Toilet Training

Toilet Training is all about having friends who support you - and work around your schedule.

When all the kids wanted popsicles, and Matt needed to use the toilet, Kyla suggested doing two things at once (she knows, she has already been through this.)


And, when you've done your business, cuddles are most appreciated! (see how tired toilet training makes Mommy?)

Memories of OCS

Last night was a pretty special evening.
The elementary school I attended as a little girl had a 25th anniversary gala.
Sometimes things like this are cheesy. To me this was pretty special. My parents were very dedicated to this school when I was a little girl. They helped to found it, and put a lot of time and energy (along with other amazing people) to create a school that would give me and thousands of other children a good foundation in life.
Growing up it was just a part of my life.
As a mother I get it. I understand how much my parents sacrificed - both financially and timewise to do this for us. It was pretty amazing to see how far the school has come.
It was also pretty amazing to see some of the people who are still there.
How's this for irony - my favourite teacher of all time was my grade 2 teacher. (She was there - though I also see her occassionally). Last night there was a silent auction and one of the prizes was a few hours of babysitting from the grade 7/8 students.
I bid on a couple of different babysitters. Guess who will be babysitting my son for 4 hours one day? You guessed it - my grade 2 teacher's daughter.
I love it!!!
And, it turns out she lives just around the corner.
I can't wait! Her mom came over thrilled to tell me. And, I was shocked and delighted.
Some of the evening's highlights for me included seeing friends and teachers I hadn't seen in years. The headmaster from when I first attended was there. I always had huge admiration for and just a little bit of fear of him.
I have to admit, I had the same mix of emotions when I saw him last night.
I got hugs from people I hadn't see in years. And, people saw me and were thrilled to see I'd grown up to be happy, healthy and have a family of my own.
It was a wonderful evening.

My grade 1 teacher (Lynn Paterson), me, my grade 2 teacher (Janet Black)
They used to seem so tall!

ABC's of Miss Laural Dawn

I was tagged by the wonderful, preggo Haley of Cheaty Monkey who loves a tag as much as I do.
So, enjoy, my friends, enjoy!

And, if I didn't tag you and you want to do it - knock yourself out.

Happy Friday!

A - Available or Single? Neither

B - Best Friend? Can I have more than one? My sister and Susie, but I still keep in touch with my elementary school best friend, Bonnie, who still holds a special place in my heart

C - Cake or Pie? Cake - birthday cake - have I mentioned my birthday is in 16 days?

D - Drink of Choice? Vodka-Cran or Stella depending on my mood

E - Essential Item(s)? Lipgloss, brush, blackberry or cell phone

F - Favorite Colour? Purple

G - Gummi Bears or Worms? Gummi worms - prefer the sour kind

H - Hometown? Burlington, Ontario

I - Indulgence? Fajitas at Lonestar. Yummy yummy (have I mentioned my birthday is in 16 days?)

J - January or February? February ... Valentine's Day

K - Kids? My 3 year old son Matthew

L - Life is incomplete without… Friends and People who Love you

M - Marriage Date: 07/07/01

N - Number of Siblings: 1 Amazing sister, Becky

O - Oranges or Apples? Both. I love oranges, but I eat way more apples.

P - Phobias/Fears: Snakes, Mice (that aren't in cages), certain bugs

Q - Favorite Quote: Be who you are and say what you feel because those that mind don't matter, and those that matter don't mind (Dr. Seuss)

R - Reasons to Smile? My friends, fun e-mails, people who love me, my adorable son, the weather and good books

S - Season? Spring - I love May (have I mentioned my birthday is in 16 days?)

T - Tag Three: Lisa, Mike, Ruthie

U - Unknown Fact About Me: This is embarrassing - when I'm running (outside) and feel like I'm going to die, I put my ipod on a song I know all the words to and sing my heart out!

V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals? I wouldn't say I'm an oppressor of animals, but I do enjoy a good steak

W - Worst habits? Me ... bad habits??? I'd say talking too much.

X - X-rays or Ultrasounds? X-Rays. Drinking all that water and then having an ultrasound during pregnancy was almost as bad as giving birth.

Y - Your Favorite Foods: Lasagna, steak, fajitas

Z - Zodiac: Taurus

Toilet Training ... And an Update

In the last couple of days Matthew has been into the whole idea of using the potty.
We haven't pushed toilet training.
It's not that we're too lazy (maybe a little) so much as he just doesn't seem ready. And if there's one thing I know for sure about my child it's that if he doesn't want to do somehting he won't. In fact, he will do the exact opposite.
So, we've left it.
We've been slowly introducing pull-ups, we've been encouraging him to use the potty in the morning and when he goes to bed. But, we haven't been pushing it.
But, Sunday he told me he wanted to wear underwear. He wore them all morning. He got stickers for using the toilet. And then at noon he wanted a diaper.
That was fine.
But then yesterday at daycare he decided he wanted to use the toilet. It was out of the blue. The teachers always ask him, but usually he says no.
He came home yesterday in a dry diaper - and apparently he used the toilet all day. They kept asking, and he kept saying yes. It was like he just suddenly decided that he wants to do this.
Here's what I love about my daycare. They just took his cue. They immediately made up a sticker chart for him and went with it. They didn't call us to double check. They realized he was excited, and just went with it.
So, today he asked to wear his Lightning McQueen underwear. I said yes, and we used the potty twice before we drove him to daycare. And, he didn't have an accident en route which is a good thing.
We're now in full toilet training mode. At daycare they are going to see where it goes. At home we will encourage it.
Part of me is excited. Part of me realizes that I ran out of Tide this weekend, and I know I need to buy more. Less money on diapers - more money on laundry.
Good times.

Just a little WW update - for those of you wondering. Week 2 of following the program and I lost another 2.8 lbs. Not bad. Must be all the yummy sushi!

What Do You Say to a Bully?

Matthew has been having some run-ins with another kid in his class. I'm not terribly concerned. Matt can, and does, hold his own.
But often he'll tell me "Riley called me a baby today."
I never know quite how to react to that.
Part of me wants to call Riley's mom. Part of me wants to tell Riley off. A bigger part of me knows that this is something that Matt has to deal with, and that the teachers are on top of.
In the last little while there seems to have been a lot of name calling and questionning of friends. Matt's at the stage where when he gets angry he can verbalize it. As can his friends.
Trust me - this is much better than the biting stage - but still freaking annoying.
And, what do I tell him to say?
I suggested saying "I'm not a baby, you're a baby." But I know that is not a good thing to teach a child. I called my sister and asked her.
My suggested line of "I'm not a baby, you loser" did not go over well with her.
I want Matt to be assertive - and not just accept being called names. But, I don't want him to be rude.
So, today in the car I said to him "Matthew, what are you going to say when Riley calls you a baby?"
His response "No. I'm a pirate ... arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."
Ummmmm... okay.
Apparently he got some crazy genes from me.
Good comeback. Funny and original.
But, any ideas of what you do say to a kid who calls you a baby? I'm still working that and I'm (slowly) approaching 30!

Granola Bars and Sushi

I remember watching those Quaker Chewy commercials, where every time a kid started to say something embarrassing a parent would stuff their child's face with a granola bar.
I used to think that ad was stupid.
Then today Matthew waited in line with me at the GO station while I was buying a monthly pass (it was a long wait, so Mike brought him in).
He came running up to me and shouted "Mommy! Are you my girl?"
That was pretty cute. Then I started to ask about his day. He told me all about another kid hitting him and he told me all about painting. And then out of the blue he shouted "hey! do you want to see my penis?"
No.
I changed topics.
Then he said "Daddy snores. Daddy is a pig who snores." Crap.
Someone please pass the granola bars!
At least it entertained everyone in line.
And, on a completely unrelated topic, Mike and I have been on a bit of a health kick/kick to try to find healthy foods that we like.
For the last several years I have hated sushi. I tried it once. And I thought it was gross. I know it's so healthy. In the world of Weight Watchers it's super low in points. I've kind of been annoyed that I don't enjoy it.
For some reason Mike decided to buy a pack of veggie sushi at the grocery store today.
And we cracked it open. At first bite I hated it. But I decided to eat the whole thing. And guess what?! I liked it!!! Like I could not get enough of it. I feel like I've been converted to a whole new world of deliciousness.
In the past few days I have rediscovered salmon (actually, surprisingly high in points, but yummy and healthy, homemade salsa, a passion for adding curry to food and now sushi. Add this to the fact that I'm eating healthy flax seed infused cereal, tons of fruit and vegetables and cottage cheese.
Add the fact that I'm working on this whole running thing.
I feel like I'm really on some super health kick.
The surprising thing about all of this ... I'm enjoying it! I'm loving new foods, challenging myself with exercise and feeling healthier. Weird. But, don't misunderstand ... if anyone's cracking open the sour cream and onion chips count me in. I'm enjoying being healthy, but I'm not giving up the junk food any time soon. I'm not crazy you know!!!!
Plus ... my birthday is coming up soon and I plan to fully enjoy a delicious dinner of fajitas at Lonestar. yum yum.

I Love LuLuLemon ... and Matt's Green "Cwocs"

I have fallen in love with Lululemon.
It's not that I've never been to the store before. I have. I've just never bought anything.
There's a couple of reasons for this. The first is that as much as I love their pants I just couldn't picture myself in them. I wanted a slightly better body image. The second is that they are expensive, which is fine if you stay one size, but I wanted to be a little more size stable before I spent the money. (I kind of am)
Yesterday my husband spontaneously suggested we go to the store.
It really was the best experience ever.
The staff were so friendly. The woman who was helping me choose the pants was amazingly helpful. She wasn't pushy, but she definitely steered me in the right direction. And, when I said that I wanted to try a tank top on with the pants, she found the perfect one.
It took awhile for me to find the perfect pants, and Mike and Matt were hanging out in the changeroom area waiting. The changeroom people were so nice to Matt. They were offering stickers, and chatting to him while I was getting changed. And when he got a little bratty, they were totally cool (Mike was pretty on top of it, but some people give you the death glare). They even let him have his own changeroom to play in and wrote his name on the board which was beyond nice.
Anyway ...
I ended up with the Reverse Groove pants. And, they totally made me go a size down which was really flattering. I loved the pants! (though I have to wait a week while they hem them)
And the top ... AMAZING!
I truly did not understand the appeal of the uber-expensive tank top until I tried one on. I fell instantly in love with this white tank top. Not only was it designed really nicely, but it's totally designed so you don't need to wear a bra underneath. When the woman told me that I almost laughed at her. I knew better - I've tried on many many shirts where no additional bra was required, and though this may be true for the less endowed, let's just say I would never consider going out of the house without a bra.
But, this tank top. Totally true to it's word. It was amazing. I'm not sure I would run without my beloved sports bra underneath. But, still. It was pretty amazing.
So I ended up leaving with the pretty white tank top. LOVE it.

And, since we were at the mall we decided to finally go and get Matt some Crocs. The daycare is not a big fan of sandals because kids injure their toes too often (weird rule, eh?). But, since the invention of crocs this rule is not a concern for me.
We took Matt to choose out his own pair of Crocs. He's pretty in love with his Diego running shoes, which actually have holes in them, so he wasn't too keen on buying new shoes. But, after I explained that Kyla has a pair and that all the cool kids (really, I did say this. Mike was not impressed) were wearing them, he actually relented and chose a pair.
He went with the bright lime green pair. They really are super adorable.
I wasn't sure if he would wear them, but he totally got into it.
By the end of the day yesterday he kept saying "I love my cwocs. I love my green crowcs."
Adorable.
But, really they are great shoes. He can get them on and off by himself, and if he walks in the mud we can just wash them off. The man at Sporting Life told me that once you get a pair you tend to want a couple of other colours. We'll see about that. But, I'm loving the green ones!
But, for the record, I totally think crocs on adults are not a good fashion statement. I mean, they have a place, at the beach or the cottage or gardening. But, other than ... I don't know.

And, today Matt has decided that he wants to wear big boy underwear. Hooray!!!