Random Pictures

These pictures make me smile. The first 3 are Cate in her Pettiskirt. Too cute. She pretends she's holding a bouquet of flowers when she gathers up her skirt (sorry the first one's blurry, but it's the only "gathering flowers" one I have.

The next pic is of JD discovering the Horse Ride (which mentioned pulling on the reigns (DUH) in the instructions.) That one's funny b/c I had to pry him off that ride with a crowbar, but several weeks later when he had the opportunity to ride a real horse, he cried the whole time--despite having looked forward to it all week. Then he told all & sundry about it when it was over! Told them about it like he enjoyed it....

The last pic is of Quinn, JD, & Ella at Life Group at Steve & Kristen's house. Yes, that is a baby doll stroller. Yes, Quinn does fit. Yes, the instructions specifically say not to use it for a real baby. But how funny is that?

The End is in sight.............

I hate to sound triumphant bugles quite yet, but I can finally see the end...the end of 2 in diapers!! JD is on the verge of being potty trained. He's finally gotten the concept and more importantly, agreed to go along with the program. We had several days where we were great with pee. But now--we've had 3 solid days with all BM's flushed to the great beyond. That's fantastic--3 year old poo is beyond the pale. Seriously.

Bribery has been our method of choice, and it's worked out quite nicely. Today we had one accident, but it wasn't a total disaster. He did it in the bathroom; he just couldn't get his pants down fast enough.

I will say I've seen waaaaaaaaaay too much in the way of little boy privates lately. (Running around naked is apparently preferable to a pull up or underwear--whatever.) He's been very concerned--and sharing his concerns with me--about the ability of his privates to change size. Enough said.

And one last thing I must share--his first set of pull ups were Elmo pull-ups. Like all pull ups, they had pics on the front that blurred/disappeared when wet. There were two types of pictures--trophies and beach balls. Really, someone should have thought this through. Here are 2 direct quotes:

ME: JD, make sure you stay dry. Don't get your balls wet.

Really, no one thought about this?

And Quote 2:

JD: But Mommy, Mommy. My balls aren't wet; they still there.

Yes. Thank goodness.

We have since bought new pull ups that have flags on them. An improvement all around.

The toothless wonder & one more b-day shot

Here is an up-close-and-personal shot of Cate's mouth after she lost her first tooth and one more b-day shot.

Sharp dresser....

This was JD's Easter suit. It's a black pinstripe with an Easter egg green shirt plus a tie. Seriously adorable. Sorry about the way they're turned, but it's 1am, and I just don't have time to fuss with it right now.

His birthday was 2 mths ago...so sue me....

And in the heavyweight division....

It's definitely not Quinn. Someday he'll turn around in his carseat....but it's not going to be any time soon. Good thing he likes to look at the other kids in the backseat.

Max, our Siamese cat, is the heavyweight mentioned in the title. At the vet today, he weighed in at 21.8 pounds. Yes, he weighs more than my youngest child. And probably will for some time yet. I'm scared he's going to break his leg every time he jumps off a counter.

And in a vomit update, JD did not just throw up once last night. He threw up 3 times. To Shawn's great relief, he made it to the bathroom the 2nd time (note that I did not say he made it to the toilet. But tile is easier to clean than carpet.) and the trashcan the 3rd time. I never thought I'd be happy about this milestone, but it sure is nice that if they have to throw up, they:
1. Know it's coming.
2. Know to run to tile/bathroom/trashcan.

Vomit....

So here I am at a quarter past midnight watching my long-suffering husband steam vac vomit off the carpet. And not just any vomit. Vomit comprised of Chef Boyardee. Note: You should never be able to see the letters of the alphabet in vomit. It's not a pretty sight.

It's times like these that I am eternally grateful that I'm not a single parent. JD threw up all over the living room floor. I got the easy job--undressing, bathing, and comforting JD. Shawn got to pick up chunks and steam vac. And of course, it wasn't enough to do a normal steam vac. It required stain spray and multiple passes with the steam vac.

I am also grateful that I have been smart enough to never learn how to use the steam vac. Shawn did a great job though. It no longer looks as if someone slit an artery in our living room (the stain looked kind of blood-like). And yes, I know that this whole blog is TMI. Deal with it--I feel the need to share the love. Especially as I sit here and listen to Shawn dump out the waste water from the steam vac. Funnily enough, that makes me queasier than dealing with the hysterical nastiness-covered JD.... yech.

On a less gross note, Caitlin lost her first tooth on Saturday. She had my dad pull it. Also kind of yuck, as the word crack was mentioned. Apparently, you have to break the ligament to get the tooth out. Eeeeeeewwww. She looks adorable though. I took pics today, but I haven't downloaded them yet. Actually, I'll try to get to that this week. I have pics of the toothless wonder and also of JD in his Easter suit--pinstripe with a green shirt. Very sharp. My little boy is growing up.

And while I'm on the subject of growing up, the kids' birthday party is set for April 11th. Save the date. More info will follow closer to the day.

Well, the crisis is now over. Time for all of us to get tucked back in before we turn into pumpkins.