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Potty Training Central

Dear JSL,

You and I have not seen eye-to-eye when it comes to potty training. I have known you were ready for a while. Once you went into a special private location to do your "business" and would ask to be changed, it was time. Of course, whenever we asked you to wear underpants or go on the potty you would scream at the top of your lungs. I didn’t push, but had mentioned to you in the middle of June that I would not buy more pull-ups. Then, we had to go away. Obviously, I was not going to start potty training two days before a car trip. So we went to the store. When you saw the pull-ups being put into the cart, you told me "Mama, you say no more pull-ups!" You got me and I knew it.

This week, something perked your interest and I went for it. I told you that we had Wiggles and Buzz Lightyear underpants. I pulled them out from storage on Wednesday and went for it. NHL was home from camp thanks to the storms and the roof getting fixed. We went for it. At first, you fought me. You did not want to wear the underpants. Then, when NHL made it exciting, you went. There was a small accident when you could not get to me quick enough. I cleaned the floor, then went to help your soggy bottom. That day, you went 4-5 times and had two accidents. The best part, you went to the Winnie the Pooh potty on your own three times and announced to me you peed.

Thursday was battle time. You had your Wiggles underpants on, but you were not in the mood to use the potty after an accident when you could not get your shorts down in time. To help with this, you played the role of streaker most of the day, or just underpants at times. I think you missed NHL. Once he came home from camp, you stopped fighting me and went potty several times for him. We ended the day with one accident and a few trips to the potty and quite a lot of frustrating moments. You did not want to do this, but day one showed Mama that you could indeed do it. My lesson learned – if I want you to deposit into the potty I had to push the water into you.

Serious about potty training

Friday was a rainy and nasty day. NHL stayed home from camp again and you had your Buzz Lightyear underpants on early. I reminded you that when you potty chart was filled we would get you a prize. Daddy and I told you we would get you a Buzz Lightyear toy like the Woody doll you have. Things went really well.  Whenever NHL asked you to go potty, you went to your little potty seat and did you business. After 3-4 trips (thanks to lots of water), you learned to exploit the system. You would go more often and just leave a small deposit and scream "Mama I pee – sticker time!"  By the end of the day, you had peed nine times and even pooped a little! That meant you got 11 stickers for the day. Here are the charts the way they looked at the end of Friday.

Major progress

Your last sticker before Wednesday was that lonely star on the chart. Everything else was earned later on. You are doing a great job and making me so proud. I know we may take some steps backward in this process again, but you are a big boy and have taken some HUGE steps this week. I love you my little guy.

Love,

Mommy

P.S. A special thank you to big brother NHL. Without your help, I never would have been able to do this. You seem to have potty training skills with your little brother. You rock big kid!

_______________________________________

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Dear<br
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Kid<br /><br /><br />
Saturday 

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Breakfast fun with Eggo Real Fruit Pizzas

I will admit it, breakfast in our house can be a bit crazy, especially when my oldest is at school. TechyDad is busy getting ready for work, NHL is eating breakfast before school and JSL is usually refusing to anything/everything we ask him to eat. Some mornings, it is cereal, breakfast bars, waffles or even yogurt. It really depends on what we have and how much time is left before running out the door.

When I was asked by Mom Central to try the new Eggo Real Fruit Pizzas, I jumped at the opportunity. Both of my kids love pizza, they like Eggo products and it was a chance to get them to eat a little fruit.

Eggo Real Fruit Pizzas

More about Eggo Real Fruit Pizzas:

A new morning delivery from Kellogg is warming up the frozen food aisle. As breakfast products such as cereal, snack and energy cars, fruit and yogurt are gaining popularity, this unique and flavorful introduction is giving breakfast enthusiasts a tasty breakfast option. New Eggo Real Fruit Pizzas combine all your great-tasting favorite breakfast items into one delicious offering

Eggo Real Fruit Pizzas are an all-in-one combination of fruit and warm toasted granola on an oven-baked cinnamon and maple-flavored crust. Available in Strawberry Granola and Mixed Berry Granola varieties, Eggo Real Fruit Pizzas join other Eggo favorites like Homestyle, Buttermilk and Blueberry Eggo waffles – all part of a great-tasting family of products that consumers have loved for years

Eggo Real Fruit Pizzas after just one minute in the microwave. The Strawberry Granola has 400 calories and the Mixed Berry Granola 390 – both made with real fruit. They are now available in the freezer section of the grocery stores. One item I noted in particular, they also contain 4 grams of fiber in each pizza.

What we thought:

Both of the boys were very excited about having Eggo Pizza for dinner one night. We often do breakfast for dinner, so why not let them try this one night?! NHL kept watching us as we prepared the pizza. He wanted to see them before and after they went into the microwave. This is what he saw:

Before and After cooking

When we put them onto the table to split for the boys, NHL ran over and took his place. Then it was time to get the three year old who often refuses to each anything/everything we make. He looked at the table and saw this:

Time to eat

The large amounts of fruit that NHL, TechyDad and I saw as a fabulous perk sent him screaming from the table. He chanted "Me no eat pizza!" *sigh* That left us with NHL having it for dinner and the two adults snacking on some with him. Here are some photos of NHL as he was devouring the fruit pizzas. Please excuse the goofy shots, he was trying to make me laugh as I was taking the photos and it worked nicely.

Big kid likes them

NHL thoroughly enjoyed his Eggo Real Fruit Pizza halves. I was lucky I snapped pictures quickly because they disappeared before I blinked. When asked which was his favorite, he said strawberry since they are his favorite fruit. I asked if he would like them again and he immediately wanted to know if we had more in the freezer.

Since JSL was not eating his, TechyDad and I both were able to sample his part of the Eggo Real Fruit Pizzas. I really liked the taste of the fruit, granola and "sauce" (not sure if it was yogurt or a strawberry cream cheese). With the strawberry variety you really could taste all of the different flavors coming together to make this unique breakfast option. Although I liked the Mixed Berry Pizza, I thought that the tart raspberry presence was a bit overwhelming.

Verdict: We would definitely buy these again. I like that they are easy to make and have real fruit and four grams of fiber in them. Next time I am at the store and see them, I will grab a few for NHL with the hopes that JSL actually tries them next time.

TheAngelForever

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Eggo Real Fruit Pizza and received samples to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central will also be sending me a $20 Amazon gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.

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Tuesday Tales – The All-American Jump and Jive Jig

Tuesday Tales

Summer time reading is crucial in our house. NHL is about to enter second grade and adores to read books. I have to admit that I am quite lucky not to have a reluctant reader. If he sees a book that does not have chapters in it and has pictures, he immediately picks it up to read.

Recently, we received some books from Sterling Children’s Books. One of the books included was The All-American Jump and Jive Jig by M.P. Hueston.

All-American Jump and Jive Jig cvr

The book immediately intrigued NHL and myself. The two of us decided to pick it up and plunk down on the couch to read it. We were transported to places across the United States where we learned things about the states via fun dances. As we read along with the easy flowing rhyming lines, NHL started to ask questions. He wanted to know where all of the places were located in relation to us in New York. This is where my teacher brain started to kick into high gear. This book would be fun to use in a read aloud with a map of the USA. Student volunteers could help to map all of the locations in the book to make sure that we had indeed gone from state to state. Another interesting option would be to map out the route traveled and see how many miles the adventure takes you on. When NHL heard me mention this, he was curious and we may try this on a rainy day once I dig out a better map of the United States to use.

We both enjoyed the book, especially with our timing. NHL and I read it on July 3 and I have to say it really made us think about the country that we live in. NHL adored the fun illustrations by Amanda Haley. He was fascinated with the page about the hula in Hawaii. I think this is thanks to It’s a Small World at Disney World. He kept asking me questions about the different states and facts mentioned within the book. It lead to a good discussion and some fun after reading. On another day,  the book caught the eye of JSL. Here he is enjoying it: 

The All-American Jump and Jive Jig

More about the book:

Come along on a joyful journey across America, where children from east, west, north and south show off their coolest moves in The All-American Jump and Jive Jig (Sterling Children’s Books; On Sale June 2010; $14.95; Ages 4-7; ISBN: 978-1-4027-5143-1).

From the Juneau Jitterbug to the Hawaiian Hula, the Brooklyn Boogie to the Miami Mambo, these jubilant, creative and boisterous dances will entice children to gather their friends, get up, and groove. Which will be their favorite – Maine’s Rockland Sock Hop or Michigan’s Mackinac Milkshake? The Lubbock Line Dance or the Rockies’ Elevation Celebration? Every dance is irresistible fun, and will set happy feet in action!

A perfect way to celebrate the U.S.A. and the 4th of July holiday, M.P. Hueston’s witty, rhythmic verse and Amanda Haley’s colorful, vibrant pictures make following along easy….and encourage kids to come up with their own choreographic creations!

Here is NHL’s favorite part of the book as I read it to JSL. Sorry about the moving camera, it’s tough filming, reading and wrangling a wiggly three year old.

We truly enjoyed this book. Books that educate while putting a smile on a child’s face are crucial and this book hits that mark. We will definitely be looking for other stories by M.P. Hueston.

So what have you read recently? Please be sure to link up to your Tuesday Tales and/or leave a comment below. Include something you read on your own, with a child or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.



TheAngelForever

Disclosure: I received this book complimentary of Sterling Publishing in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own.

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Beach or pool – that is the question

Yesterday, we spent the day at Saratoga Lake with family. Here are some of the people we saw at the lake:

Beach Goers

The boys were in their swimsuits and we all had sun lotion on so we could go right to the boat when we arrived. We had a wonderful time on the boat. There is just nothing like roaming around the lake, getting sprayed with water and laughing with family.

Ready to go on the boat

These are just a few of the photos that I took on the fly with my cell phone. TechyDad and I took many more with his camera. I will be sharing some of those later.

More fun on the boat

After several hours on the boat, we went back to dock and decided to take the boys to the beach to play in the sand and go in the lake. Let me preface this with the fact that I am NOT a beach person. There are many reasons. Here are a few:

  • I am really pale (see photo below). Pale + red hair = easily burns in the sun even with mega sun screen. This happened over and over in Hawaii and throughout my life. TechyDad saw that I burned within 30 minutes of arriving at Blizzard Beach at Disney World on our honeymoon (I was crispy fried). Luckily, sun screen these days is a lot better, but I still do not like to tempt fate.
  • Not a huge fan of sand. Sure it can be fun to play with, but it gets into your toes, all over your body and into places within your swimsuit that it should not. Enough said!
  • Like swimming in clean water. You know without rocks, shells, fish, seaweed in my feet. I guess I was spoiled growing up with my Nana and Papa’s pool.

Those really are the two biggest reasons in my mind. I know they are silly. I am a good sport and will go hang out on the beach with the kids and TechyDad. We did this for a little while yesterday. While the little guy was busy doing this:

Playing in the sand

I was sitting off to the side snapping away photos of the boys kicking back like this:

Kicking feet up out of the sand

More of those pictures from the boat and beach coming later, I need to get them from JL and his camera.

So are you a beach person or more of a pool kinda gal/guy? Just curious to see if other people have reasons for one or the other.

TheAngelForever

 

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A fun afternoon with water

Dear NHL and JSL,

We had a pretty good week. NHL really enjoyed camp, and JSL and I found things to do most days while you were away. Thursday, JSL and I went out in the morning. We were on a mission. We had to find some inexpensive paint brushes to use for water play. Someone had suggested that we get them for painting with water on the driveway. It seemed like a great activity for the two of you.

After picking NHL up from camp Thursday afternoon, JSL was roaring to go and paint with water. Thanks to a nap, you had lots of energy to go into the 90 degree heat. Lucky for you, NHL was willing to go outside again. We went inside to put sunscreen on everyone and got our supplies. Since I could not haul out your swimming pool, I found a bucket to use with the paint brushes.

Our supplies

Within seconds of putting it out, the two of you were experimenting. At first, you were curious about painting with the water on the driveway.

Having lots of fun

Then it got a little more interesting when one of you realized that you would fling water at the other with brushes. Of course, then you also noted you could paint one another with them as well.

The first fling

The sun was really getting warm and I told you to try putting your feet in the water bucket to get cooler. By this point, I had put my camera away and using only my cell phone to take photos.

New games with the bucket

From this point on, the camera and cell phone went away. When I went to get more water in the bucket, I changed things up a little. I surprised JSL and tossed a bucket full of water all over his legs. He liked it a lot. NHL, by the time you arrived on the scene I had the hose working. You were the lucky recipient of this. We played by the hose for another 15-20 minutes laughing and giggling up a storm.  By the time we were done, two of us were soaked from head to toe and the other close behind. At this point, we packed up and went inside for a little something different. It was time to soak in the tub for a while and use some soap and shampoo.

Thank you both for memories that I will always remember. I hope that we can do this again a few more times before the end of the summer.

Love,

Mommy

_______________________________________

If you want to participate in Dear Kid Saturday, head on over to Cutest Kid Ever by clicking on the button below.

Dear
Kid<br /><br />
Saturday 

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