Stripes

Baby Bear and I were playing faces in the mirror after bath time today. She chimes in, "Mommy, you have stripes." She was talking about the wrinkles in my forehead. Nice.

I was sitting at my in-laws chatting nicely and my mother-in-law gets up from her chair and walks over, looking closely at my head. "Are you getting gray hair?" Double nice.

We head north to visit the in-laws for Christmas, leaving behind the nice warm 60 degree weather of Texas in exchange for the 20s of Kansas, Daddy Bear says," Do you have Baby Bear's coat?" As we are crossing the Kansas border. Oops.

Guess I need to make some New Year's resolutions. No more getting older - no more stripes, gray hair or memory loss for me. No sir. Not in this upcoming new year. It is going to be a great year so hold on to your hats!

Jingle Bells ...Little Girl Style

A Perfect Weekend to do Nothing but Potty

Yesterday, the weather outside was cold and rainy. I am still fighting this cold that I have had... for what seems a month. Daddy Bear gone for the weekend for a boys golfing outing. In other words, the perfect weekend to cancel life on the outside and focus on one thing...potty time. Armed with a bag of cookies, a jug of apple juice and lots of time on our hands, Baby Bear and I spent the weekend communing the her potty.



Honestly, I had no inkling that this was going to be my weekend mission. However, by 10am Saturday, we had had three accidents because Baby Bear did not want to utilize our perfectly good potties at home. This gave me the prodding I needed to re-dedicate this weekend, from our routine of Little Gym, park time and a bday party or two to Potty Time for Baby Bear.


The day started with the bribe (milk and cookie) to just sit and read on the toilet. Folowed by cookies and juice for success. (You get the gist. With lots of fluids going in, there were lots of fluids coming out to practice with.) All day long...this was our routine. We would play Legos or read or draw for a period and then off to the potty. Toward the end of the day, she just started going on her own.


Today, VOILA...she went when she arose. Since we had to go out today (church and visit with Santa...last chance to do this before Christmas because I leave on Tuesday for another trip to the UK), I knew today would be more of a challenge. She rose to the occasion. While I did put her in a pull up for church. She stayed dry. We went potty after church. At the mall after lunch. Another time at the mall after the merry-go-round. After nap...and so on. She made it through today with only one accident this evening. This afternoon and evening, she even went three times without any prompting from me. Yippee! (Still no success with number 2...but if the success of the weekend lasts...we are on the road to full potty success, both school and home.)


We ended up being at Santa's house about 45 minutes early (because the time was incorrectly published on the web). Turns out people were standing in line 45 minutes early. So, we just stood in line. Good thing. By the time the jolly guy showed up, the line was likely over an hour long wait.

Baby Bear went right up to Santa, gave him a high 5. When asked what she wanted for Christmas, she asked for a Percy (from Thomas the Train fame). The photog took his photo and I took mine. Mine was the money shot! She looks so happy. Just can't beat that smile. She was especially amazed that Santa has glasses. (Since she got her glasses, she points out everyone who has glasses.)
Looking forward to Daddy Bear returning tomorrow. The abundance of lights in our yard mixed with rain has shorted out the fuse again...maybe, that was why I did not want to venture out this weekend....more puffy hair from no flat iron in the bathroom. And, Baby Bear sat on the remote and "fixed" the TV and I cannot get it back working. (Yes, honey, you are needed around here.)

Where do you wear your hat and gloves?

Everywhere if you are Baby Bear. Because the weather has been ridiculously cold (come on Texas, have you not heard of Global Warming?), Daddy Bear purchased Baby Bear a hat and matching mittens. Baby Bear is smitten with her mittens. She wore them from the minute he brought them home until they fell off during the night. She then put them on first thing in the morning. We finally wrestled the gloves off of her hands after they became plastered with her morning oatmeal. Yuck!

Daddy Bear put up our lights last weekend. Had a bit of a Griswold time of it. He had all the lights on one circuit and blew the circuit, which happened to be the one that ran our bathroom outlets. This meant no hairdryer or flat iron for yours truly. Was a puffy hair day. Finally, got that fixed and all is well. Baby Bear likes to stand in the drive way and watch the lights flash on and off.

The Tag goes in the Back

The tag goes in the back is our mantra these days. We have been working hard with Baby Bear putting on her own clothes. The main reason for this push is our total failure in potty training.

Don't get me wrong. She is doing great going on the potty at school and number one. Number two and going on the potty's at home ....nope. I don't know what is wrong with our potty's at home...but...even bribery of extra books, extra fruit, cookies, ice cream etc....nope.

So, if she is going to potty in her pants, then she needs to change her pants herself. She is really good at telling me she has gone potty in her pants. She will then go to her drawer and select a new pair of panties and pants. Take off her wet pants and panties and put on her new ones. (We still have to work on putting the wet clothes in the laundry basket.)

The excellent side effect of this is that this morning, when she was being a bit of a pickle about putting her clothes on for school. I laid out her shirt, pants and panties and told her she could not come out of her room until she had her clothes on. She amazed me by putting on not only her panties and pants but taking off her PJ top and putting on her shirt. Excellent!!! (Oh my, she is such a big girl.)

Did I blink?

Did I blink? Where did November go? It seems that just a few minutes ago, I was traveling back from the UK ready to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. That celebration was then to be followed by Baby Bear's 3rd bdBay party. Well, all that came and went in the blink of an eye.

I love Thanksgiving. We have so many things to be thankful for. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving three years ago was the day we received the call that Baby Bear was about to be born and needed a family. Thus, every Thanksgiving is full with amazement and awe that we were so blessed as to be granted a child to hold, nurture, watch grow and love.

We celebrated Baby Bear's birthday in our usual laid back, crazy style. Hubby said to invite a few people and he would invite a few people. With my family in town, we ended up with 30 people running around the house bringing chaos and good (messy) fun to the celebration.

So, Baby Bear is three. I still cannot believe it. But, each day brings an accomplishment or a new word that reinforces that she is no longer a baby. Tonight, as we were preparing for bed (OK...I was trying to encourage her that it was time to retire for the evening...and she was whole heartedly resisting because we were having too much fun putting up Christmas decorations). So, I laid her PJs on the ground and told her that she could come out of her room and we would read a book when she had her PJs on. Several minutes later, out she comes...fully PJd (top on backward...but still she had taken off her shirt and put on both her PJ top and bottom).