So...potty training right? The last few days I have been working with Aubree.
She has really been wanting to for several months now but we have just been way too busy to make that kind of committment so I kept putting it off. Finally, 3 days ago, I decided I would just buckle down and get to business so we have been working on it. She has been really good at asking to go for several weeks now so I knew I already had a head start there. Since she is going to be 3 in only 1 month from tomorrow, she will be moving to the "big kid class" at church and I am sure they are not going to want to be changing her diapers (they will already have Nicholas to change bc in NO WAY will he even consider sitting on the potty.)
So anyways, she has not had a wet diaper since we started save waking up in the mornings. She still had not done the Big Business until about a half hour ago...well, so I am hoping. I finally let her put on some "big girl panties" since she was doing so good. She put them on and we went about our business around the house. I was in my bedroom and she comes running bare-booty in the room with a diaper. I asked if she wanted to wear a diaper and she said es. When I asked why she didn't want to wear the "big gil panties" she said, "I just need my diaper". I figured she must have to "do the Big Business" so I went to put the diaper on when I saw she had some poopy smudges on her bottom. ---oh dear...
I asked her if she went poopy and she said yes. I asked her where her panties were, assuming she had pooped in them somewhere. She pointed to Nicholas in the corner of the room. I realized he was trying to put those same panties on. (!!!!!!!!!!!panic!!!!!!) I told him to stop! I went and took them from him but realized they were completely clean. -uh-oh- that means she must have pooped on the floor somewhere. I began the hunt using her as a type of hunting dog. "Aubree, where is your poopy?" she kept saying she pooped in the potty. I knew she couldn't have all on her own so I figured she must think she is going to get n trouble so didn't want to tell me. I just kept trying to get her to tell me. She led me all over the house saying, "I can't fiiiiiind you, where are you...." (what we say when we look for things).
So we continue our hunt until we have searched every room finding nothing. I am, at this point, becoming amazingly impressed that her first Big Business, she did all on her own. I get down at eye level with her and say, "Ok, Aubree. You are not in trouble. Mommy just wants to clean it, so I need you to show me where your poopy is." She smiles at me and takes my hand and takes me into the bathroom. She opens the lid to the potty and says, "it's in here". I just hug her and tell her what a good job she did. So then, we go into the living room and I turn on Finding Nemo. I start typing on here as they are watching it. Nicholas starts jumping around the room when suddenly he yells and starts crying. I look over at him and he is walking funny, holding his right foot toes up and walking only on his heel. I asked what was wrong and he yells crying, "I got Aubree's poop on my toes. Mommy get it off!!!!! Mommy get it off!!!!!" I just start busting up laughing. Aubree is looking at me waiting to get in trouble and Nicholas is in hysterics. I clean his foot then take him back and ask him where he stepped on it. He showed me and there were only 3 thick smudges. I clean it up (luckily we have tile so it's pretty easy) and then we start the hunt all over again. We never found any other spots so hopefully I won't discover them later the same way Nic did. :) Needless to say, I explained to Aubree that I am proud of her for doing so good on her own, but she still needs to tell mommy when she goes potty so I can help.
Ok, so that story just made me think of how we are with God sometimes. He teaches us to do something and then suddenly we feel we are good enough to just take over and go at it. We feel we are ready and usually with good intentions. He holds our hand telling us, "you're not quite ready yet" but still we let go and start doing things on our own. We feel we already know the process and the way to do things so that should be good enough. We take the Holy Spirit out of the equation forgetting that he trumps all processes and no matter how much training or even experience we have, NOTHING will succeed in bringing glory to the Father without the Spirit's guidance. We will end up just making a mess of things. And usually it will affect others too! (our mess will get all over those who are closest to us) haha! How crazy the things I can pull out of this funny story. But it is so true! I love the things th eLord taches me through my chidren. Not only things about parenting and love, but also these funny little experiences that make me think of how the Father must look at us. I imagine Him sometimes looking down at me with a smile and just shaking His head thinking, "oh my goodness child." Just the same way I did with Aubree. I wasn't upset at her, but still had to teach her that she can't go without my help. She understands that now.
Ok, so I have been going back and forth on my first post of the new year! I have actually written out a few different ones so I am going to just combine them all and post them below. Happy New Year everyone!
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So, I want to have a new year's resolution but I have never been a big resolution-maker. A diet resolution is unavoidably disastrous for me! In fact, I think my brain was programmed to translate "diet" into "chocolate", so I really don't even understand the difference between the two. Other people like to set their resolutions around things like being kinder to people, speaking to people more, travelling...things like that. Well, my whole family would BEG me not to do anything that has to do with speaking more, I already have a tendency to stare complete strangers down until they make eye contact just so I can open up about my whole life story. A grocery cart just doubles the threat because then I can trap them in the aisle. So, I am not going to get any more ambitious in that area. I am pretty sure most everyone that knows me considers me a kind person. (at least I like to think that) :) so maybe I could go for the travelling. I do have a new reason to visit Hawaii. (if anyone ever even needs a "new reason" to go somewhere like that) haha! well, last year was my first year to make a resolution and I must say, it was the best I ever could have made and it was 100% successful! Maybe I will just retire from resolution-making while I am winning.
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-Doesn't that sound orca-ish?- ok, so listening to Dory speak whale is a bit distracting for me.
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So, January always seems to be such a significant month for me. Obviously it's significant as the firstfruit of our year, but for some strange reason HUGE things always seem to happen in January. ( it was in January -year 2001- that my family prayed about something huge and then quickly received a new mandate on our lives...to move from Atlanta, Ga to the southern California desert) and each January from then on seems to have had something big happen. The last couple of January's particularly have been the MOST significant of my life by FAR! 2 years ago on January 5th, a beautiful and dear friend last graced this earth with her presence and first graced Heaven with her smile! It was only a few days later that I first laid eyes on my precious little Annabelle...of course, at that time, she was in black and white blur on a small monitor and I didn't even know if she was a she at all. Then January 4th last year marked what is most likely in the top 3 significant days of my entire life! God revealed a new calling on our family's life and changed the course we were on! Proving once again how PERFECT His timing is, Donny shortly after ran out of jobs at work and remained unemployed almost consistently until the end of the year allowing time for us to focus on this new calling and truly take the time to seek after the fullness of God's purpose in it. Now...here we are...January again. Makes me wonder what is going to happen this month! And...if nothing happens, how that will signify significance and what God would have me see in that! Don't you know God is ALWAYS speaking? Even in His silence, He has MUCH to say! I just pray that I will ALWAYS understand what He has to say to me! I just want to know Him so deeply that I am right there on every thought of His, soaking in every smile, clinging to every move of His hand! Well, here's to January!
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Ok, so those are the things I had written out over the last week and a half. There was one more as well but I am thinking it will do for a later time as I never was able to finish it. I am going to leave you all with some pictures of me and my family! We are so glad to have another year pass by leaving us all healthy and happy!
Family notes:
Aubree and Nicholas will be 3 on February 10th.
(I will most likely write up around then about the highlights of the twin pregnancy and delivery remembering that blessed time!)
Aubree is getting so beautiful and sweet. She's turned into quite the little mommy. Sometimes even to a fault. She tries to defend her brother and sister even to me sometimes. I have to emind her that she may be the "pretend mommy" but I am the REAL mommy. But she is the best kid with correction and instruction. A lot like my older sister inthe way that she does not like to get in trouble so she will try to avoid being naughty most of the time. She also has an impeccable memory. Don't ever tell her something you don't intend to be held accountable for bc she will not forget it. (I hear that is very much a girl thing.)
Nicholas on the other hand
has become quite my little trouble maker. He is too smart for his own good. He has started figuring out how to REASON and even debate. Maybe if he were quite a bit older, but in this house, 3 year olds are not allowed to reason or debate, only to obey. So even though we are working on him with that, he does continue to impress us with his intelligence. He has not yet met a toy or gadget he can't figure out how to operate and he rarely encounters a problem he can't work out a resolution for. It's just weird that at so young, you can just watch his face turn intent as he mentally processes the problem, then he will concentrate on it until he firgures it out...well, unless he is too tired, then he does turn whiny until you figure it out for him.
They are both communicating so well. They even have full and understandable dialogues with each other. I will just sit and listen as Aubree explains soemthing to him and he corrects her (bc he is a perfectionist and everything must be conveyed perfectly accurately) and then they will talk about things they want to do. They make up their own games and play them. A lot of people talk about "twin talk" and they have never really done that very much as far as having "their own language" but they do converse with each other constantly. They are lost without each othe most of the time, even when they are mad at each other.
Annabelle is getting to be such a big girl. She is 17 months and almost 25 pounds and in the 90%ile for her height. By the end of this year, I predict she will be as tall as Aubree. She is already wearing 2T clothes that are a little tight on her. (not all of them, but certain brands are). She is my strongest personality out of the 3. She can say a few words like, mommy, daddy, ball, cookie, no, yes, chicken and "oh toooooodles!!!!"- from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse- but other than that, she doesn't say many other words, but you ALWAYS get her meaning. She does not tolerate the twins picking on her in any way. She is the sweetest little cuddle bug though. Pretty much the instant you pick her up, she lays her head on your shoulder (even if she is not tired) and just lays there. A total tease to her personality.
As for Donny and me, well, we are still waiting for the house to sell, Donny is back to work consistently and I am getting used to being a domestic part-time working mom again. (ok, so not so much for the domestic-although I did make a chicken recipe I just threw together in an attempt to become a cook and apparently it worked bc, at Donny's request, we have now had it 3 times in the last week. I am a little sick of it to be honest but if anyone is interested, it is super easy. I wrote the recipe below if interested.) Anywaysm we are all doing great and so ready for 2012!!!
Ok, so that is all for this super long post today! Enjoy these pics of the last year!
OrangeJuice/SalsaMix Chicken Recipe:
>>You just boil about 3c of orange juice (I like pulp, donny doesn't) with about a half tsp of H&H Brand Salsa Seasoning, HOT and let it reduce. Brown 3Chicken breasts on both sides in olive oil. Then put the chicken breasts in the boiling juice while you sautee 2 onions in the oils from the chicken. Get them good and brown/black and super limp and they are PERFECT! Then put the chicken on the sauteed oinions and spread the onions all over the breasts. Then pour the orange juice over the breasts and let simmerfor about 30 minutes until it becomes a glaze. Super fantastic! And my husband, being a gourmet cook himself and a VERY tough food critic even said it is the second best chicken he's had! woohoo!
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