A Weekend in Photos

We stayed close to home this weekend, which was very nice after a busy first week of school. We filled the time by going out to dinner, going to the park to enjoy the gorgeous weather-- that sort of thing! And, in the midst of it all, I was determined to get some portraits of my babies. I even broke out my 50mm lens for the occasion, and fell in love with it all over again. It may not be as expensive or as versatile as my fancy new zoom, but it sure does let me take some pretty pictures! I will have to remember it more often!

But without further ado... a whole bunch of pics!

Thoughts

Before I get too far into this post, let me just assure you that Maya's hives are almost completely gone now! After hitting their peak on Saturday, they have quickly subsided. All that's left are a few faded spots on her upper thighs-- otherwise, she looks great!

Anyway... the real reason I am posting tonight is because school starts again tomorrow. While I am so fortunate to a) have a job at all and b) have one that I enjoy, it is a bittersweet moment. Being a teacher, and having a summer vacation, gives me a taste of what being a stay-at-home mom would be like. And while I definitely know it wouldn't be easy, the idea of staying at home becomes more desirable every year. Especially now. Both kids are at ages where they can be so much fun, and I just love them to pieces. It makes me sad to think that, during the school year, I spend more time with other peoples' kids than with my own (on a typical day). That just doesn't seem right. The thought of missing so many "firsts" just breaks my heart. :(

At the same time, I AM excited. I think it's going to be a great school year, and I think I have a pretty nice bunch of kids. And, like I said, I like my job. And I LOVE my coworkers!

I don't know. I'm hoping that one day I can stay at home and focus on my photography as a part-time business. That would be ideal... But until then-- back to school I go!

And a quick picture of my sweet girl, after a late nap today. I will miss this view, SO much!

Hives!

Well, that's something new!

Having been alive for 32+ years and a mom for almost three of those years, I can honestly say I have never seen hives before! It started yesterday when I picked the kids up from daycare. Bonnie said that Maya had a little bit of an interesting rash on her arm, and it was also on her trunk. We ruled out food allergies, since she hadn't eaten anything unusual, and thought it might just be a reaction to the heat (because it is most definitely HOT). It wasn't too bad, and didn't appear to be bothering her, so I just kept an eye on it.

Well, I went to take her jammies off this morning, and saw this:

The bumps were not there the night before, and they were really unusual. In the photo, they look more like bug bites, but they were not the right shape, They were flattened on top, there was no sign of an actual bite mark, and they had sort of a puffy appearance. So I took the photo, we got Nikos off to daycare, and then Gus called to make an appointment with the pediatrician.

Half an hour later, those bumps had morphed into this:

I could not BELIEVE how quickly the rash had changed! And I was scared, too, though she was still acting fine. Luckily, the pediatrician was able to see her very early, so Gus took her in. It turns out that these hives are most likely viral-- meaning that Maya has been sick (which is true-- she's had a cold all week) and that part of her body's immune response this time is to break out in hives. It's fairly common, I guess, but nothing Gus or myself had ever experienced before!

Anyhow, she should be fine. They should go away pretty quickly, and we can give her Benadryl to reduce the inflammation and any itching she might have.

In the meantime, I have come down with something, too... Let't just hope I don't break out in hives right before the first day of school! That would be bad!

Brush Brush Brush!

Ok, so to fully understand the title of this post, one must familiarize themselves with the "Yo Gabba Gabba" CD that is in heavy rotation in my car. Or just listen to a clip of the one song I am referring to, here. :)

Our little girl is a brushing machine. We have to keep the bathroom door closed when it's not in use, because we have caught Maya in there brushing her teeth all by herself. She literally climbs up on the stool, grabs her toothbrush (she knows hers is the pink one), turns on the water, and does her best tooth-brushing impersonation. And while it's incredibly adorable to watch, it's not exactly safe when unsupervised. So, we close the door.

Since then, Maya has discovered that when Nikos announces he needs to go potty, it means she can BRUSH HER TEETH! So she runs towards the bathroom even faster than he does! Today, I decided to grab the camera along the way. She is grubby and wild-haired from a long, fun day at daycare, but I think she is the cutest little girl in the world!

(oh, and the reason she was crying at first was because she had already turned the water on when I was ready to record-- so I turned it off. She was not a fan!)

Busy Weekend!

I feel like I am just now recovering from my weekend enough to post about it... and, ironically enough, this is my last day of summer vacation. Back to work tomorrow, and all the insanity that comes with that! AACK!

Anyway, my weekend started at 5:30am Saturday morning, when I rolled out of bed and hit the ground running. I loaded up the truck with tons of food, tons of baby gear, shower gifts, camera gear, and my own personal effects, and made the three-hour drive up to Grant and Melissa's house to host a baby shower. I was hosting it with Melissa's two sisters, and I think it went really well! I was in charge of the food and favors, and I was really pleased with how both turned out. I mean, look!!

And my favors (I made everything myself-- including the lemon cake balls inside, which were covered with white chocolate and a swirl of dark chocolate. They looked really fancy!)

All in all, the turnout was good, and they got a lot of gifts which will really help them out. I was EXHAUSTED, though. It was a ton of hard work, especially transporting everything, but I think it paid off. Here's one last pic from the shower-- me, Melissa, and her sisters (basically her and all the aunties-to-be!).
Melissa also let me take a few belly pics before the shower, which I posted over on my photography blog. She is seriously ALL belly. It is amazing that my little nephew will be here in a month-- possibly even sooner! I am so excited to meet him!!

After the shower, I spent the night at my old friend Wendy's house, which was the highlight of my week! We had so much fun catching up that I didn't realize how late it was until my eyes started to droop. :) It was so nice to see her again after all these years. Wendy and I both started teaching at the same time, at the same school, so we have one of those bonds like what soldiers form in the trenches. It was a long-overdue meetup, that's for sure!

The next morning, I got back into the truck to drive to Gus' parents' house. His sister recently got engaged, and her fiance's family had driven out from Las Vegas to "meet the family," so to speak. Gus had driven the kids up on Saturday, but I obviously had the shower to throw. At any rate, I arrived, and then we all went to brunch together at a fancy local place (think white tablecloths and carpeting... I felt bad for whoever had to clean up under Maya's highchair!). It was nice and delicious, although the kids were definitely getting antsy. They were excited to get back to the house and play! Here are a few pics from the afternoon... The nice clothes were actually gifts from Bill's parents (Bill is the fiance), which was so sweet! I have to say, the kids (especially Nikos) really liked Bill's family. And I am pretty sure the feeling was mutual!


Later on, they changed to more casual comfy clothes, but (of course) continued to play...


And at bedtime, we made the drive home with both cars and I slept really, really well, haha!

15 Month Stats

Well, we had Maya's 15 month checkup this morning, and it pretty much went how I thought it would! She has hardly gained any weight since her last appointment-- a whopping 6 ounces. BUT, she has gained two inches in height! Holy cow! So our little girl measures in at (drumroll, please!)

20 pounds (11th percentile)
31 inches (69th percentile)

Our little monkey is stretching out! The lack of weight gain was the main topic we discussed, but our pediatrician decided that it wasn't an issue. Clearly, she is still growing (taller!). We know she is still eating plenty. And she has become a full-time walker (and runner) since the last appointment, which also means she is burning a lot more calories. And, well, Nikos was the exact same way-- he didn't gain weight again until his 18 month appointment. So the pediatrician wasn't concerned, and neither am I. She is just perfect!

Maya took her shots like a champ, crying for a grand total of about two seconds, and dazzled the doctor with her repertoir of animal sounds and her knowledge of where her bellybutton is (and other body parts). Her receptive language is far ahead of her expressive language, but the doctor said she was doing just fine. She is an awesome kid!!

Nikos did well, too, sitting patiently in the chair and chatting politely with the doctor. One can only hope that he will be this well-behaved when we come back for HIS appointment in October, ha!!

My Mom

I took the kids up to my parents' house this weekend, only to find that my mom had pulled a handful of her childhood photos out of storage someplace. And I can see why! She had told me a few times that Maya reminded her of herself, as a toddler, but I don't know that I ever really believed her. I mean, the mom I know is a grown-up! And in my head, Maya looks like a combination of various people. I see a lot of Gus in her, and sometimes my Grandma Patty... it changes! And aside from the hair color (which is also mine) and the eye color (which is on both sides of the family), I didn't really see the resemblance.

Until now, that is. I mean, just LOOK. My mom is a little older than Maya in these pictures-- probably closer to Nikos' age-- but still! The curly hair! The big eyes! The facial expressions! I couldn't find a good picture of Maya for a side-by-side comparison, but it is SO her. It blows my mind!

It also amazes me just how much kids change over time. I mean, I would have never seen this resemblance 6 months ago. And who knows what the next 6 months will bring? But for now... Wow! I TOTALLY see it!


(the top picture is of my mom with her dad, my Grandpa Lee. And the second one is with my Uncle Kerry, who I also have a tough time imagining as a helpless little baby, haha!)

Finally!

Gus' sister and her fiance came down this morning and took both kids to the zoo, giving Gus and I some (gasp! can it be true?) FREE TIME! Woohoo! So, we did what anyone with free time would feel inclined to do-- we went to the nursery and picked out a bunch of new plants for our front flower bed, haha!

A few months back, Gus really made it his mission to clear out and fix up the two flower beds in our front yard. He got one completely finished, but we were kind of stumped when it came to the other. Literally. Because there was a huge stump just below the surface at one end of the planter, which would make it really tough to plant anything there. And we couldn't really figure out what to plant, without it looking weird and lopsided. So we just didn't.

A few weeks ago, I had a brainstorm. I suggested building that end of the planter up, creating a second level and allowing us to actually plant things there. So Gus did it! And we finally got the plants in there today!

The plants are pretty young right now, but it should look really nice when it all fills in. And you can't really tell, but there is a creeping vine planted around the edge of the upper planter. Over time, it should cascade down over the edge, giving it a softer look. I am excited!!

Crazy Kids!

Lately, I feel like there is just SO MUCH that doesn't ever make it onto this blog, and I hereby vow to do better. Between being a full-time mommy to two very mobile, very active kiddos and starting up my own photography business (which is doing pretty well, I might add!), I am WIPED! Not to mention all the other commitments we have going on. It's all fun, but it just doesn't leave much time for blogging!

But I digress.

Back to the point, indicated by the post title: my kids are nuts. Even on the most trying days, they can always make me smile and laugh. Take today, for example. I didn't feel well this morning. Nothing specific, just generally tired and blah. I had NO energy. And when Maya went down for her morning nap, I wanted to take one, too. Nikos was playing with his cars in the living room, and I laid down on the couch and closed my eyes. Two minutes later, without saying a word, Nikos ran back to his room, got his blanket, bear, pillow and "Plablo" (really Pablo, a cute stuffed penguin from a show he likes), and climbed up on the couch with me. Then he got off, grabbed the remote, brought it back, and asked for The Wiggles. So I put it on for him... and then I slept!! He only woke me up when it was over, and just wanted me to start it again. So I did. And I managed to get an hour nap this morning, snuggled up with my boy. That NEVER HAPPENS! But I am not complaining.

Still, that's not really crazy, just sweet. Here's some crazy for you: After Maya woke up, we went grocery shopping. Much like Nikos used to, Maya LOVES holding random food items before they actually get into the basket. Today's top item was a can of frosting, which she carried with her for almost the entire trip. Better yet, she would hold it up in front of her face, like a camera, and say "CHEEEEESE!" I mean, she was YELLING this all through the market, at top volume, pointing her can of frosting at random passers-by. It was so funny! She has this new Elmo camera toy that my parents gave her, which I think is where she got the "cheese!" thing, but it is just hilarious! Meanwhile, Nikos kept telling her, "Maya, no yelling in the market! Shhh!" And you should've seen the look on the checkout lady's face when I asked to get the can of frosting back right away after she scanned it (Maya was crying for it). haha!

Then, back at home, the kids were playing nicely while I was washing dishes. I always close off certain rooms when they are wandering, mostly because Maya gets into trouble. She puts things in the toilet, pulls dirty diapers out of the pail in her room-- that sort of thing. So we close those doors. And Nikos doesn't usually mess with them, because there's nothing in those rooms he really needs or cares to mess with anymore.

Anyway, it got quiet. REALLY quiet. Too quiet. I thought they were both back in Nikos' room, and went to check, but they weren't there. On a whim, I opened the door to our bedroom. Yup. Nikos was very-quietly-but-very-excitedly jumping like a madman on our bed, while Maya ran around in circles on the floor with my bra on her head and one of Gus' dirty socks in her hand. I wanted to be annoyed, really, but I couldn't help laughing. It was seriously like a scene out of a movie! And I WISH I had gotten a picture!!

So later on, I went to look for a bag of craft-type supplies I had purchased a while back. Things I needed to make the favors for Melissa's baby shower next weekend-- you know, kind of important? But they weren't where I thought they were, and I couldn't find them anywhere! I was tearing the house apart. Nikos thought this was great fun, and was crawling around, looking under things and calling, "Baaaaag! Where aaaaaare you?" After about 45 minutes, I found it. It was in a dumb place. But I felt much better.

After dinner, Nikos was in his "songwriting" mood. Here are a few new ones (set to the tune of "The Elephant Song," as always!)

"Maya, I like Maya, I like how she wears her new shoo-oooes, I like Maya!"

"Daddy, I like Daddy, I like how he eats his pizza, I like Daddy!"

and, my personal favorite,

"Mommy, I like Mommy, I like how she finds the bag, Mommmy, I like Mommy!"

God, they crack me up. And don't even get me started on the completely irresistable cuteness that is Maya dancing (which she does ALL. THE. TIME. lately). But that deserves a video, so I'll save that one for later.

I love my crazy kiddos!!

Just another day at the office... (x2!)

So, we met Daddy for a lunch date today! We went inside the building, hoping to see his boss (who hasn't seen the kiddos in a long time), but he was stuck in a conference call. Still, the kids had fun (though they had MORE fun at lunch... but I didn't take pictures then). So, without further ado, a few photos from my cheap camera, in low lighting, with moving subjects (haha!!).

Sitting in Daddy's chair...


Feeling shy (his usual M.O.)


Investigating Daddy's laptop bag


And Maya's first time on the Controlled Neutron Analyzer, hahaha! (Don't worry, it's nonoperational-- it's a floor model). I took a similar one of Nikos, back in the day...

Just one more...

I had to share this one of the kiddos playing this afternoon. It was kind of a rough day, actually. Maya was cranky, Nikos refused to nap, and meltdowns were had all around. And after spending most of the day attempting to clean/declutter the house, we needed to get outside.

The kids were fine playing with the various toys out there, but it was hot... a perfect day to play with our water table! Maya had actually never played with it before, since it had grown some truly spectacular scum and was sitting, abandoned, in our side yard.

With the help of a good scrubber sponge and a hose with a strong spray nozzle, I managed to get it cleaned up pretty quickly (who knew?). And they had a BLAST. Guess what we'll be doing for the rest of the summer? :)

Some Pics and Stories...

As I've been getting my photo business off the ground, I have come to the realization that I have been taking more pictures of other people's kids, and fewer of my own! So this morning, I sought to rectify the situation. I broke out the big camera and took some snapshots of my little cuties in their jammies, playing in Nikos' room. The lighting was terrible, but the subjects were adorable! :)




In other news... We went out to dinner with some old friends last night, as well as their 19-month-old daughter. It took Nikos a while to warm up to her, but by the end, all three kids were hugging and tickling each other and having way too much fun inside the restaurant (yes, we were THAT table-- luckily, it was a family-friendly place!). Maya decided to wander off a few times, making some friends at nearby tables. But the highlight (ha!) was when Nikos announced that he needed to go potty. I immediately whisked him off to the bathroom, only to discover that someone had taken the handicapped stall (grr!). And when I tried to bring him into the little stall, he began insisting that he didn't have to go anymore. While still doing the "I-have-to-go-potty" dance. I didn't know what to do. And then I remembered the little potty sitting in the trunk of my car. So we rushed out to the parking lot, and he went potty in the car! haha! Not exactly ideal, but it worked. I guess the boy doesn't like public restrooms. We need to work on that...

Then, on the way home, it was past their bedtime and Nikos was acting super silly. He sang songs the entire way home. (Mostly this one, which is relevant to what I am about to say.) And then we passed the hospital where both kids are born, which happens to have a large stork statue on one corner of the parking garage's roof (Nikos calls it a pelican, despite constant correction). And all of a sudden, he started singing, "Pelicans, I like pelicans... I like how they fly in the sky, I like pelicans..."

Anyway, I was impressed, because it was the first time I'd heard him make up new words to an existing song! His first parody! :) Funny kid!

Family Fun Day!

So life has been crazy lately... We were out of town last weekend, then Maya didn't feel well, then Gus had to work late because some Very Important People were in town on business, and then I got sick. And somehow, at my most recent photo shoot, managed to pull a quad muscle in my left leg. Too much squatting, I guess! In the meantime, Nikos has been thinking about giving up his one and only nap of the day (no!!!), Maya is teething like crazy, and I am so paranoid about going out in public with a recently-potty-trained toddler that I have been going a little stir-crazy. What should feel liberating is, at times, a total inconvenience! I mean, with diapers, you never have to be on the lookout for a bathroom, etc. But that's okay. I'm sure it all just takes some getting used to.

And on that note, we decided to go the Wild Animal Park today. It made me a little nervous, knowing that we'd be out of the house for a long time and that Nikos would most likely have to use a public toilet-- for the first time ever. Yes, that's right. We haven't crossed that bridge yet, and I haven't been looking forward to it! But since I knew Gus would be with us, it didn't seem so daunting. At least one of us could watch Maya while the other took Nikos to the potty. I also had to address the issue of germs. At home, Nikos puts his hands on the toilet seat for balance. And on a public toilet, that is just disgusting! At the same time, I KNEW he would do it. And I didn't really see the paper seat covers as being the best option, either, because of the added time involved, the incomplete coverage, and the fact that they would probably fall into the toilet before I could get him on there. So my mom suggested bringing some Clorox wipes, and wiping the area down really quickly. Good call! I had my backpack stocked with a baggy of those, some regular baby wipes, extra underwear and shorts, and a pull-up (why? I don't know!).

Aaaaaaaand... it didn't happen. haha! Nikos has still not used a public restroom. He is fine using the potty at other houses, but I think he holds it when we are in public. Even so, today's outing felt like a big accomplishment, because I was prepared to handle it, if necessary. I can do this!!

But I digress. Really, this post is supposed to be about our fun day together. So how about some pictures?

Silly kids, pretending to be a butterfly and a flower. Both their faces look a little weird in this one, but oh well!


In the "Petting Kraal"-- the high point of the day, since Nikos staunchly refused to ride the tram out to see all the big animals (elephants, rhinos, etc.). We saw lions, cheetahs, a few monkeys, and lots of birds, but spent the most time with these deer, haha!



And he kept saying that he wanted to see rhinos... even though he wouldn't ride the tram. So this was the closest he got, haha!

Weekend in the Bay Area!

Gus and I had an amazing weekend! It was probably slightly more amazing for me, since I hadn't been back in the East Bay (AKA "home") for about four years. It felt so good to be back in familiar territory, even if a lot of things had changed in that time!

Anyway, the reason for the trip was to attend our good friend, Mary's, wedding on Sunday. Mary was our neighbor back when Gus and I first met in 1998. And her Maid of Honor, Elaine, was another neighbor on the same floor in the dorms. Aaand, both Mary and Elaine were my bridesmaids back in 2005! So, we wouldn't have missed this wedding for the world! :)

At any rate, we drove up on Friday, and spent Friday evening with my grandma. It was such a nice visit! Sadly, I didn't take any pictures. What was I thinking?? The next morning, though, we went to have brunch with my old college friend, Natasha, who (coincidentally) ended up moving to my hometown-- about three minutes away from my parents' old house! So we had a great time visiting with her and her husband, Jeff. It was just like old times!!
After our visit, Gus and I headed downtown to the BART station, and took the train into San Francisco for the afternoon. We had fun just walking around and playing tourist, along with about a million other people. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, so there were thousands of people crowding the Embarcadero. We wandered around Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf, got ice cream cones, bought a Christmas ornament (our vacation ritual), and just enjoyed not being on any sort of schedule whatsoever! Here are a few pics from the afternoon:




That night, we met up with Tash and Jeff again to go see "Eclipse." Certainly not anything to write home about, but it was fun-- and made more so by the good company AND the fact that we very rarely get to see movies in theaters these days! So we had a blast.

The next morning, we got up bright and early to make the long drive into the wilderness for Mary's wedding. We had been to the location once before, for Alayna's wedding back in 2003, and we were looking forward to going there again! It really is such a gorgeous spot. And Mary was such a gorgeous bride! What a great wedding. It was next to impossible to hold back tears, because they are just so darn sweet together. I had a blast seeing my old friends (Mary and Elaine), and meeting some great new friends, too! We were seated with some members of the bridal party, who I had met at her shower last month, so it was fun. The wine was flowing and the conversation was great-- what more could you ask for?


After the reception (and a few glasses of wine), we headed back to the hotel to relax for a few hours before the formal Chinese banquet that evening. We decided to take a short nap... only to wake up, hours later, and realize that the banquet was starting in 10 minutes! And was 30 minutes away!!! Aack! We got ready really quickly, though, and managed to make it there when pretty much everyone else did (fashionably late!). Whew! However, when Mary and Will made their rounds, I reached into my purse for my little camera and... it wasn't there! I had taken lots of pictures at the morning wedding, and I had NOT taken the camera out of my purse. And so the panic began. Was it on the floor of the restaurant? No. Was it in the car somewhere? No. Was it back at the hotel? No. Had I dropped it somewhere at the morning wedding, or at the hotel? No. Ugh. After searching the car three times, I ended up finally finding it under the seat (which I had checked every single time!) the next morning. Talk about relief! That very nearly ruined the whole trip for me!

Sooo... I suppose it goes without saying that I didn't get any photos from the Chinese banquet, which was quite impressive! I think there were about 10 courses, mostly seafood, and all very fancy and spectacular. We enjoyed our tablemates, who were mostly Will's groomsmen and their wives/girlfriends. And two of the couples had young children, so we definitely had things to talk about. It was fun!

The next morning (yesterday), we made the long drive back home, stopping in Orange County for a few hours to pick up the kiddos. They had a blast with Gus' parents and sister this weekend, but were ready to go home. And Maya woke up with a fever yesterday morning, and was a little cranky (today, too-- I'm keeping an eye on her). All in all, it was a jam-packed weekend of fun! But coming home is nice, too. :)

Non-Baby-Related News!

This is more relevant to my photography business, but today was a big day for me!! I recently filed my Fictitious Business Name paperwork with the county clerk's office. That was a big step, but really didn't mean much. I mean, I could choose to go into business or not, and it wouldn't really matter. But today, I took the plunge! I applied for my California seller's permit, got my city business license, and opened a business bank account. So... It's official! Sweet Briar Photography is open for business, and I am super excited. I was also pleased to learn that the business account was free, and that I qualified for a business credit card with no annual fee and a high line of credit-- and that having said card does not affect my personal credit whatsoever. I think this will be really useful for making future business-related purchases. Well, having the bank account in general will be really good for keeping detailed records of all these things.

At any rate... I have my first paying client next week, and a few more scheduled down the line. I am so excited! I feel nervous at the same time, as I am still trying to figure out exactly how taxes will work, but I am ready for the challenge. Wish me luck! :)

About My Girl...

I feel like, with potty-training and everything, so many posts lately have been about Nikos. And meanwhile, Maya has literally been changing from day to day! Not only does she have more words than just a week ago, but she is a walker! Yes, she's been toddling for a while now, taking a few steps here and there, but she quite suddenly starting walking all. the. time. While I was getting dinner ready this evening, I watched as she literally did laps around our kitchen island. She may still look like Frankenstein, but she is getting GOOD! She is so confident, and so fast! Look out, world, because here comes Maya!

That video was one I took at my parents' house yesterday, where we went so that we'd be out of the house for the cleaning lady this morning (and so I could do a photo shoot for a friend who lives near my parents). While we were there, we went to the park. Nikos made friends with a highly entertaining three-year-old girl who was the biggest drama queen I have ever met (hence the highly entertaining aspect of the whole thing). She was constantly telling Nikos what to do, and he, being his good-natured self, followed her instructions. haha! Meanwhile, Miss Maya showed us that she can hang with the big kids just fine, thank-you-very-much... She crawled through the tunnel...

Then she tried to climb the slide, but was thwarted by gravity. She had enough, so she took off (walking, of couse!)

And back at the ranch, she relaxed on the chaise lounge while her brother rode in the swing. It's rough being one!

Road Test

My brother called me late last week to tell me that he was taking this week off from work, and that it would be a good time for a visit, if I wanted to bring the kids up to swim and hang out. Well, I had already rearranged my life to do potty training Monday through Wednesday, and I had two photo sessions scheduled for Thursday. So a quick trip was scheduled for Friday-Saturday for the kiddos to go and see their Uncle Grant and Aunt Melissa!

Before I explain what happened, I just want to point out that it is a solid three-hour drive from our house to his house. And the last hour is spent mostly in bumper-to-bumper Los Angeles traffic. Which is why I consider it pretty amazing that Nikos wore underwear and had no accidents the entire way-- both ways!! I didn't pull over once. I had originally planned to stop every hour, but decided to just follow his lead and see what happened. And... he held it! He used the potty pretty much right away when we got out of the car, but had no problems holding it until then.

The rest of the visit was more of the same... He told me (or Grant, or Melissa!) when he needed to use the potty, and he made it in time. No accidents! A highlight was when he was swimming in the pool with Grant, and he suddenly announced that he needed to get out and use the potty. I had just brought his little potty out into the back yard, so he ran over, we got his trunks off, and he peed. And then he went back to swimming, like it was no big deal! And the only thing I had told him beforehand was that going potty in pool was super yucky. That's all it took, apparently, because he got out to pee! HOORAY!!!

Anyway, that was a huge, HUGE success. He's still wearing the pull-up at night, for now, but I think it's safe to say that he is pretty much potty-trained! How awesome is that???

And, just for fun, a few pictures from yesterday. It was a short visit, but the kids had a blast!

Pretending to sleep on the raft (Nikos kept giggling, but he DID close his eyes!)

Shooting hoops in the spa (no heat):

Maya went swimming, too, but I was the one holding her at the time... so this is the only picture I got! :(

He Did It!!!

Nikos didn't have any accidents today at daycare!!! I was nervous when I went to pick him up, wondering how things went, but they went great! He wouldn't tell Bonnie when he had to go, so she just had him sit on the potty every hour. And he stayed dry!

Well, until he got home, where he promptly pooped in his pants. He did tell me, but it was just a tiny bit too late. Still, that was easy to clean up. But did I mention that he stayed dry at daycare???? :)

As for tomorrow's 2.5-hour drive to visit my brother, this is my new game plan: bring the little potty in the car, and make a pit stop every hour. I plan to have him wear underwear, but will put a towel or something underneath him in case of an accident.

Wish me luck!

Day Three- Potty Training DONE!

Well, that's a HUGE overstatement, but I have completed the three day plan, and he is doing REALLY well! Aside from one small accident first thing this morning, our big boy kept his underwear clean all day long, and both peed and pooped in the potty on multiple occasions! Better yet, every single one of these occasions was initiated by him! He'd run to the potty, saying, "I gotta go to the potty," and then he would do his business! Really, I don't think I could possibly be more proud of him. He never ceases to amaze me, that kid!

Today I was much more laid back about things, too. I removed the plastic paint tarps that I had laid down in the living room and his bedroom, brought his soft chair back out for him, and didn't remind him nearly as frequently as before about telling me when he had to go. Honestly, I think that part annoyed him. He knows when he needs to go, and is perfectly capable of telling me, thank-you-very-much! I even left him in his undies for naptime, and he woke up dry (for the third day in a row).

As far as what the future holds, I guess we will just wait and see! He is still wearing a pull-up at night, and doesn't wake up dry. He still needs help getting his underwear off and on, so this will be interesting when you add pants to the mix (he hasn't worn them for the past three days). And he goes to daycare tomorrow. I'm thinking I will send him in a pull-up, along with a bag of extra pull-ups, underwear, and pants, and hope that he tells Bonnie when he has to go. Plus, we have a long car ride on Friday to visit my brother and Melissa. I'm not sure what to do there-- does he wear underwear or a pull-up? I can bring his little potty in the car, but will that work? So many questions, so few answers... And so we begin our journey into the Land of the Semi-Potty-Trained Toddler, haha!!

Day Two Potty-Training Wrap Up!

So today started with an accident... followed by a very promising pee-in-the-potty, followed by three more accidents. One of those was a not-so-nice poop accident-- ewww! After that, I was beginning to feel a little discouraged. I mean, he did really well at pooping in the potty yesterday, so it seemed like a step backward! Still, I focused on the positive. I gave him tons of praise for peeing in the potty. And then he said we should bake a cake! Really, he said he wanted to make one! I couldn't resist. So we made a mini chocolate cake (one-fourth of the regular recipe). As always, he enjoyed dummping in the ingredients, mixing them all together, and providing me with regular updates as he stared at it through the oven window while it baked. Funny guy! Here is my little baker in action!

From that point on, there were no more accidents! He went again in the potty (#1), and that was that! He even wore underwear for his nap! I was so proud of my big boy! He never did poop in the potty today, but that's okay. I think his accident was a fluke. For the most part, he is really good about saying that he needs the potty, and making a run for it. And then, of course, he hangs out in there with his reading material...

Funny guy! At any rate, tomorrow is day 3, so we'll see how he does. But I have been really impressed so far-- I expect great things!