Getting serious about potty training

So I've been thinking about a few things that i'd like to change in our household. Sophia is 2 1/2 and she's been going to the bathroom on the potty since she was a year old (yup thats right) but she's still not fully potty trained. I get so frustrated because I wasn't sure what I was doing to delay her potty training. Then last night I realized that it's because I go from putting her in a diaper to putting her in training pants(ANOTHER ABSORBENT DIAPER) so no wonder it's not working. She can go in the pull ups and they'll absorb her pee. Well I went out and bought regular panties and starting today we're officially potty training without pull ups. She's only had 2 accidents and right after it happens she freaks out and says she's peed. Yeah it's a little messy, but I'd rather deal with the mess for 2 weeks then have her 3 or 4 years old and still in diapers during the day.



Another thing I've wanted to change is that Sophia picks her nose like CRAZY! It's bleeding because she can't keep those little fingers outta her nose. So Again one night before bed I was lying there and thinking that there must be a better way other than sounding like a broken record, "Sophia get your fingers out of your nose" So I thought of putting band-aids on her index fingers. The band-aids stopped her from getting her finger in there as well as reminding her why I put them on. She would walk around the house and say "Look daddy. Band-aids cause I pick my nose" So she hasn't picked her nose in a day. (Which for some people isn't a big deal, but it's big for use because it means it's one day that her little nose can heal)

Celebrate the little steps in life!

My new and hopeful career

So While in Kamloops I was thinking how crappy it was that the Sun was beating into my car on a hot Summer day and poor little Samuel was getting the sun in his eyes and how frustrated he was that the hood of the car seat wasn't quite working to give him the sun protection he needed. So I did some research and I found a car seat 'tent' and I thought it was an awesome idea.

Well Carla's baby shower was coming up in December and I wanted to make something for her because she has almost everything she needed for Damien and I wanted to get her something unique. So I brought out my grandma's 1940's sewing machine and went to work making a car seat cover for Damien with just an idea in my head.

Viola! My first car seat cover was made. I got excellent reviews, but I knew that it wasn't quite complete and I needed to make changes to it before I was totally happy with it. So a couple more babies later and I finally have a model that I'm proud of and I'm starting to make several of them to sell.

I made one for Janet's sister-in-law and she loves it and tells friends about it. I guess one of Natalie's friends said that I should start selling them in baby boutique stores and she knows someone who will help me market them to the different stores. WOW!

So I'm taking her advice and making some to market to stores, as well as sell them on my website that Idealize360 will be making shortly. I am getting really excited for this!!

Well I'll write more about it later, I need to got finish a car seat cover. I'll reveal more info when I'm ready to get this going!!

Weight Loss

So about 2 1/2 months ago I tried out for a TV show called "WOW" that they were trying to put on the Oprah Winfrey Network. I was totally excited because I thought that was exactly what I needed to kick my butt into gear and lose this baby weight(and then some). Weight has ALWAYS been an issue in my life ever since I can remember. It's one of the topics in our marriage that I feel very uncomfortable discussing and I hate talking about it because I know I'm not at the weight I should be, but I'm not sure if I could talk about my weight issues with others. It makes me feel awkward... make sense?

Anyways, I really want to get into shape because I really want my kids to be proud of me and I NEVER want my children to go through what I had to go through as a teenager and even now.

So I still haven't heard back from WOW and I'm not sure if I ever will. I e-mailed the host and she said that things are still in the works. So I'm taking things into my own hands(which hasn't worked the best before but I'm hoping with a few things I'll finally be able to get to where I'm happy)

So I've signed up for Loseit.com. it helps me track my food, exercise and calorie intake as well as my weight loss goals, how long until I reach them at the rate that I'm going. I'm very excited to have this and I can see that every day I'm getting closer and closer to where I want to be. Another contributing factor is that our family is planning to go to Brazil in December and I definitely do not want to look the way I look now. I want to be happy and confident while I'm down there and not feel like I need to hide behind large clothes or be too scared to put myself out there and be thinking "what do these people around me think of me???"

It's a hard subject for me to talk about so I'll leave it at that and report progress as time goes on. maybe if I publicly write about it it'll help me to stay on track. Since Christmas I've lost 20 pounds and just need to keep on going.

Easter

My goodness did we ever have a busy weekend. On Friday we went over to my parents house in Abbotsford to help them clear out their backyeard to get ready for fixing it up (but also to get it ready for an easter egg hunt) Then we rushed over to Vitor's parents place for a wonderful dinner and an Easter egg hunt with the kids. Sophia was really into it, and Sam just grabbed one egg and played with it the whole time. I think he knew how to search for the eggs, but wasn't interested in it.

The next day we woke up and got to go to the Temple! It was such a wonderful day to go because it was during the Easter weekend and I loved being able to go and to just relax and spend time there with Vitor. The kids were watched by Marina and Madelaine and were exhausted when we went to pick them up.

On Saturday night we went over to my parents place and had a HUGE Easter egg hunt(thanks to the Buchanan/Scott and Wade families) we also had a turkey dinner and pumpkin pie (definitely NOT a good weekend for dieting). Sophia and Samuel had a good time hunting around the backyard for candy and Parker and Kole had a good time too!

The birthday dinner

Last Monday we had most of the family over for a spaghetti dinner and it was great. Samuel really dug into the cupcakes I made! Sophia, Kole, Parker and Samuel had a blast playing together in the kids bedroom. All I could hear was screaming, so that means they're all having fun and keeping each other occupied. Little Jamey came to so I could get my baby cuddles and by the end of the night everyone was exhausted! I can't believe he's 1 already. Where has time time gone? 1/2 of his life was spent up in Kamloops while Vitor was working like crazy and I was at home trying to keep the kids busy (which was actually very easy). Where does the time go?

Samuel is 1!!

It's Monday, and Samuel is one today at 6:06pm. My goodness time goes by fast! On Sautrday we went with Marina and Tony to the aquarium to have a little family time with the kids. Samuel kept on pointing at everything and Sophia had a

good time, smiling away but was a little cautious with some of the bigger fish. Vitor really enjoyed being in the amazon part of the aquarium and I think he's getting excited to go to Brazil at the end of the year. It was so hot and humid in there but Vitor was just soaking it up and really liking the heat. My favourite part was watching the kids excitement seeing the whales, dolphins, otters and

all the different types of fish (and especially the jellyfish

!) Today we're having the family over for a spaghetti dinner and dessert for Sam's birthday and on Saturday we're having all his friends over for a birthday party at the Church. Can't wait! It feels like we're having a week long celebration for his birthday :) Fun Fun!

NO MORE BOTTLE!

I'm so excited because yesterday we were finally able to get rid of Sophia's bottle. I've been racking my brain trying different things to get Sophia off a bottle (c'mon she's 2 1/2 and still wants a bottle) but nothing has worked. So 2 days ago I needed to get a new cup for Samuel and got him a 'Nuk' bottle and Sophia was all over it so I told her it's a sippy cup for milk and she loved it. So yesterday we went out again and got her a girl cup (Sam's was blue with sailboats all over it) and she hasn't asked for a bottle once! I know it seems silly, but it's one step closer to getting her to drink less milk (she drinks A LOT) and potty train faster. YAY for small steps and making mommy happy!

Eo pix your hair por eeew

So I'm sitting there contemplating what I shoud write as Sophia stands up on the chair and says "Eo pix eeewur hair por eeew" (I fix your hair for you) as she plays with my hair. Life is never dull around here! My house is a mess because I've been working on my car seat tents. I'm trying to make several of them so I can start selling them and try to make a little money while I stay at home with the kids. I added a picture to get an idea of what I'm working on.

We went out today and bought Sophia a "potty". She's gone pee several times on it and pooped too! She goes on the adult toilet often, but we thought if we got a Sophia sized one she'd be more inclined to do it herself and so far it's working. The only problem with potty training her is the amount of milk she drinks. Because she drinks so much milk she needs to go to the bathroom every 5-10 mins, so it makes potty training hard because it feels like we were ALWAYS in the bathroom. So I'm going to slowly cut back her milk intake and hopefully she'll potty train faster.

Sam is getting closer and closer to his 1st birthday and I'm getting more excited for his party. It'll be fun! In the past 2 weeks he's cut 4 teeth on the top so it's been many sleepless nights soothing a very sad little boy. He's also trying to talk more and even says "ta ta ta ta" (thank you) He's walking around the house and rarely crawls and can even stand on his own. My kids are awesome!

Play dates at the mall

We went to the mall a few days ago and let the kids play in the 'play park'. I love watching the kids interact with other little kids and see how they are developing social skills. Sophia is learning the whole meaning of sharing and taking turns and I like taking her out to play so she will put all the lessons to the test.

She does very well sharing and taking turns. She occasionally needs a quick reminder, but over all she does very good. I am very blessed with having a little girl who listens so well.

Samuel is learning to play in the play area too, although I must admit I watch him like a hawk. As with every playing environment some kids are too rough and don't pay attention to where they're going. But Samuel LOVES to play. As we know Sam is very cautious when we're in public and doesn't like to smile but when he's playing he screams and won't stop smiling. it's so funny to watch and not like him at all. It's very fun to see his cautious barrier come down while his playing.

baby shower

I went to see my sister, Janet today and I just love my nephew's! Jameson is growing so fast and I miss how small they are. (especially thinking that Sam will be a year in a couple of weeks!) Sophia is just so in love with Jameson. She wanted to cuddle him and give him lots of hugs and kisses. Such a sweet little girl.

So I'm getting my house ready to host lots of momma's and babies for Janet's baby shower on Saturday. I love to have a clean house, but does it need to be so much work with 2 little kids? Literally 10 minutes after I've cleaned I need to clean again. Not fun. But I love having people over and hosting parties. Ever since I was little I was very social so getting people together with some yummy food and good conversations is great fun for me!

babies are everywhere!

Well on Friday at 2:20am I became an auntie again. My oldest sister, Janet had a baby boy named Jameson Fox Casebourne Wade. We're very excited he's finally here after several false labours and a lot of waiting. He's such a cutie and I love to cuddle him. It gives me my baby cuddles without wanting another one... yet :) He was born exactally 11 months after Samuel.

So Samuel is 11 months now and walking all over the house. I remember Sophia at 11 months... she was still crawling and around 12 months she would take 2 steps before falling on the ground. Funny how different two kids could be.

A house full of kids

Let me start off by saying that I love crafts for kids.

I was a little anxious this morning because I was going to watch my 2 kids in addition to Alexandra and Kole. I wasn't sure my condo would fit any more kids (I'm exaggerating, but you know how kids are... running, screaming, etc) but thanks to crafts, I was able to keep all 3 kids (Sam not included) entertained.

So all I did was cut some egg cartons, give them glue, foam shapes, googly eyes and let them have at it! Sophia and Alexandra made caterpillars, while Kole made a train (surprise). It kept them entertained long enough to get food on the table. Where have you been all my life!!

Today after I put my kids to bed. I reflected on the day and feel an overwhelming gratitude to my Heavenly Father for giving me 2 wonderful kids. Sophia is amazing me with how much she's learning, and especially how much she learns about the gospel. Just a week or so ago she insists that she says prayers by herself. they are usually just the beginning and end of a prayer, but I love how she's trying and wants to be independent. She's so great with her little brother and to this day (almost 11 months after he was born) she still calls him "baby". She takes care of him and whenever he's doing something that he shouldn't you'll hear her say "uh ahh" and either takes something away from him, or moves him out of the way of "danger". (although it's funny to watch her try and move Sam, because he's almost as big as her)

What can I say about my little Samuel. He is SO serious, but has a wonderful sense of humour once you crack his cautious shell. I think one of the reasons he is so serious is because a week after he was born, we moved up to Kamloops for 6 months, so he's only had our little family surrounding him. So as a result, any extended family that wants to play with him gets the cold shoulder. He loves his mom, but there's something about his dad that attracts him the most. He LOVES cuddling and spending time with Vitor and it's such a special bond that I hope sticks around. Samuel is walking more and more every day and right when he takes his first step you get to see his big, beautiful smile and the excitement that he feels by learning something new.

My children are such a blessing in my life and I love that I have the privilege of raising these beautiful spirits. I really do have the best job and the following saying couldn't be more correct:

My greatest blessings call me Mom

My first shot at this

Alright. So I'm trying to get dinner going and learn how to use this blog. I've wanted to start one for a while because I'm terrible at writing a journal and well now a days everyone is faster at typing than writing. Hence anything that is quick is good to me :) I want to start writing weekly or as often as I need to because my kids need memories from me and doing it online is a great way to share with family in Brazil too!

Sophia and Sam are sick... again. I'm noticing every year that I should expect a sick child from November until March or April. Samuel is sick, but trying very hard to walk. He's up to 4 steps on his own before he throws himself at me or Vitor, which is great if we're in arms reach :) Sophia is enjoying watching Sam try and walk, but after his try she'll say "My turn" and pretend to walk to us just to get the praise. She makes me laugh.