Thankful For: Finishing Strong (Or not so much)

Apologies - I did actually start this blog back in November, but as you can see, I never finished it. But as I was re-reading it with a few months of reflection, I thought that there was some merit in posting it. So only a few months belated, here is all but the last three days in November:


This time I have a real excuse - Turkeypalooza, Thanksgiving, and a very crazy but relaxing and enjoyable week away from a computer. But I'm determined to finish strong, so here goes:

November 19: Today I am thankful for friends. I don't need to say much about Turkeypalooza, because, let's face it, you had to be there. Every year our rag-tag bunch of friends gathers at our house from all over the country (and sometimes, the globe) to join us the weekend before Thanksgiving. This was the 9th year, and we had a fantastic time. I can't believe that we are lucky enough to have friends that reserve their plane tickets 6 months in advance just to visit us. Someday, we certainly will have to return the favor.

November 20: Today I am gratfeul for my in-laws. Sundays in the Fall and Winter are often spent lounging in their basement to watch football. And while I don't get much accomplished at my house, sometimes it's nice to have a different place for Ely to play, and more hands and eyes to entertain and watch him. :)

November 21: Today I am thankful that I am a trustworthy person. I seem to be told many things "in confidence", and I take great pride in the fact that people are confident in me. I know I would not have the job I have now if people could not trust me!

November 22: Today I am thankful for my very tiny little group of girlfriends. Largely composed of ex-coworkers, I enjoy the fact that even though we are all very different and in different stages of our lives, we can seem to pick up where we left off everytime we get together for sushi. And next time, it's Mexican. :)

November 23: Today left me so much to be thankful for. Ely's daycare was closed and Greg had to work, so I got a whole day to spend with Ely. We ran errands, got a haircut, spent an hour in Farm and Fleet's toy aisle browsing, went out to lunch, and then went home for a long nap and a long afternoon of playing outside and just hanging out. We capped off the day by watching Toy Story and cuddling on the couch before bed. I am thankful for everything that happened today, but suffice it to say that when Ely looks at me and says, "We're best buddies" and "I love you as big as the sky", nothing else that I'm thankful for even matters.

November 24: The "real" Thanksgiving (although any of our friends could tell you that Turkeypalooza IS the real Thanksgiving :). Today I'm thankful that I'm not the one who has to cook! :)

November 25: Ely and I weren't about to brave the Black Friday madness, so we stayed home and baked gingerbread cookies while Greg went out to work and to run some errands. He came home with our live Christmas tree, which I wanted this year since my childhood was marked by live trees. We spent the afternoon decorating it with a hodge podge of ornaments from my childhood, Greg's childhood, our first couple of trees, and a few new things. Today I am thankful for our house - which is never prettier than it is at Christmas.

November 26: Today I am thankful for a husband who still wants my attention. Sometimes it's a little overwhelming to deal with two very needy and attention-loving boys. Especially considering one is almost 3, and the other is almost 30. The both bull-rush me the minute I walk in the door, literally talking over each other to tell me about their days. I often have to make choice, and the almost-30 boy doesn't get nearly enough attention as he wants and deserves. But I am extremely thankful that my "big kid" still needs me, still wants my approval, still likes to hang out with me. Today he took me along to his "man cave" (read: gym) for his workout, and then we spent the day helping his grandma decorate her Christmas tree, and his parents agreed to watch Ely a little longer so we could go into town and buy a wreath for the fireplace. It was nice to just spend some extra time with him.

November 27:

Thankful For: Days 17 and 18

November 17: Today I am thankful for my two wonderful boys. After a raucous bout of "monkey wrestling" in which Ely and I were trying to save Goofy, Mickey, and Minnie from an evil T-Rex (Greg, of course), I realized how important these all-family wrestling sessions are to me. (Don't ask why it was called money wrestling, there were no monkeys involved.) We very rarely have time together, just the three of us, so I love it when we make the most of it and we all end up sweaty, laughing, and out of breath.

November 18: Today I'm thankful that Ely is such an outgoing child. Our friends Curtis and Josh arrived late last night for our annual Turkeypalooza celebration on Saturday, and this morning when Ely woke up, he immediately couldn't wait to see them. He has met them before, a year ago, so they may as well be strangers. But here he was playing with them, working a puzzle, and insisted on giving them hugs and kisses before we left for daycare. He loves a "new audience" and never misses a chance to show off or talk to people. Sometimes a curse, but more often, a blessing. He will have an easier time making friends and relating to people from all backgrounds. I never have possessed this kind of charisma, so I'm grateful that he's following in his father's footsteps.

Thankful For: A Week's Worth

I never promised I'd be on time, but at least I'm sticking with it!

November 12: Today I am thankful for a whole day to spend with my wonderful boy. Greg was working and Ely and I had a whole unstructured day to do whatever we wanted. We played with his mega bloks for almost an hour, played outside in the gorgeous weather a little, built some new train tracks, read lots of books before his nap, and he even helped me around the house a little. I always need these days to really connect with him and recharge both of us.

November 13: Today I am very thankful that the holiday season is here! We put up Christmas lights all around the outside of our house and put up our "bird tree" - our outdoor tree that we fill with suet ornaments, popcorn chains, and other goodies for the birds to eat. I love this tradition and I am so happy that Christmas is here!

Greg and Ely with our "bird tree" the first year - 2009. (Sorry, no recent pics, camera is still in the shop!)


November 14: Today I am thankful for a day off. My mom and I spent her birthday checking out two thrift stores in Wisconsin. I spent way too much but got a whole trunkful of 4T clothes for Ely, some nice things for myself, a couple Christmas presents, and had a great time overall!

November 15: Today I'm thankful for Ely's tubes in his ears. He has been battling a not-too-severe head cold for two days. I know it may seem strange, but last year at this time, a little bout with the sniffles would have landed us in the doctor's office and walking out with yet another prescription for antibiotics. Very happy that we don't have to go through that this year!

Ely waiting to get his tubes last February.


November 16: Today I am thankful that we don't have anything scheduled after work tonight. It seems like either Greg has a meeting, I have a meeting, or Greg is working with his building partners, or we've got someone coming over, or something. Tonight is free and clear, and I'm looking forward to putting Ely to bed and watching Captain America with Greg while drinking a cup of cocoa overflowing with marshmallows.

Thankful For: Day 11

November 11: Today I am thankful that I had such a wonderful relationship with my grandfather. He was a WWII veteran, though it wasn't something he often talked about. To me, he was the guy who played handball at the YMCA. He was the guy that picked me up at 6 a.m. on Saturday mornings to go get sprinkled doughnuts. He was the man I shared a birthday with, who always made sure it was my party, not his. He was the guy I was sitting in the canoe with when I caught my first big fish on Long Lake, Wisconsin. He was the man who sat in his ugly orange chair in the den to eat cherry ice cream and share his bowl with his pug, Beau. He was the person that was always there for my mom and my family after my parents' divorce. He was my biggest fan and the best joker.

I could never picture the "Santa Claus" that he was when I knew him, toting around a rifle on board a ship in the South Pacific. I couldn't imagine the man that wept openly when one his dogs died, holding out in one of the most dangerous naval war zones of WWII, watching his comrades and enemies fall. I couldn't imagine the man who drove a little diesel VW pick up truck, piloting a whole ship. All of which stands to remind us that the veterans of today will someday be someone's grandfather, and the war we are facing today will be distant memory for them, just as it was to my Pa. At least I hope so.

Thankful For: Day 10

November 10: Today I am thankful that my mom taught me how to be resourceful, specifically shopping at thrift stores. Not only is it fun - the hunt for something and the thrill of getting something that's extremely expensive for only $3.99 - but it also allows my family to have huge wardrobes and to be spoiled with lots of stuff. Not that materialism is the end all and be all, because when we're done with it, it's much easier to part with something you purchased for $1.00 and give it right back to someone who needs it. It's the ultimate recycling. I've been toying with starting my own blog just about my thrift store finds. If extreme couponers have blog sites, why not, right?!? Your thoughts?



Anyway, all that to say that today I found some great deals that I am very thankful for. On my lunch break I found about 15 strings of Christmas lights, including 4 consecutive sets of icicle lights for the front of the house. All told, I spent $30. I remember the first year we bought our house, we spent about $100 on half that much at Home Depot. I also found a little tree for my office at work for $4.00.

Thankful For: Day 9

Today I am thankful for snow. That's right, I know there are some very contentious opinions on the white stuff. But for me, it just gives me free license to listen to that Christmas music that's been playing in my car since September. :)

And, Ely is so PSYCHED for Christmas. When I told him yesterday that it might snow today, you should have seen the joyous expression on his face.

First big snow of 2010...can't wait for this year!

Thankful For: Yeah, I'm already behind.

November 4: I am thankful for Netflix, because without it, Friday nights might be even more boring in our house! (Hey, we're all tired from working all week, ok?)


November 5: I am thankful that I work with a bunch of dedicated, knowledgeable, and downright fun people that will give up a Saturday to help volunteers learn more about our mission.

November 6: I am thankful that I have a husband who has access to such beautiful natural areas like Nygren Wetlands, and that he shares them with me! Took a beautiful fall hike today to see a beaver dam.

November 7: Today I am thankful that we moved into a glorious new office at work, and that it's right across the street from Anytime Fitness. Here's to getting in a 30-minute walk on my lunch hour!

November 8: I am thankful for all the people in our community that give selflessly to ensure that non-profits dedicated to human services, the environment, and economic development can thrive. Happy National Philanthropy Day!

Thankful For: Day 3

November 3, 2011: Today I am thankful that Ely slept peacefully last night. Lately he's been having bad dreams that wake him (and me) up at 2 a.m. He always goes right back to sleep, but it's still disrupting for all involved. Last night he had a great night of sleep and so did I!

Thankful For: Days 1 and 2

It seems everyone comes up with a clever way to celebrate Thanksgiving via thankful lists. For some, it's a daily facebook status, a recitation at the dinner table, a written utterance in a journal. For me, I think it's a daily blog post. I've been so terrible at keeping this blog that it's made me question whether or not I should really be a blog owner. I mean, if you didn't feed and water a pet for 6 weeks, you shouldn't be a pet owner. So maybe the same holds true in this case?

I'm going to attempt to post something small each day in November as a reflection on things I'm thankful for. Maybe they're big things like family, friends, etc., and maybe they're just small things like finding an extra Diet Coke in the back of the fridge at work. (Though at 3 p.m., that's not really a small thing, now is it?) And see, in true me-fashion, I'm already a day late.

November 1: I'm thankful my husband had some leftover gas in his gas can for the mower, otherwise I'm not really sure I would have made it to the gas station.

November 2: I'm thankful that we received a grant today to help Girl Scouts who can't afford materials to participate in our programs. Call me cheesy, but I really do think what we do makes a difference in the lives of girls.

Fall-ing behind.

Here we are again...me apologizing for not updating my blog more regularly. But, I have a solution. I'm going to catch you up on September and October, which, unbelieveably, are already over. Then, I'm going to jump on the ever-popular bandwagon of Thanksgiving-related blogs. Stay tuned.

Fall is my favorite time of year, and yet, it seems as if this fall has already come and gone too fast, with little to mark its presence. Sure, we've gone to the apple orchard a few times, we've gone on a few hikes, and we visited the Thresheree and the Pioneer Fest. My brother and his family came to visit in September, and my dad came at the end of September.

First trip to Edwards Apple Orchard (west)


The Rock River Thresheree on Labor Day Weekend in Edgerton, WI


We need a bigger reading chair when Elizabeth comes to visit!


The highlight of my brother's visit - a trip to the aquarium and museum in Dubuque, IA


At Camp Far Horizons in September


Ely at the Boone County Pioneer Fest


A fall hike at the Jarrett Prairie Center in Byron


The first Jack O'Lantern I ever carved


(I have more pictures, but my camera is in the shop, so they will have to wait!)

But it just doesn't seem like I took full advantage of the season. Work has been extremely busy...lots of meetings, lots of regional travel, and moving to a new office building has sapped my energy. Greg's work is always busy, and he spends many nights working on his latest project in the garage. I have cherished every weekend that hasn't had something on the calendar, and there have been far too few of them.

Ely is quite the home-body on the weekends, anyway. I can tell that he truly loves spending time at home, and he gets very excited when I tell him he doesn't have to go to daycare on the weekends. He rarely wants to go anywhere - I think he enjoys the quiet and the individual attention he gets at home. Although lately, he is more "terrible 2's" than he ever has been. Constantly testing limits, always pushing our buttons, and mouthing off alot. I never thought I'd sometimes dislike the fact that he can communicate so well...but sometimes when he's looking right at you, his face all screwed up in an angry elf-like expression, telling me that I'm a "stinky banana peel" (the ultimate insult, obviously), I start thinking that maybe it's a blessing and a curse all at the same time. :) Seriously though, I was told by a occupational and speech therapist that visits his daycare to work with another child that he is extremely bright, very good at social and group interaction, and very progressed in his speech. I wonder if he called her a stinky banana peel.

Things just go so fast lately that I just KNOW I'm not going to remember some very special times in our lives. That's actually the primary reason that I'm apologetic for not keeping up with this blog as well as I should. I'm not sorry to you - let's face it, most of my readers are family who pretty much already know what's going on in our lives. I'm mostly sorry to you, future self. I know that someday 5, 10, 20 years from now, I'll only have these entries to remind me what our mundane, day to day existence was like, and after all, isn't that most of life? We usually remember the big things - holidays, vacations, special events. But we so often forget what it was like to live: wake up, spend a half hour cuddling on the couch with a snuggly boy and his juice before heading off to work, coming home, hearing about his day on the way home in the car, sitting down to a meal where a 2-year-old dictator rules the conversation, wrestling/playing/reading/running/pretending before bath, jammies, stories, songs, and bed. That's the stuff I don't want to forget.

Where did summer go?

As I wrote in my last post (which was oh-so-long-ago), we knew going into summer that it was going to be busy and fast. I can't believe it's already the end of August, and I'm just now getting around to documenting the last several months. Since our vacation in June, we've had something happening almost every weekend! I'll try to sum up the Top Ten highlights in pictures:

10. Another trip to the zoo, this time in Madison, WI, back in June.


9. The Fourth of July parade in Winnebago - Ely loved it!


8. Alot of playing outside, including at Severson Dells.


7. Greg's work events, Party on the Prairie and Wildflower Weekend. This is a pelican and a great blue heron out on the Oxbow Lake at Nygren.


6. All sorts of bridal preparations for Greg's sister Stephanie, including this bridal shower. And perhaps my favorite highlight - I've lost 40 pounds since last December!


5. Playing out in the sprinkler. Since Ely can't swim, it's been a fun way to stay cool!


4. Another preparation for the wedding and Greg's largest project yet. He spent 4-5 months building this arbor.


3. Ogle Co. fair - a cute little fair with lots of animals for Ely to see.


2. Steph's wedding - I was a bridesmaid, Greg was a groomsman, and Ely was ringbearer. I've never been to a funnier and more memorable wedding!


1. The Winnebago County Fair, a yearly tradition!


We've still got some important things coming up in the month ahead - the opening of Edwards Apple Orchard, the Thresheree in Edgerton, WI, and another visit from my brother and his family in September. But overall, I'm hoping things will slow down, or Christmas will be here before I can blink!

Camp Out!

We all sat down with out calendars a few months ago to plan out this summer's family camping trip. A wave of overwhelming depression swept over us when we realized that nearly every weekend from May 15 to August 30 was spoken for. It's a little bleak looking into the summer without a spare minute to enjoy it. Between Greg's endless work events, Greg's sister's wedding and all the accompanying showers, parties, etc.,and general work obligations, we came up with two weekends that would work, once of which was last weekend.

We took a trip to East Troy, Wisconsin, where Girl Scouts owns a camp property that we were able to rent out. We had the big lodge all to ourselves, which meant a full commericial kitchen, flushing toilets, an indoor fireplace, and mattresses for the floor. So it wasn't really camping. But Ely loved the "cabin" and there was plenty of space inside and out to run and play.


Ely really enjoyed his "sink bath" since there were no showers or tubs.


We relaxed most of the time, sitting by the fire (sans mosquitoes!), making s'mores, playing board games, and my mom and I finished a 700-piece puzzle (something I haven't done in years!). We also took a trip to the Milwaukee Zoo.



Ely loved the hippo, the tiger (which we actually got to see roar), and of course the fish and big South American turtle. Thanks to Nemo, as soon as he saw it, he said, "Big turtle, Duuuuude." When asked about his favorite animal, he unequivocally answers "COWS!" (which he also knows how to spell now). He loved the farm exhibit where he saw the cows being milked and fed the goats. We could have driven around the corner to Grandma's Farm for that experience!

He behaved fairly well for any 2-year-old and loved sitting at the picnic table to eat his $15 piece of pizza. It was worth every cent considering it kept him quiet and satisfied for a whole 20 minutes so mom, dad, and grammy could rest. He also played on the zoo playground with about 100 other children but it helped him get the ants of out of his pants after being told to "hold hands" "sit down" "stay close" all day. We stayed for about 7 hours and still did not see everything, but the "whinies" started to kick in and we knew it was time to call it a day. The best part was...he did not have a single accident the entire vacation. He stayed dry at the zoo and during the car ride. Couldn't be prouder of him!

The Pee-Pee Diaries: A Month Later

Hi, my name is Emily. And I have a BIG BOY.

As I sat to upload some pictures from my camera the other night, I took a little longer to moon over a few from about a month ago. The back of a diaper sticking out a pair of little pants. A few of Ely in "JD" - Just Diaper - which is how Greg thought he was the cutest. I could almost hear the little hefty-bag-like "swish swish" as he shuffled around the room.

I remember the night one month ago today. Ely had just gotten out of the bath, and Greg made a big deal about putting his diaper on that night. I can't remember the last diaper I changed; I guess I didn't think much of it as I wasn't entirely convinced that it would be the last one I put on him. But here we are one month later. I've given away the last of his Pampers. I haven't bought diapers, wipes, or diaper cream at the store for a month. And Ely's changing table has made the final conversion to bookcase by replacing the changing pad on top with stuffed animals.

I know it's not over. We still struggle with #2 since he doesn't want to go anywhere but home (but really, who ever wants to poop anywhere else?). I know there will be the occasion where we'll be shopping in Walmart and I'll realize his socks are wet. Or he'll be so engrossed in playing outside that he'll forget to tell anyone "it's time" until it's too late. Or we'll be on the road with nowhere to stop. But for the most part, he's a BIG BOY.

He has mastered home and daycare. He's gone at grandma and grandpa's, Walmart, at a port-a-potty at the playground, at Farm & Fleet, in a compost toilet at daddy's work, in a urinal, and yesterday for the first time, outside while on a hike. Come to think of it, he now knows how to pee in more locales than most adults. Our big test is coming in a few weeks when we take a trip to Wisconsin. An hour and a half in the car, in a lodge for a few days, and then a trip to the Milwaukee Zoo. I'm confident that, like almost all transitions this wonderful child has gone through, he will do just fine. After all, he is a BIG BOY.

And you know what's cuter than a little boy in "just diapers"?
A BIG BOY in "just undies"!

The Pee-Pee Diaries: Days 4 and 5

According to Lora Jensen, you're not supposed to need a Day 4 or 5. Not us. (I want my money back, by the way!)

Day 4 started great and Ely even woke up dry and sat on the potty right away with Greg. Then Greg left for work, and the same old behavior started up again with me. Accident after accident. I tried to remain more positive today, but I was so nervous about dropping him off at daycare the next day that it paralyzed me all day long.

Greg came home while Ely was napping. Ely slept for 3.5 hours (twice as long as usual) and I could tell he was just exhausted with the whole process. I didn't want to give up though, after 3.5 days with no diapers. He did good getting up from his nap, and then we went to play outside. He held it too long and had an accident outside, but I forgive him for that. He did great through dinner and kept his undies dry all evening. He even went potty before bed.

This morning, Day 5, he woke up dry. He went potty before Greg left for work and made it there with no accidents. It was time to leave for daycare and he had downed an entire glass of juice and didn't want to go potty before we left. To preserve the carseat, I put a pair of pull-ups over hs undies and stuck him in the car, hoping he'd keep them dry. I really tried to build up the show-off factor, telling him he'd be able to show everybody at daycare what he could do now.

Sure enough, as soon as we walk in the door, he says "it's time", and I run him into their bathroom where he goes successfully on their potty. I just called after his first 5 hours there, and they say no accidents yet! I guess it was just me after all....

So can I proudly say we're "potty trained"? Hmmm..."trained" would imply that he's been given all the information and skills he needs to be successful and knows how to execute when necessary. So yes. But consistently, no. Let's just say I'm not ready to take any car trip of over 5 minutes yet. Not ready to put him down at night without extra protection, and not totally convinced he'll keep it up once the novelty wears off. In other words, I'm keeping the bottle of Resolve handy for now!

The Pee-Pee Diaries: Day 3 - I hate you, mom.

Day 3 really began at 1:30 a.m. when I got him out of bed to try to pee. By 2:30 a.m., he had dry undies on and was back to bed. He woke up dry at 6:30 a.m. Time to start the day. I had gotten up hours earlier to down multiple cups of coffee to ensure optimal "peppiness" on this, what was to be, the last and most magical day when according to Lora Jensen, "it just clicks."

Day 3 was definitely a day of regression and power struggle. By 10 a.m., Ely hated my guts. He kicked and screamed when I'd rush him to the potty mid-accident, and refuse to finish. He hit my face whenever I mentioned potty (Did I mention that according to this particular method, I wasn't even supposed to use time-outs for any type of bad behavior so they wouldn't accidently associate pee-pee and naughty?). He had multiple accidents without even telling me he was going and seemed to get more and more frustrated throughout the day. Now that I write this all out chronologically, he was probably just paying me back for getting him out of bed to sit on a cold potty in the middle of the night.

Then Greg got home from his out of town business-related trip Sunday afternoon. Immediately, Ely turned into Daddy's boy. He wanted to show Daddy what a "big boy" he was and went all afternoon/evening without an accident (he did go during his nap, but he drank too much juice for lunch). Having Greg there really turned it around for him, but me being the self-depreciating, self-loathing person I am, I felt the most rejection I had ever felt in my life. But I guess that's why kids get two parents, right?

The day ended on a positive note, and Greg convinced me to put a Pull-Up on over his underwear for the third night.

Day 3: End Transmission.

The Pee-Pee Diaries: Day 2

Day 2 began with a set of soaked sheets. Was I surprised? No. But I was still in good spirits and ready to start the day. I thought "If he could make it to the potty without an accident at least once on Day 1, he'll be getting this down in no time!" Ha!

We started the day with a few accidents, but on Day 2, he mostly "finished" in the potty everytime. We almost missed catching the #2 and ended up with one small little stinky "surprise" in his underwear but he finished going on the potty. (From everything I've read/heard, getting kids to go #2 on the potty is the hardest battle, and he seemed to have this one down!) He had a few more successes in the afternoon of keeping his "undies" dry and making it to the potty on time.

I could tell by the end of the day that he was getting a little sick of talking about it and a little weary of me. Rewards were not really having the effects of the first day and he was definitely tired of being inside.

After he fell into bed that night, I breathed a huge sigh of relief and fell apart a little. I'm so used to having such an independent, well-behaved child (for the most part), that when we're home together, I can walk away from him and not worry if I need to move the laundry along or make a meal. He plays independently and like his mama, seems to need his "alone time" once in a while. For 48 hours, I felt I had been glued to his tiny little Monster Truck-clad butt, and neither of us were really happy about that fact.

Despite my tiredness (and oncoming head cold), I resolved to wake him up in the middle of the night if needed. He began to get restless around 1:30 a.m. and I went in there, got him out of bed, and gently coaxed him to the potty. On which he sat and cried a very tired sob and did not go. I put him back down in his crib after some soothing and rocking, and not 2 minutes later, I hear "it's time mama" through the monitor. Sorry Ely, but it was past time, and now your jammies are soaked.

Day 2: End Transmission.

The Pee-Pee Diaries: Day One - This is Fun!

(Disclaimer: Although it might be hard to write about this day-by-day now that we're through this past weekend, should I or anyone else ever have to go through this again, I want to remember what I did, since no one who has a child older than age 7 or 8 can seem to remember how their kid potty trained!)

Day 1 began like any other day. Ely woke up in a soaked diaper, downed 2 glasses of juice, and relaxed a little on the couch. Enter: big boy undies. He was super excited and kept them dry for about a 1/2 hour. I found myself immediately nervous - Where is he going to pee first? How often will he pee? What signs should I watch for? Am I staring at his crotch too much? Did I buy enough Resolve?

The first accident. The second accident. The third accident. All within the hour. Each time, rushing to the potty. On the fourth accident, he finally "finished" a little in the potty, only to be scared to death by his mother gyrating, dancing, singing, fist-pumping, screaming "Ely, Ely, Ely" in the bathroom. Him thinking, "What the *%@# is she doing?". A flood of praise, high fives, stickers, jelly beans, the whole bit. 5 minutes later, accident.

Later in the morning, I could tell a #2 was coming on, rushed to potty and made it, pushed, got it all in toilet. Mom is on Cloud Nine, Ely is looking a little confused.

The day was dotted with full-on accidents, finishing in potty, and even once in the afternoon, making it to the potty on time with no accident. He even woke up from his 2-hour nap dry as a bone. The magical bedtime hour came with a dilemma. Do I try to make my sleeps-like-a-rock child get up in the middle of the night to pee? Do I do as suggested and sleep in his room, waiting for him to stir in his sleep so I can say "Tell mama if you need to go pee pee" so his little subconcious can register the need to urinate? No. Mama's tired. Let's just see how he does on his own.

Day 1: End Transmission.

The Pee-Pee Diaries: Get Ready, Set, Pee-Pee!

Potty chair: check.
20-30 pairs of underwear: check.
Juice, capri sun, chocolate milk: check.
Rewards in the form of leftover Easter candy: check.
Plenty of Resolve and laundry soap: check.
Distracting husband out of town: check.
Bottle of wine, pint of ice cream, and trashy movie for mama, post-kid-bedtime: double check.

I think we're ready to go. Boot camp begins tomorrow, April 29, at 08:00. Bring it.

Heard at Our House

I am totally stealing this idea for a post from a fellow blogger mom. Ely is always saying funny stuff, and I feel like I need a place to record it so I don't forget to embarass him with it when he's 17 and introducing me to his girlfriend.

Ely has had terrible troubles with nose picking lately. I'm not really sure what an appropriate punishment is besides slapping his hand away and saying "No, that's icky". I just have to remind him alot to get his finger out of his nose. So the other morning after he got out of bed, he had his finger in his nose. I told him to stop, and he said, "Ok. No boogers, Mom. I ate them all."

Yuck. I think we may be moving to time outs for mining nose gold.

Boy Meets World

Ely has been a little wild child lately. Our once-focused, studious little toddler has matured into a full-blown BOY lately, forgoing his ABC's and 123's for monster trucks, long-lasting wrestling matches with "haymakers" (thanks, Dad), and all kinds of vicious animals like dinosaurs, sharks, and snakes.

All of a sudden, his imagination just showed up. He loves to pretend and will frequently hand you a speck of nothing and tell you it's some food, a wheelbarrow, some gas for your vehicle, or even a Mouseketool - something Mickey and the gang use to problem-solve. He even uses fake voices for his toys, and I find myself having pretend conversations with him via one toy or another for 45 minutes on end. He pretends there are alligators down his daycare lady's basement, he pretends to be stuck in "sticky mud", he pretends to cook "ba-getti and meatballs". He pretends to wash his dinosaur's hair, he pretends to feed his stuffed owls with a bottle, he pretends that sticks are really guns, complete with the "bew, bew, bew" and other sound effects.

I knew the day would come when all the baby toys in their boastful primary colors would be put away, when the broad, overarching concepts of baby-hood would fail to hold his attention, and when soft, cuddly moments would be replaced by noisy, grappling elbows and knees. When scary, sharp, masculine figurines would overtake my living room, when more complex imaginative games would keep me on my toes, and when blowing up a tower of blocks would be more fun than building it. I just never thought it happened this soon.

The Pee-Pee Diaries: First Entry

I've decided I need to bite the bullet and start potty training Ely. He and I have been talking about it for months now, and he knows what everything is and what's supposed to happen, but I have yet to make the push to make it happen. Silly me, I guess I was thinking that like walking and talking, it would sort of happen on its own. I know that he will only get more stubborn and set in his ways as he gets older, so now is the time before a busy summer of outings and activities.

I guess I've also been putting it off for those typical mom-type reasons. It's his last really "baby" characteristic. My own denial that he is, in fact, a "big boy". Because with potty training also comes a big boy bed, and he sleeps so well (and always has) that I don't want to ruin a good thing there. And the endless pulling over to pee in a travel chair, the likely fight that will ensue between Greg and I about peeing outside, and not being able to just travel anywhere we like with a full bag of diapers firmly affixed to our shoulders.

But it's time. I have researched and subscribed to "3-Day Potty Training" by Lora Jensen, so we'll see how this works. I believe we're aiming for May 4-7 with a weekend after to be absolutely sure he's ready to go back to daycare. I'll be chronicling the experience here - wish us luck!

Lions and Lambs

It's only the 16th, but March has been busy, busy, busy with no signs of slowing down.

--I am wading through the busiest season at work right now, and Greg is just entering his. I've been driving all over 16 counties delivering grant after grant. Greg is in burn season and is gearing up for what's sure to be a spring and summer packed full of weekends, nights, and events. :(
--Ely has had some strange ailments including unexplained neck pain that thankfully turned out to be nothing but gave us a run for our money with the doctor (neck pain is treated rather seriously in litle kids due to meningitis).
--One of my distant-ish relatives passed away and we helped accomodate family and move things out of her apartment.
--My brother and his family came up from Georgia for a fantastic 5-day visit. We packed it full of activities and had so much fun watching our kids play together.
--I agreed to present at a Best Practices conference preceeding the Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference in Chicago this next weekend. It started with a 20-minute segment within another presentation, and now I am presenting 3 full sessions. (How did that happen?) Besides preparing endless powerpoints and notes for the conference, it also means shopping for a new outfit or two and a haircut, all before leaving in 2 days. Plus laundry, packing, and making enough easy meals for "the boys" while I'm away.
--Going to the conference March 18-22. 4 nights - the longest I will have ever spent away from Ely. It's going to be extremely difficult, but I'm going with another co-worker who also has two small children that she's never left for that long either. I guess we'll either commiserate (or live it up!) together! :)
--Somehow, miraculously, I have managed to only take 4 days off from the gym but have only lost a half a pound in the last two weeks due to uncontrollable stress eating!

I'm hoping that with all these "lions" at the beginning of March, the end will have only "lambs"?

The Short Month

February both excites and scares me. For the last three years, February has been "the" month. The month when everything happens, when life changes, when the tone of the year is set. I should probably start making resolutions in February, because it seems like this is the month when everything starts over for our family.

February 2, 2008 - Greg got his current job.
February 8, 2008 - I received the payment for a large bonus at work, that allowed us to start looking for a house.
February 13, 2008 - We closed on our first house.
February 14, 2008 - We moved into our first house.
February 4, 2009 - I lost my job.
February 6, 2009 - Ely was born!
February 8, 2010 - I started my current job, which I love, love, love.
February 20, 2010 - Greg got a promotion and a raise at work.

(I guess when you sum it up like that, it is more positive than negative, right?!?!)

Half of February 2011 has snuck by without anything monumental. I'd have to say, I'm done shifting and changing for right now. I'm happy to report that the most interesting things that have happened this month are a large snowstorm with 15+ inches of snow, the small but happy birthday party for my big 2-year-old, a fairly uneventful surgery for tubes in Ely's ears, and Greg jipping me on Valentine's Day yet again (he made dinner that night, so I suppose he's excused).

Dare I say, has our case of the "Februaries" come to an end?

Sampling a birthday cupcake


Enjoying a swing on a rare 40 degree day!


Waiting to go into surgery

Happy Birthday Ely!

It's hard to believe that Ely turns 2 this Sunday. It has been the most tumultuous 2 years of my life, and I struggle everday to hold onto memories as they are so quickly replaced by new ones. Ely has been my constant source of joy and wonderment in the past 2 years, and I've tried to be the best momma that I can be for him. He repays us daily in endless "huggies" and kisses.

As I look back on last year's birthday post, I am in awe of how far we have all come as a family, and how fast a child grows and develops. Since this blog is my baby-now-toddler-soon-kid book, I will try to repeat the format of last year.

Ely, at 2 years old, you are:
-31 pounds and 33.5 inches (90th percentile and 25th percentile, respectively). You have your daddy'y build - short but muscular and strong!
-Our "fart-little-smeller" - a funny way of telling him how smart he is!
-Recognizing ALL of your letters and can tell us a word that starts with each.
-Memorizing books. There are a few you can "read" by yourself just from memory, especially Going to Sleep on the Farm. You love to read and will sit before naps and bed for a half hour or more reading books with mom.
-Almost counting to 10. You count to 4, and then can count from 5 - 9, but somehow can't go straight through.
-Recognizing numbers 1-10, except for getting 6 and 9 mixed up.
-So good at all your colors. You know red, green, blue, yellow, white, black, brown, orange, purple, and sometimes gray and pink.
-Talking so well. You form total sentences, mostly complete with all verbs and even pronouns. You anunciate very difficult multi-syllable words (everybody, favorite, chocolate, butterfly, awesome).
-Obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine and all things related. You have about 25 trains, a train table, about 10 DVDs with more than a hundred Thomas stories on them, and about 15 different Thomas books. Your favorite train is Gordon and your favorite DVD is Best of Gordon.
-Sleeping with all your "guys". Every night you have at least 15-20 smallish stuffed animals in your crib with you.
-Very focused. Ever since you were 6-months old and could sit and use your hands to play, you have been able to focus on very fine motor tasks for a long time, and you almost always seek perfection. So much like mama and daddy already.
-Creepily clean. I don't know any other 2-year-old that doesn't like to have dirty, sticky hands, or doesn't like to leave his tray a mess or toys all over the floor. You enjoy picking up carpet fuzz and throwing it in the garbage. Thanks for pointing out your parents' lack of deep-cleaning skills...
-Interested in several different characters on TV and in books. Thomas, obviously, and Mickey Mouse, Curious George, and Clifford to name a few. Curious George and the Puppies is one of your favorite books.
-Definitely experiencing the "terrible 2s" from time to time. You are independent and want your way, to the point of frustration for mom and dad. And you also crave attention from us, probably a product of having two parents that work outside the home. But overall, you are a happy kid and meltdowns never last long.
-A rough-and-tumble kid, with a sensitive side. You're always up for wrestling, tackling, and tickling, playing with monster trucks, and when the weather's nice, playing outside. But your feelings do get hurt easily and you need lots of reassurance from mom and dad.
-A very loved grandchild. "Grammy coming over?" and "Going to Pop's house-football?" are frequently-asked questions.
-Not potty trained yet. A new adventure for a new year!

On Being 2.

What must it be like to be 2? Nothing is a given, everything is trial and error, and more and more and more trial. Everything is funnier, scarier, more amazing, more confusing, and more beautiful. It's beyond just the "wonder in a child's eyes" - it's as if with every breath a 2-year-old takes, he is breathing in information, tasting the air, letting it soak in. At some point this new knowledge becomes embedded, the question no longer lingering. But I would just like to stop, right here, for a while.

"Can mom see me in here?"


"Hmmm...how did all that paint get on my arm?"


"Will they ever find me?"


"I wonder if I can read this by myself?"


"Will this giant frog fit in here?"

Top Ten Holiday Memories 2010

I could give you a play-by-play of Ely's second Christmas, but it might take a while since it felt like we were celebrating for a whole week! So I'm going to recycle what I did last year here.

Top Ten 2010 Holiday Memories
10. Getting the whole week from Christmas Eve to January 3 off of work - Thank you Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois! I spent a glorious week at home with Ely to play, relax, and spend quality time together. He finally starting saying "wuv you", which is almost always accompanied with a big "huggy" and a kiss.
As a return favor - shameless plug. Cookie Season starts January 8 and runs through the 24th. Order cookies from a Girl Scout you know because it so much more than a box of Thin Mints - it helps girls develop leadership skills, self-confidence, business sense, and long-lasting friendships! Shamless plug, end transmission.

9. Seeing Ely all dressed up in his little suspenders on Christmas Eve.
All dressed up in my suspenders, just like Dad!


8. Going over to visit some of Greg's relatives on Christmas Day, where Ely received a pair of metal handcuffs for Christmas. Yes, that's right, handcuffs. Hilarious. Beats the proverbial "ugly sweater from the weird aunt" cliche anyday.

7. Playing in the Mitchell Family Band...always a fun tradition that leaves my jaw aching and me wondering how I ever practiced the clarinet for 2 hours a day.
Our jam band


6. Usually gift-getting isn't nearly as fun to me as gift-giving, but this year, Greg and I unexpectedly got some awesome gifts. I got a new digital camera (woot!), we got 2 portable DVD players for the car to keep Ely busy while we finally take some longer road trips, and Greg and I got a Wii with all the accessories and a few games.

5. Not all memories are great ones...Ely got sick three days after Christmas and ended up with another double ear infection (third one of the winter already) as well as his 2-year molars coming in. He was VERY grouchy for half of my time home from work. Thankfully, we are seeing an ear-nose-throat doctor this week.

4. I was a very good girl and got up on Christmas Eve morning at my normal time of 4 a.m. to go to the gym. Of the 10 days I was off, I worked out for 5 of them. Catching Ely's head cold at the end of the week was the only thing that stopped me from going more!

3. Being able to celebrate Steph and Matt's recent engagement with them and getting asked to be in the wedding. Greg as a groomsman, me as a bridesmaid, and Ely as ringbearer. We are excited for August 13th!
Ely and his soon-to-be-Uncle Matt!


2. Having my mom and Gram over for Christmas morning for the second year. We all had fun watching Ely be goofy in his Santa hat and watching Greg open his funny presents. Who knew they made adult-size footy-pajamas?!?
Making cookies with Grammy


1. Watching our somewhat-huge investment of a train table, wooden tracks, and numerous Thomas the Tank Engine trains pay off. It's been 2 weeks and Ely won't stop playing with it. We've already bought some accessories and expansion packs! :)