. But this week has been different somehow. I guess it just happens every now and then. I'm hoping it will improve.

I have been having thoughts about wanting to quit my job, so then I can just be a full time stay at home mom. That's basically what I consider myself, since I'm only away to work 2 hours a day 4 days a week AND my son comes with me. But it sure is not the same. I think I'm worn out and tired of it. I have to get Zachariah up from his nap most days in the middle of the afternoon. Then he's a bear the rest of the day. I can't make my family dinner most nights, because I'm not home when I should be preparing it. Matt's a great cook, but he's getting tired of that too...I can tell. And mostly I'd just like the freedom to do a little more when we want to do it. Right now I'm pretty set to going to tutor at the same time each day. Then there's the whole question of our summer tutoring schedule, and that gets really crazy.

I guess Matt and I will have to discuss it some more. I know he understands my feelings on the matter. Honestly he's probably mentioned more times than I remember about me quitting in the last few months. His raise at work put us in a pretty good situation financially, but I love that we're going to have all our student loans paid off soon at the rate we're heading. And that's what my income (small though it is) is working towards. There is a possibility that Matt could get another step raise this year yet. If that happens, and depending on how much it is, we may be in a great position for me to leave my tutoring job. We'll just have to see.

I think I said more than I really wanted to about this whole thing, but I just had to get some of it off my chest.

Then there is the whole trying for a baby thing. I'm a bit frustrated that it isn't happening yet. I know it will in time (took us a while with Zachariah), but I was really hoping it would be easier this time. And Matt goes from not wanting more children (though he's willing to try for me) to wanting more than one more (yay!). I guess I can't fault him for having different feelings about it. I know he will be happy with another baby, and most times that's what he's telling me he wants right now.

I'm just tired of being patient.

OK, end venting. This is why I haven't had many real posts lately. I'm afraid all I'd do is whine, and I don't want to do that all the time. Hopefully next week will be a better week.

Fireman Sam DVD Winners

Here are the winners for the Fireman Sam DVDs!

#7 - Andria at Boy Crazy

#4 - Nicole at Our Hotrum Family Chronicles

Congrats to both of you. I will get those out ASAP. Thanks for entering.

I should get another giveaway posted today. (I still have a few left for all of you.)

Barney DVD Winners

I have two copies of the Barney: Once Upon a Dino Tale. Thanks for signing up. The winners are:

#2 -Karin

#3 - Emily at Live with David & Katy

Congrats to both of you. Karin, I will need your mailing address. I will send you an e-mail now too.

Please come back, I am having more giveaways here soon. And don't forget to sign up for the Fireman Sam giveaway going on now.

DVD Review & Giveaway: Barney

Released in January, the new Barney DVD Barney: One Upon A Dino Tale enters the enchanted world of fairy tales. Barney is a great story-teller and has a fantastic imagination. Some of Barney's friends come to play and they help him reenact some classic stories.

Some of the stories we see are The Fisherman and His Wife, Alice in Wonderland, The Lion and the Mouse. Baby Bop, BJ, and Riff get to act out Cinderella...this time with evil step-brothers. At the infamous ball, Barney comes along to teach them all the "Dino Dance".

They tell a story that we'd never heard before: The Emperor's Contest. I enjoyed hearing this Chinese fairy tale about finding the most honest person for the new Emperor.

And at the end they make up their own fairy tale. Baby Bop wants to be the princess. What little girl doesn't? So they tell a new story.

Zachariah loves Barney. And he really enjoys listening to tales. So this DVD was right up his alley.

*Buy It: You can get your own copy of Barney: Once Upon a Dino Tale in stores or online now. Amazon has it on sale right now for HALF-PRICE!

*Win it: I have 2 copies of Barney: Once Upon a Dino Tale to give away here. Who would like to win this for their kids?

To enter, tell me who in your house is/was a Barney fan. Zachariah is definitely our Barney fan. Matt & I neither one liked him. I know my sisters watched him for a while when they were young, but I was a little old for him by then.

Make sure that you include your e-mail address in the comments (if it's not linked to your log in, or I don't already have it). I will post winners here, and I will send you an e-mail too.

**To earn a second entry, post about this contest on your blog OR post about it on twitter. Then come back here and leave another comment telling me you did that.

The contest starts now and will end at 12:00 Noon on Monday, March 23rd.

Good luck! Please come back for more contests coming soon!

Bob the Builder DVD Winners

I had two copies of the Bob the Builder: Race to the Finish DVD. And I used random.org to draw the winning numbers. They are

#3 - Sarah at No Whey, Mama

#7 - Kara-Noel at Eli's Lids

Congrats to both of you! I need your name/address, so I can get these sent to you asap. (Sarah, I have yours already.)

The rest of you stay tuned, because I do have more giveaways coming soon. And I even have another Bob the Builder giveaway coming up in a while.

Zachariah's 3rd Birthday

All sorts of stuff

1. My sister took Zachariah for the day and overnight. She is on vacation this week but didn't have any plans. So she wanted to keep him overnight. This is the first time he's done that with her. Not because we won't leave him with her, but because they were in a one room apartment until this winter. Now they have a house (good thing too with a baby on the way), so he has a place to sleep there.

I know he'll have a blast with them. Rachel and Jared are always on the go and love to play with him. He just soaks it up when they are around. Plus they might go for supper at Buffalo Wild Wings tonight, which is one of his favorite places to go.

I am happy to have this afternoon (if only a few hours) to myself. And then Matt and I will have some time together tonight. I should be able to have the morning to myself too. I can't wait to not have someone wake me up in the morning. Ahh, a nice break. Some day I'll return the favor to her.

2. I know, I know, I need to get birthday pictures up here for you all to see. To be honest, I still haven't loaded any off my camera. Maybe I'll get to it since I have a little more "me" time right now.

3. My computer has been on the fritz again. Actually I think it's my fault. I dripped juice on it a week ago. Oops. We do have accidental coverage on our warranty, so I may have to take it in. Although, today it is acting fine. I'll wait a while and see what happens. It's just meant that I'm not online as much...which could be a good thing.

4. I am almost finished with my crocheted afghan for Matt. It has taken me quite a while, but it's looking nice. It's the best I could do for what he wanted, but it was a little more time consuming.

5. I'm also trying to finish a book, read a book for small group, and work on my growing/huge pile of magazines that I like to read.

6. We haven't done any more work on the bathroom. :( It needs to get done.

7. I've already started buying baby clothes for my to-be-niece/nephew. I found some clearance onesies/shoes at Old Navy, so I bought sizes for next winter. Eee! And she has her first ultrasound scheduled in about 2 weeks. She's already into her 2nd trimester...with NO morning/noon/night sickness. I'm very jealous.

8. I had to buy Zachariah some new jeans finally. He was still wearing 2 pairs of 18m ones from over a year ago. The waist on those was still cinched, but the legs were creeping up towards his ankles. I decided to get him 3T pants (with adjustable waists), because they were just a tiny bit bigger than the 2T's. I had to cinch them in REALLY far on the waist, but the length is perfect. I was really surprised. He's always been my tall skinny boy.

Shaun the Sheep DVD Winner

Thanks for reading the Shaun the Sheep DVD review and entering the giveaway. I have 3 copies to give to you. And I am now drawing the winners. They are:

#8 - Jana of Dress-Up & Diaper Changes

#2 - Kelsey of Midwest Mom

#3 - Carrie of The Q Collective

Congrats to all of you. I will need your mailing addresses, please. I'll get an e-mail out to you too. Thanks for entering.

For the rest of you...I have MORE DVDs to giveaway VERY soon!!

Does it ever end?

1. I think I have had a lot going on lately, but the truth is I'm focusing on too many things. I have several things happening at once, and then I don't finish any of them. Like, I want to devote more time to blogging, etc., but every time I think about it I find other things to do.

2. I really want to give my house a deep cleaning and soon. But see above note. I feel like if I start, I won't finish. Then it will be wasted time and energy. I need to start will small things that won't affect other things.

3. We had a great birthday weekend with Zachariah. I will share pictures once I get them loaded on here for you all to see. He's been begging for another party. Wait until next year, darling.

4. There were about 3 tornadoes that hit somewhere between where my parents live and where Matt's parents live on Sunday night. We had just left both places, and the storm was about 30 minutes behind us. Luckily only a few houses had damage. And our parents were all far enough from the path that they weren't effected, other than mine losing power for several hours. My old college friend got great photos of one tornado, it came down a few miles past her house.

5. The Horrible 3s have been just that for us so far...horrible. And it's only been a week. Lord help me.

6. I have a whole bunch of new DVD reviews to do, and the giveaway copies are coming. So look out, there will be TONS of chances to win this month.

7. Rachel (my sister) finally had her first OB appointment. She's already 10 weeks along, and that doesn't seem possible. Her due date is on or around October 4th for now. At her next appointment (probably in another month) they will do an ultrasound. I can't believe she hasn't even met the doctor yet. Crazy how they handle things there. I had already had 3 ultrasounds by the time I was that far along. Just a different doctor, I suppose. Anyway, I'm excited to hear about all the exciting updates.

Wallace & Gromit DVD Winners

Sorry so late. I had a feeling that I might get tied up and busy with all the party stuff this weekend. And that's what happened, so I am just now drawing winners for the Wallace & Gromit giveaway. But since I have 6 (six!) DVDs to give to you, my lovely readers, and there were 13 sign ups, your odds are good for winning. I will only allow you to win one, so if I draw your number twice (if your name is in the drawing twice) then I will redraw.

So the Wallace & Gromit DVD winners are.....

#9 - Shelly at Scenic Overlook

#8 - Kelli at Big Fat Secret

#7 - The Hotrum Family

#1 - Cherish at A Girl and Her Blog

#6 - Carrie (CAQuincy) at The Q Collective

#12 - Mary

Congrats to all of you. I will be e-mailing you later this morning. If I don't have your mailing address already, I will need that so I can mail the prize to you. I hope you all enjoy your DVDs.

There are more giveaways coming soon. Next, Shaun the Sheep.

Happy Birth Day, my son!

I can't believe it only takes 3 short years to get from this:

to this:

It's been a beautiful 3 years though, my son, and I can't wait to see what the next 3 will hold. (Just don't make them go by too quickly, please.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZACHARIAH!

Good grief, what a week!

I was going to post about some of this earlier, but this week just got away from me. Funny how that happens...even when you don't have much planned. So here are some things I've been up to:


1. Monday morning our friend called and asked if it was a good time to help with the bathroom. (Side note: we've been in the remodeling process for a few years now. All has been done, but the walls are not finished. Matt gave up on it and was ready to pay too much to hire someone to finish it.) Our friend loves doing drywall finishing, so he had offered to help before. I had nothing planned for that morning/afternoon, so he came over to work on it.


I watched his 2 year old daughter while he worked. She and Zachariah played together most of the time. They get along pretty well, but by the end of the afternoon they were pretty much fed up with each other. Neither of them had gotten naps, and they were finished.



I am so glad to have the bathroom almost finished. There are a few last minute touches that need done, then I can paint. After that Matt will be able to put up the remaining trim, and we'll finally be done!


While I'm happy about that, when our friend worked on the drywall it created a lot of dust. I had only moved the things that you can see out of the room. But we had a layer of drywall dust covering everything: inside the medicine cabinet, under the sink, and in the linen closet...not to mention every other surface that you could see. So I've probably spent 3-4 additional hours this week just cleaning the bathroom up. I am almost done now, but I need to take everything out of the closet to clean and wash. (And I haven't even begun all the dusting that the entire house needs now.)


BUT, the end is in sight, so I really haven't complained about all the work. I will be so happy when this is finally over.



2. This week was Missions Week at church. We have two missionaries who are around speaking at different events that are going on.


The lady who is here, we know personally. She was on staff at the church when we started attending there, and she was also in the first small group we joined then. Now she is serving overseas. It was neat to reconnect with her and hear about all that's going on where she is at.


Sunday morning one of the missionaries spoke, and we sat through both services. Monday night there was a leadership meeting that Matt and I attended (more about that later). Tuesday night was a men's dinner that Matt went to. Wednesday night was family night, so we all went to that. Then next Sunday it will be two services for us again, and then a farewell dinner afterwards for our missionary friend.



3. Monday night when we went to the leadership meeting, they didn't provide childcare. We had decided beforehand that we'd try to get a babysitter, but if that didn't work Matt would go alone. We felt one of us really needed to be there. But we have never left Zachariah home with a babysitter!


We called a girl who we know well. She has stayed here when her foster mom needs to go out of town overnight. She has known me for years through the center where I tutor. And she has known Zachariah since he was born. When she stayed here last time, I asked her if she ever babysat. She said she did, so I told her we'd probably call her sometime. She's a sweet girl, great with Zachariah, and we trust her very much.


So she was able to come and watch Zachariah for us, and Matt and I were both able to get to the meeting. Yeah. And Zachariah couldn't stop talking about the things he did with her. He loved it.



4. Someone remind me to share the cake recipe I made to take to that meeting. Sarah, it doesn't have dairy in it!



5. Zachariah's birthday is coming up very quickly. Next Tuesday to be exact. We're planning a party for next Saturday. Fortunately my parents are hosting it at their house. It's so much closer to the rest of the family to do it there, and they have a lot more room in their house. We did that last year, and it worked out really well.


My mom has offered to make the food for lunch. And I'm going to let her. That's a lot less for me to do.

Now I just need to get Zachariah to decide on a cake. I don't think he really cares too much. He wants everything he sees. So, I'm thinking about a doggy cake. He liked it, and I think it's cute. We'll see.


We'd also like to do something with him on his birthday. We'll probably take him out for supper. Last year I took him to Toys R Us to look around and play with the trains. Plus they give him a balloon and special cart on his birthday.


I also don't know what to get him. I think my parents are going to look for a b-i-k-e for him. I might do some arts and crafts things. And I want to look for some little Bob the Builder toys that he'd like.



6. I just got this package:




I need to host some DVD giveaways and soon! I have a bunch that need to go.



7. I know I had more to say, but I forget what. So, go! And have a great weekend.

Families of Costa Rica DVD Winner

Not too many entries this time. That's OK. I know the person who wins will enjoy it.

Oh, the only country I've visited (other than the USA, where I live) is France. I have been close enough, twice, to see Canada, but never officially stepped over.

And the lucky winner for the Families of Costa Rica DVD is

#1 - Cherish at A Girl and Her Blog

Congrats Cherish! I already have your address, so I will get this out to you soon. Enjoy!

DVD Review & Giveaway: Families of Costa Rica

The DVD "Families of Costa Rica" is a great learning tool from the Families of the World series. The series explores families from different parts of the world -- their cultures, their lives.

The Families of Costa Rica DVD tells of two different families living in Costa Rica. Estibaliz (10 years old) tells us her story of life in a rural setting. She tells about her daily routine, school, sports, foods, and traditions of her family and village. Then Jose (also 10 years old) explains all about a day in his life. He lives in the city and tells us about his day at private school, soccer practice, and playing with his dog.

This DVD is targeted at the 5-11 age range. I agree that it's a little over my 2 year old's head. But he still enjoyed seeing the kids doing different things.

I enjoyed watching this too. It was fun to see a different country and from a child's perspective. They told some neat stories and shared fun traditions.

As a teacher, I also really like that this is a great tool to use in the classroom. There are other DVDs as part of this series, and I think they would be a great addition to any school/classroom library. Other videos in the series include: Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, Ghana, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, the USA, the United Kingdom, Vietnam and Canada.

To order this video for yourself, call 1-800-765-5885 or visit their website www.familiesofthe world.com.

To win a copy of Families of Costa Rica leave a comment here. Be sure to include your e-mail address, if I don't already have it. And if you need something to comment about, tell me what countries you have visited. (Zachariah has lots of little toy cars that he plays with all the time.) For a second entry post a link to this contest on your blog, then come back here and leave another comment telling me that you did so.

This is a quickie contest. The contest starts now and will end at 10:00AM on Friday, February 27th. I will post the winners here and will e-mail you as well.

Good luck!

How'd They Build That? DVD Winners

Sorry for the delay. There's been a lot happening here. I'll try to post about it later. But for now, the DVD winners.

Thanks to all who signed up for the How'd They Build That? DVDs. I have two copies to give away. How about the first winner to contact me will get to pick which one they'd like to have? Otherwise I'll just send you one of them randomly.

The lucky numbers/winners are:

#5 - Emily at Live with David & Katy

#3 - Devan at All D's

Congrats, ladies. I have a copy of "Fire Truck" and "Big Truck". First person who tells me there preference will get it. I will also e-mail you both now, so that will help.

The rest of you stand by, I do have some more DVD's I need to get out soon! Come back for more give aways.

My Blessings: Dressed up

He had a sports coat on too, but he had just ditched that. He sure loves wearing a tie. And he's pretty cheesy too.

For more Blessings, go visit Devan.

DVD Review & Giveaway: How'd They Build That?

Do you have a truck lover in your house? My son LOVES trucks, tractors, and all things that go "Vroom".

We loved this new series How'd They Build That? from Marvelous Media. These DVDs are packed full of detailed information about how trucks are made.

In "Fire Truck" and "Big Truck" they go inside the factories that make the trucks. They tell about how every little thing gets built in those trucks. From beginning to end, your children will know way more than you about building trucks after they've watched this one.

The part that I found most fascinating is the paint room. They show how they cover the parts of the truck that need covered. Then the trucks are custom painted for the company who ordered them. It's so neat to see those big sprayers go to work.

Zachariah is completely absorbed in these movies. Then later he'll give me step-by-step instructions on how the trucks were built. He enjoys seeing the real life actions in videos like this.

These DVDs are short (about 1/2 hour each) and informative. The price is quite reasonable at a SRP of $8.99 each. They are available for purchase from Marvelous Media, Amazon, and other online sellers.

**I have a copy of each DVD- How'd They Build That? "Fire Truck" & How'd They Build That? "Big Truck". I will give one to each of two winners.

To win a copy of How'd They Build That? leave a comment here. Be sure to include your e-mail address, if I don't already have it. And if you need something to comment about, tell me what toy your child loves most. (Zachariah has lots of little toy cars that he plays with all the time.) For a second entry post a link to this contest on your blog, then come back here and leave another comment telling me that you did so.

The contest starts now and will end at NOON on Monday, February 23rd. I will post the winners here and will e-mail you as well.

Good luck!

Sheer Exhaustion

What did you do this weekend? My parents begged to take Zachariah for a few days. Even though Matt and I didn't have plans, I didn't see any harm in letting Zachariah go. So off he went to stay with grandparents.

Matt and I ended up going to pick up my laptop (YAY! It's back!) and then stopped for a quick dinner. And since we had nothing to do after that we went out for ice cream. And Sunday we went out with friends after church (not something we'd do with a toddler who needs a nap).

Speaking of naps, I should be honest. The very first thing we did after my parents left with Zachariah was take a 3 hour nap! Boy, that was nice.

Monday we walked around the mall for a while and a few other stores. Then we just relaxed and enjoyed the quiet at home. It was nice to have a peaceful weekend. No one else to worry about. No children running around being noisy either.

My mom returned Zachariah on Monday afternoon, so I spent the rest of the day playing with him and talking about all the fun things he did without us. And after supper this is what we had:

One tired kid! Just for the record he has never fallen asleep like that. This kid only sleeps in his bed and once in a while in the car on a long ride when he's really worn out. All I have to say is this was pure exhaustion.

After taking pictures of him falling asleep at the table, I picked him up and rocked him for an hour and a half (bottom picture of him in my lap). I thought he'd wake up a bit before bed, but he really didn't. So Matt helped me get him dressed and we just put him straight to bed.

Poor kid was whipped!

Strawberry Shortcake Winners

Sorry that I didn't get winners posted yesterday like I was supposed to. I have been sick for several days now. Today I finally feel good enough to get up off the couch/recliner/bed. That's a first since Sunday afternoon. Yesterday I never even turned the computer on...that's how bad I felt. Anyway, I'm a little more functional today, which is a good thing because we have a guest coming to stay from tonight until Sunday. I still need to clean up this office, so she has room for her things (office is also our guest room).

Thanks to everyone who signed up to win the new Strawberry Shortcake DVDs. And I will go draw 3 numbers now.

The winners are........

#8 - Melissa at Complimentary Chocolate

#7 - Karin

#13 - quitecontrary1977 at Now Entering Momville


Congrats. I'll be sending you an e-mail. I will need to get your mailing addresses ASAP (Melissa, I have yours).

So sorry that the rest of you didn't win. If I'd had 14 copies of this one, I would have been happy that you all could have one. But I do have some more DVDs that I need to review and giveaway. Some are new, and some I've been hanging on to for a while. So I really need to get busy. Keep checking back for new ones. Thanks for entering.

The one where I talk about girlie things

You read the title, you've been warned. If you don't want to hear about women's periods or ovulation or planning pregnancies, then just leave now.

Are they gone now?

OK good, let's talk ladies.

What do you all think about the concept that women who are around each other a lot will be on the same schedule? They will all start their periods about the same time each month. I have heard of this before, and it sometimes seemed true when I was younger and living at home. I guess living in a house with 4 women will lend itself to that. It never failed that myself, my mom, or one of my sisters would always have their period together.

My poor father. Really. There are many times I've felt bad that he was the only guy in the house. But I think I made it better by giving him a boy for his first grandchild.

I know when I was in high school I noticed that same phenomenon. It never failed that when I had my period at least one of my friends did too. Or they would start theirs, and the next day I'd start mine.

That's the last I've really experienced of this on a regular basis. Anyone else ever have this happen?

It's pretty rare that I'm around a group of women regularly. I don't have any really close groups of friends that I do things with a lot. I do things with my mom and sisters, but we're not together often.

I have noticed that when I'm at my parents' house (which means I've probably been around my mom and sisters too) for an extended period of time, I will often start my period. It's strange. It happened when we were there for a week at Christmas.

It's OK that is does happen, because my periods are very irregular. (That might answer some of the comments from this post about what Matt said.) I've always tended to have light, shorter periods and longer between each one. I've had some missed ones off and on for a while now. It has gotten even worse since having Zachariah. I think last year I only had my period 4-5 times during the whole year. I'm not complaining too much, but it does make it hard to figure out my cycle (not really one) or to chart or GET PREGNANT. Grr.

Blah, blah, blah, all that to say I started my period last night. :D I was hoping I was pregnant, because I was pretty sure I could tell when I was ovulating last month. But having two periods in a row is a good thing, and it will help me better predict my cycle for this month.

And I was with a group of ladies from church last night having dinner. It was so much fun. I enjoyed getting out of the house, talking to friends, and meeting new people. When I found out later in the evening that I'd started my period, it got me thinking that maybe I need to surround myself with women more often. Maybe it would help my regularity.

Thoughts?

Also, you better believe that we'll be trying everything possible to get pregnant this month. Wish me luck.

Recipes- I have two & I need one

We had a Super Bowl party on Sunday night at a friend's house. It was a lot of fun. My friend is vegetarian and her husband makes a really great vegetarian chili. So since he made that for the party, I made corn muffins (because every one likes them with chili there). I didn't know what everyone else was bringing and I wanted to make sure there was enough food, so I did what I always do...I went overboard. I don't think I did it too badly this time, but Matt still teased me about it. I was going to make BBQ chicken legs, but that didn't work out (see my question below). Instead of that I made a Cheesy Ranch Chex Mix that turned out pretty good. I think it's missing something, but I haven't decided what yet. And I made Berry Fruity Pebble Treats. So here are those two recipes that you might like. They both went over well.

Fruity Pebble Treats

1 box of Fruity Pebbles (or I used Berry Fruity Pebbles) - 13 oz

1 bag of mini-marshmallows - 10.5 oz

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine (plus a little extra for the pan)

1. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.

2. In a large pot on the stove melt butter and marshmallows completely.

3. Take off the heat and add cereal.

4. Mix together well and pour out into buttered dish.

5. Let cool, cut & eat!

These are just like Rice Krispie Treats, but they are sweeter. We liked the fruity taste with them though. Colorful and fun to make.

Cheesy Ranch Chex Mix

9 cups Corn Chex®, Rice Chex® or Wheat Chex® cereal (or combination) (I used Rice Chex.)
2 cups bite-size pretzel twists (I used pretzels sticks, because I already had some.)
2 cups bite-size cheese crackers
3 tablespoons butter or margarine (Next time I will add more like 4-6 Tbsp.)
1 package (1 oz) ranch dressing and seasoning mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. In large microwavable bowl, mix cereal, pretzels and crackers.
2. In small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on High about 30 seconds or until melted. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated. Stir in dressing mix and cheese until evenly coated.
3. Microwave uncovered on High 3 minutes, stirring after each minute. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool. Store in airtight container.

**********
OK, there are some recipes for you to enjoy. Now I need your help. I have 4 lbs of chicken leg quarters that I thawed and need to use. I thought there were only drumsticks, so I was going to make something with them. Then I realized that they are drumsticks and thighs...attached. First of all Matt won't eat them, so I can do whatever I want to them. I was hoping to find something that I could just make with them as is. But I could cut them up and use them separately, if I can cook them at the same time that is.

Ideas? Great chicken recipes that will work for this? Help!

A new path in life

For years now I've known who I am. My whole life I've been a woman, a daughter, and a sister. Almost 9 years ago I learned what it was to become a wife. And I've been a mother now for almost 3 years. All these things about me define me and have made me who I am.

Last night I learned something new. There is a new journey that's going to happen in my life. I'm going to be an aunt! I don't know what it's like to be an aunt. To see your nieces/nephews grow up before your eyes, but yet you're not the parent. This will be a whole new experience for me.

It will also be a new experience for my sister, Rachel, as she begins to learn what being a mother is all about. I am so happy for her. She and her husband couldn't be more thrilled.

I can't wait to see what being a great aunt is all about. I've had a great example in Rachel. She's always been the best aunt to my son. I hope I can be the same for her child. And in the same respect, I hope that I can help her along this journey of being a new mom. Maybe she can learn from me too.

There are so many things I want to share with her. There are so many great things that she'll get to experience. So many memories are already being made.

The next 8 months and beyond will be a great journey for us. I can't wait to see what it brings.

My Blessings: Striped Hat

Copying Devan today. Thanks for the idea. Feel free to link here or on Devan's post.

Just some stuff

*Thanks so much for everyone who commented on my Delurking Day. I'd say it was a success. Although I know there are more of you out there reading (at least twice as many as commented), because I see you on my SiteMeter.

*I feel bad that I haven't been blogging much this week. I'd really like to. I finally started feeling better by Wednesday. Then the weather was cold, snowy, and icky. I have only left the house twice in the last week (plus a few days). I tutored on Thursday, then we went out for supper. And this morning I went to pick up our Angelfood box.

*Have you heard of Angelfood Ministries? I remember discussing it with someone (maybe you, Sarah?). But I don't know anyone who has participated. There is a church just down the road from us who does Angelfood. They have been promoting it at the apartment complex where I tutor. The coordinator came in one day to talk to our afterschool program leader. He gave her some coupons to hand out, and I got one. It was $10 off the regular box ($30 price) for this month for a new participant. So, Matt and I figured why not. We got a ton of food for only $20. I was very impressed with how they run the program and give out the food. The people who were working were so nice. And the food looks great. One box is supposed to be enough to feed a family of 4 for a week. Honestly I don't think the 3 of us could eat it all in 2 weeks.

I won't talk too much more about that, but I think it will be a great way to help our grocery budget. We're already planning to get a box next month. If you want to ask about my experience with it, go ahead. This is not an income guided program, anyone can participate.

*Even though I haven't been posting as much this week, I have been posting on Twitter. Look me up: http://twitter.com/mommydaisy.

*Potty training is going great. Zachariah goes potty most of the time. We've had a few accidents, but I'm impressed. He doesn't go as much when we aren't home. He hasn't figured all that out, so he still wears a diaper. And he's always wet after naps and bedtime, so he wears diapers then too. But I'm happy to have him in underwear at home during the day.

*Matt determined this morning that we need to have more sex. We're still "trying" to have a baby. We don't have sex often enough, he thinks. ;) Guess I'll have to work on that one. (Shouldn't be a problem.)

*That's all I can think of for now that I wanted to share. Have a great weekend!

Help cheer me up

Here I am sick and stuck in my chair. I can't eat, I can't move, and I can't do much of anything. I have been sick since Thursday afternoon.

So, what a perfect day for this......DeLurking Day!

If you've been lurking here (reading, but not commenting), here's your chance just to say "Hi" or tell me who you are.

If you read and comment here often, do it again today. I want to see everyone who is reading today.

Let's see how many comments we can each get today. I'll be checking to see if you're doing a DeLurking Day. Leaving quick comments might be all I accomplish from my chair today.

Please, leave a comment!

How it went down...and up

So my husband has been at his job for over 10 years now. He's young, he started young, he can retire early if he stays there. It's a good job. It pays decent. The benefits are nice. He's happy there.

The problem with his job is that there is no room for advancement. He works on the computer systems, and there is only one other person who does that too. That person is *Tom, and Tom is my husband's supervisor. They are the only two in their department. Tom has only been working there 5 years longer than my husband. His only hope for advancement was if Tom left or when Tom retires, but that's a ways off.

On Tuesday Tom left. He "resigned". My husband knew it was coming. He was waiting to see how things would actually happen. And then he had to make sure that everything is cleaned up (so to speak) after Tom left. That's what he's been dealing with this week.

The waiting and anticipation has been stressful. Tom's leaving was stressful. This is a guy he's worked with for many years and gotten to know very well. They've gotten together outside of work many times. And just knowing he's gone is tough (especially in the economy we have right now).

The rest of the week has been stressful just dealing with the changes and things that need done too.

But through all of this, we are excited. My husband has been promoted to Tom's position. It's considered a management position and it brings more money for us. Right now he's not in charge of anyone else, but eventually they may hire someone under him to help out.

So, the good news is my husband got a promotion and raise. He's also been promised step raises to bring him up more. It's been a pretty significant raise too, so we're excited at the possibilities that brings.

All these years at the same job, and it finally feels like he's going somewhere. It's a great place to be.

And now I think you all know enough about what's going on around here. Feel free to ask questions. I'll answer them through e-mail. Thanks for your interest and support. We're happy that things are over and really looking up.

*I have changed names/not written names to protect the people in this story. If you need clarification, please ask.

What to say, what to say

So, I want to tell you about the "personal" things that happened this week. I've been torn about what to write about here and what to say.

There is bad news and good news. The good will outweigh the bad very soon. But right now we're dealing with some of the bad, and that part has been stressful. It is getting better, though.

OK, I think I will try to gather my thoughts and write about this tomorrow. And just so I don't drive you crazy wondering WTH, it's about Matt's job.

Until tomorrow then.

My new shoes

I almost forgot to tell you all about my new Keen shoes. I really did value the opinions of each and every one of you. I also talked to my mom about it (she usually has good fashion advice/taste), plus she knows me really well.

After taking everything into account, I chose these new shoes.....

The Palermo MJ's!

Once I had placed the order for these shoes, I was checking the website constantly seeing if they'd shipped yet. They hadn't. I was getting worried that they weren't going to arrive before we left on our Christmas vacation. I even contacted a Keen representative to see if I could change the shipping address to my mom's house. It was too late for that.

The shoes were scheduled to arrive on Christmas Eve. I was happy that they would come before we left, because we were leaving that afternoon. The only concern then was that they came early enough before we left. The day before I got a separate delivery from UPS....at 7:00PM!

I was worried. I didn't think my shoes would come in time. I let my neighbors know I was expecting something and didn't want it left on my doorstep, so could they please check for them and just keep them until we got back. I was sure I wasn't going to get them.

Wouldn't you know it, though, exactly 45 minutes before we left in pulls the UPS truck. I was jumping up and down. I brought the package in the house, ripped it open, and put on my new shoes.

I wore them for the rest of the day. They fit like a glove. I love them so much! They are cute, adorable, and even more importantly....comfortable. I couldn't believe how comfortable these shoes are.

Thank you Keen for my new shoes. I appreciate the advice to go a size bigger to, you were right on. And I'm sure this will not be my last set of Keen shoes. They are fantastic, and I tell everyone I know.

My football rant

If you don't like football, I'm sorry. I just need to get this off my chest before I go to bed.

The Ohio State Buckeyes just lost to Texas in the Fiesta Bowl tonight. Honestly I'm proud of our boys. I think they played a great game. So many people thought we'd go down badly. Well, the 23-21 score proves that we fought the good fight. We didn't win, but we sure came close.

Some people (many people...well Buckeye fans at least) have been disappointed in the OSU team the last few years. Two years ago we lost the BCS championship game badly. Then last year we lost the championship game again. But last year there weren't even any hopes early in the season (or late in the season for that matter) that we'd make it to the championship game. We had a decent season and due to other teams losing at the end of the season, we made it to the final game. I felt like it should be an honor to even be there. But people were upset that we couldn't win.

Maybe I'm too much of an optimist. I'll keep rooting for my Buckeyes. And I'm not mad that they lost. (A little sad maybe, but it was a great game.)

One last note, then I'm done. I was so happy to see Boeckman back in the game tonight making some big plays. I think he got cheated out of his final season with the Buckeyes by a show-off freshman. I like Pryor, and I think he'll be a good player, but I believe he needed some more work first. He has many years ahead to be a star, and I'll support him then. Boeckman, I believe in you! Good luck with your professional career.

So much to do

The holidays are over. I can't believe how fast it all went. But that's how it always go.

I feel like it's time to get my life organized again.

*My house needs to be reorganized. (Especially our office.)
*I need to start exercising regularly again.
*Zachariah's toys and clothes need to be sorted through.
*I have movie reviews that need finished.
*I have books that need read.
*I go back to tutoring tomorrow.
*I need to start menu planning again.

Now, I just need to get to work. I am sure there are so many more things floating around in my head that need done.

500th & I want to tell you about potty training

I knew I was quickly approaching my 500th blog post. Here it is. I have nothing fantastic or fascinating planned. Actually I got on to talk about our potty training efforts, then realized it's my 500th post. Isn't my life glamorous?!!

Several of you commented about the potty training from my last post. I knew I'd have to say more about it, because most mothers want to know. It's a thing that we all go into not really knowing what we're doing. I honestly haven't met a mother who doesn't sweat potty training even a little bit.

We are not doing anything too special right now. We've had Zachariah sitting on the potty off and on for over a year. He didn't have too many successes, but he knew what it was for and what to do there.

About 6 months ago we started pushing it harder. He went poop on the potty for several days in a row. But we couldn't get him to pee on it. Then we hit a stand still. Zachariah just decided he wasn't having that anymore, so that was it for a while.

I haven't given up. I ask him several times a day if he needs to use the potty. For months and months, he said no. Most times he got mad and flat out refused to even try. I knew at that point it was futile to push him.

About 2 months ago, I decided to start trying harder with him. On days that he would allow it, he wore underwear and tried going in the potty. There were a few random successes, but mostly I just washed a lot of training undies.

We use these training pants with a liner over them. That way if he has an accident, he feels it but it's not wetting through all his clothes. And they are both washable.

The week of Christmas Zachariah was using the potty with success now and then when he felt like it. We were very proud of him. I took our potty chair along on our Christmas vacation. I thought he'd like going potty at Grandma's. But he didn't. He spent plenty of time sitting on the potty while he suckered aunts and grandparents into reading to him while he sat there. I think he just wanted the attention. Other than one pooping success for Grandpa, he didn't do anything. So we called that a fail.

Since we came home, he's wanted to sit on the potty a lot. And here is the shocker...he's peeing almost every time he tells us he wants to go. Hurray! Today he spent most of the day in undies. He put them on when he got up in the morning, then we did a pull up for nap time and diaper for bedtime. He only had 1 (one!!) accident all day. Otherwise he went potty on his own. I've just been shocked. I think something just clicked for him, and he's now peeing in the potty.

Most of this has been a lesson in patience. As much as we wanted him to use the potty, he had to decide to do it on his own.

We are by no means finished. One successful day may not mean much. I worry about church tomorrow, and I also don't know how he'll handle errands and tutoring when we're not home. But we'll get there.

Jana was asking about potty training a boy. Woo, this has been an adventure. I need advice from the rest of you in this too. So far we are just sitting on the potty for everything. He's using a training potty, and we have to use the cup in front for him. He has some interest in standing up to pee, but he won't aim his pen1s. Unhelpful. So when he wants to try to do it standing up (not often fortunately) I must help him with that.

This makes it difficult to take him potty when we're not home. To sit on a regular potty he has to use both hands to hold himself on it, then he can't aim "it" down. I get that job. I'm thinking it would be helpful to have a foldable potty seat for errands and such, but that doesn't help with the aiming thing (none seem to come with a cup for boys).

So here's what I'd like to know from you. First of all how do you teach boys to pee standing up? And how can I get him to understand he must hold it down for now in public restrooms? I am the oldest of 3 girls, my mom is not helpful in this area. This boy thing is new to us. Any more helpful hints and tips for where we are now?

That's all folks. Sorry I don't have any great wisdom.

Blurpy blurp

Some quick blurps. Please tell me if you'd like me to expand on any ideas/statements. I will if I can later.

1. Zachariah is doing GREAT with potty training. He is by no means done, but he's making great progress.

2. I've had to be tight-lipped about a personal issue for over a month now. I can't tell my family, friends, or you. It stinks. I might be able to talk about it in a few more days. Thank goodness. (No, I'm NOT pregnant! Has nothing to do with that.)

3. I never make New Year's Resolutions. I think I will this year. I have some in mind that I really want to make. I think writing them down and talking about them will help.

4. I need to get moving with movie reviews. We got some new ones that are being released soon. Plus you all love getting free movies right?

5. My shoes came an hour before we left for Christmas vacation! I was so excited. I'll get photos soon, so you can see what I chose.

6. I got a new book just before Christmas break too, but I haven't read much because I'm finishing another book right now too.

7. My blogroll list is SO VERY outdated on my site. Can you tell how often I (don't) change things? Yikes.

8. I need to get my Christmas decorations put away tomorrow. Oh the joy. It's much more fun putting up than taking down. Plus I've already helped my mom take down most of her house. Ugh.

9. I think we'll hit up a few local stores tomorrow and try to spend some Christmas money. Always nice.

10. College football is just about done. What will my husband do after Monday?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all of you! I hope that 2009 is a great year for you.

We are finally home after a trip home for the holidays. I hope that you all had a nice Christmas too. We enjoyed our break.

I have plenty of stories, pictures, and toddler quips to tell you about. But for now I am unpacking suitcases and putting away all our great Christmas gifts. My house is a disaster zone, I'm tired, I'm trying to finish a book, and I started crocheting an afghan.

What have you all been up to? I will try to catch up on all your blogs (but I can't promise lots of comments). And I will come back soon to catch you all up.

So, until next time, enjoy the weekend!