No Accidents

Tyler has really picked up the momentum on potty training. I started the following process:
1) piece of skittles candy if he pee-pees in the potty
2) if he tells me and pee-pees in the potty.
3) if he poops in the potty.

For the past three (3) days, he has been in big boy bottoms in the evenings at home and has not had any accidents. As soon as we get in, I give the kids baths. Instead of a diaper, he wears bottoms. For the past two days, he has been telling me that he had to go potty. He says, "potty mommy," pulls down his own bottoms and goes to the potty.

He even woke up at 3:30a crying, "mommy, I go potty." I walked him to the potty, he went pee-pee and then got back in his bed and went back to sleep. Last Sunday afternoon, he fell asleep in his big boy bottoms and woke up dry. This weekend, I plan to let him sleep in them during nap time and see how he does. In the morning, he cries because I have to put a diaper on him. By the end of October, he should be completely potty trained.

I received the toy dog as a birthday gift from a friend in San Antonio. The character is from the movie UP . The dog in the movie talks. In the middle of a conversation, if a squirrel runs by, the dog says, "Squirrel" and then runs off to chase the squirrel. After doing so, he then comes back and finishes his conversation. (I do that ALL the time!) Now, when my thoughts go side track of the focus of the conversation, I will say "squirrel" and then follow the bunny trail conversation. The dog doesn't say the word "squirrel" which would have made the gift even better.

Nonetheless, Little Fred calls the dog "puppy" and NyCee just wants to strap the dog into the seat belt with her while riding in the car. Her philosophy: "everyone has to have a seat belt in the car."

Cari's Tribute

One year ago today, Cari left her body to be present with Jesus. I think about her whenever I see a pink ribbon on hear about ways to sponsor breast cancer research. Please do what you can to support breast cancer research. When I go to my local grocery store, I spend an extra $1 to get a pink ribbon and I write Cari's name on it. $1 may not seem like much but when it is combined with several other $1 bills, it can do a lot!

Please continue to pray comfort in the lives of Melvin (husband), Cameron, Max, and Ella. I am sure they miss her more than we can imagine. I miss her. I miss reading her stories on the blog about the children's antics, or enduring the summer time bug outbreak in Minnesota.

We miss you Cari!

Weekly Update

Nothing really to update. I am teaching, in school, and just finished working Singles' Conference at church this past weekend.

Tyler is doing better with potty training. He pooped in his bottoms this evening. I hesitate to write that it was an accident. He was hiding in the playroom and didn't come when I called his name. Therefore, he knew he was in trouble.

NyCee is back in school this week. She was unable to attend last week as her care giver was out of town. My work schedule does not permit me to take her to school. However, I will have a full -time faculty position before the end of the year. I expect to transition into the role in the next 5 - 6 weeks. Yippee! Then, I will be able to take NyCee to school.

For all those inquiring minds about my dating life, well, not much to tell there. D. D. is still around but we are not really dating. We chit-chat maybe a couple of times a week. None of the conversations are deep. Most do not last longer than 20 minutes. No other suitors have approached me. So, the kids and I are just doing our thang!

I am so excited to begin reading a book by T. D. Jakes titled, "Help! I am raising these kids alone." Because, well, "HELP, I AM RAISING THESE KIDS ALONE!" hahaha!

Getting the hang of it...

Mommy had to up the ante to get this whole potty training thing on lock. I bought a pack of Starburst and would give him a piece of one little square when he went to the potty. Well today, I bought skittles as they are easier to deal with. Little Fred went to the potty about 500 times. He would say, "Mommy, I get candy." Mommy would ask, "What are you supposed to do to get candy?" "Put pee-pee in potty. Mommy, I pee-pee potty."

He would then walk into the bathroom, pull down his big boy bottoms and sit on the potty. Each time, he would use the potty. Now, it may have been like a 1/2 a drip but he used the potty. Therefore, I would reward him with one skittle out of the package.

Before bath, he kept saying "Poo-poo potty." So, he would sit on the potty and nothing would happened. Well about 20 minutes later, he put poo-poo in the diaper. Once we get the pee-pee thing handled, then we will up the ante of skittles to (3) skittles if he puts poo-poo in the potty.

Charmer

"Tyler, may you please come to mommy."

"I'll be right back sissy. Okay? right back."

He walks into my room with a smile on his face.

"Yes, mommy."

"Are you in your own bed?"

"Ummm, no mommy." As he gives the cutest little grin.

"May you please get in your own bed and go to sleep."

"Own bed mommy?"

"Yes, son. Your own bed."

"Okay mommy."

I state, "Yes, mom." Neither one of the children are allowed to reply with "Okay." They are to respond: "Yes, mom."

"Yes, mom." As he smiles and walks away.

Five minutes later, he walks into my room with his lips puckered in the kissing position. I grab him by the hand and walks him back into his room. I sit on the bed and say, "Son, you chose to be disobedient. Mommy explained that you are not to get out of the bed. When you chose to be disobedient, you choose the consequence for that action."

"Sorry mommy. Sorry mommy. May I have kisses?" With his lips puckered.

I give him a kiss and he smiles and goes to bed. He is quite the charmer already.

Expressions

This was Little Fred's dinnertime protest. He even threw in a pouty lip for the scene.

Rounding Out the Week

So, we are still working on this whole potty training thing. Tyler does really well with going to the potty when I take him. He just doesn't tell me when he has to go. But he gets so excited when he does put "pee-pee in the potty" that I do not want to stop the process. His caregiver thinks he is too young. I completely disagree given his vocabulary and abilities. I refuse to lower my standards. Tyler is a smart, resourceful, little boy. But this has been going on for two months. Son, we really need to get this potty thing on lock.

NyCee completed her first week of Pre-K. I am so glad that I made the decision to put her in school this year. Her teacher is amazing and NyCee has fit right in to the school swing of things. She gets so excited to tell me what happens in school. She talks about using her manners and the color of the day. Seeing her face light up is worth it.

Today, she asked for a snack and I told her she could have a nutragrain bar. She walked over to the cabinet and got two (2) bars out of the container. I reminded her to only get one bar. She said, "No mommy, this one is for you. Remember you said you were hungry." Little things like that remind me that I am a good mom and doing a great job raising my children.


As for me, the dress I am wearing in this picture was a birthday gift from the Houston Campus director team. They are a great group of people. My co-workers often make comments about the gifts that I receive from my customer base. The principle is really very simple: I give other people value. I empower them towards success without looking for a reward in return. God will reward my efforts as long as I have the right heart. Hence is why people sow into my life according to my love language: gift - giving.


Referencing love languages: apparently, I am dating. I met a gentleman, whom we will refer to as "D.D." for the purpose of the blog, about 7 months ago. He was in Phoenix on business and we would talk/text on occasion and then the frequency increased. We have had a rocky "relationship" given some miscommunication. He has displayed some behaviors of which I am not fond, but he is not abusive or mean. When you get to know him, he is actually a fun, caring, loving person. He just doesn't show it.

A few weeks ago we spoke after a hiatus for a couple of weeks and he explained that he really cares for me and the kids and would like to work on our "relationship." (He has not yet met the children in person. He has spoken to them on the phone and seen pictures of them." We are currently in a "six month commitment to us" phase. There are things about me that I am working on and he is working on some things.

So right now, we have a "date" once a week on Saturday mornings. He calls me around 6a and we talk for an hour. Yes, it is early for me, but I make that sacrifice for the betterment of the relationship. As of today, I do not know where it is going. I know where he would like it to go. But that requires a lot of change and sacrifices on my part. I know all relationships are about sowing value into the other person. I do not have a problem with putting someone else's needs above my own. My challenge: he lives on the east coast. So to be with him means I would have to give up my life here in Arizona, move to Florida, and start all over again. Today, I haven't made any kind of decisions. We are just going to work on the six month commitment and we will see where it goes.

Besides, he doesn't have children and wants children. That means I would have to have more children. At one point, I wanted two more children but now that Tyler is almost out of diapers, yeah kinda re-thinking that whole pregnant again, thing.