Tuesday, July 31, 2012

"Artez" Calendar

When Leiden came back from Spanish Camp, I asked her what she had done.  She said she had made an 'artez' calendar with noodles and beans.  I had no idea what she was talking about until she showed me--and then it dawned--an AZTEC calendar!


Yesterday with Mimi was still a little stresssful.  Accidents with dirty underwear seem to plague us.  But today, there were no dirty accidents, and the toilet was used correctly!  I am so excited at her progress, and have great hope that this will be ironed out soon.  Go Mimi!

Monday, July 30, 2012

Spanish Camp

Leiden started a week of Spanish Camp today.  It is held at a community center, and we walked her in for her first day.  It's an immersion program, and so when she walked in, they immediately started talking to her in Spanish.  They are very good at trying to help a child who knows no Spanish at least partially understand, but Leiden kind of shut down.  I think she just didn't understand what they were saying, so didn't even try to decipher meaning.  They were trying to get her to pick a Spanish name for the camp, and I finally had to help her and then I took off.  Hopefully she has fun, and starts to try and figure it out.  She was happy when we got her, and seemed excited to return tomorrow, so we'll see.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Gum

The toilet has been used for its intended purpose!  Hip hip hooray, and yippee the zippee!  She woke up from her nap with dirty underwear, but later in the afternoon had some success.  She is forever asking for gum, so that's what I've had on offer.  She eats it like candy.  Chews for a minute, then swallows.  Fine by me!  We were worried about nursery today, but it all went well.  I knew she needed to go during nursery, but luckily I did not have to utilize one of the two pairs of underwear I had in my bag at church.
 
 
 
 
I tried my hand for the second time tonight, making corndogs.  I have discovered preservative-free hotdogs--no nitrates or nitrites, and they taste like regular hot dogs!  They just don't last as long in the fridge.  Corndogs are really awesome, and these have a much better flavor than the frozen ones--of course you bake the frozen ones, and these are fried.  Still awesome.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

It's been a cat in the dryer kind of day.  Really a few days.  Kitty will really try and make any kind of mischief she can, and it's made all the more difficult to discipline her because she's just curious!  There's a saying about that, isn't there?


Mimi is still struggling with this whole poop thing.  She is doing great with urinating, and in fact will hit a week with no wet accidents tomorrow.  I know the poor thing just needs the connection to be established in her brain and this will click, but when?!  And what can I do to help her?!  Hopefully we will see success soon.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

The End

Rob, Adria, and the kids took off, today, but spent the morning at the Sculpture Garden.  Mimi and I stayed home in hopes of not having to clean any underwear.  That was the idea, anyway.

The kids liked the giant spoon and cherry.


I don't know what Aunt Adria was doing, but it must have been awesome. 


Brothers--I'm glad they got to spend a little bit of time together.  They miss each other. 


Good bye, North Carolina Macdonald's!  We loved having you here.  Thanks for making the drive up. 


Mimi and I had really a rather messy day.  Full of dirty accidents (4), and leaving me with little hope for the future.  I am pretty much done with this day.  It can end any time, now.  I know she won't go to Kindergarten in diapers, but it sure feels like she might.  And it feels so awkward to pray to Heavenly Father about poop.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

The kids have been, of course, enamoured of the kitty.  They decided that they would build her a new house.  It was complete with walls, a place for her litter box, toys, a place to climb and scratch, and a cozy place to lay down.

Later this morning we went to West Medicine Lake beach so the kids could swim.  Mimi took several trips to the port-o-potty, but WOULD NOT go.  Ugh.  I'm getting extremely frustrated.  Especially since after the second trip to the potty with no success, she just went in her swimsuit.  I did not bring extra anything, so that meant that she and I went home.  This afternoon after the nap was not much better.  Tomorrow we're going to sit at home and stay close to a toilet and hope that we can have a positive experience to move things along!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Whew!  We braved the Mall of America today, and let me tell you, it is not easy to keep track of 11 people in a bustling mall and amusement park.  The kids all wanted to go on different rides, and so we wandered around and accomodated where we could.


I took Mimi on the log ride.  She came out completely soaking wet, and seemed pretty happy--probably happy to get off the ride.  She did not like the big drop.  At all. 


She looked like this for a few minutes, kind of eyeing the people after they come off the big hill, then turned to me and said, "I do not like that ride." 


Brad's face is great in this one. 


Mac's face is great in this one.  Love the pure joy! 
 
Mimi didn't have any accidents, but lots of obvious needing to go potty but being unwilling to do it.  I'll be putting some Miralax in her drink tonight.
 
 
We went out tonight with Rob and Adria, and went to a restaurant called Bar la Grassa.  Delicious.  It was really delicious.  I took pictures with my new-to-me Android, but it seems to be having trouble saving pictures to the gallery.  Luckily Brad's new phone saved the day.

Monday, July 23, 2012

They're Here!

The North Carolina Macdonald's are here!  This is the sort of thing we do in preparation for family coming--awesome amounts of root beer and cream soda!  (We downed this stuff yesterday with dinner.)
 
 
 
We have been so excited to have them come and see us up here in the North.  They got in later Saturday night, and yesterday was church, cooking for and cleaning up after 7 kids!  This morning we turned on a show for them to watch and I found them a few minutes later all in a row--except for baby Isaac.
There has been much laughter, and a few tears, but we're so happy to have them here!
Mimi is still struggling.  She had some successes last week with her toilet training, but I think so many people in the house, she is distracted and that means accidents.  She's still not getting that we don't make messes in our underwear.  Yesterday at the park, she dirtied two pairs of underwear in the hour or so they were there.  Brad brought her home with no underwear under her shorts.  Needless to say, I'm a little frustrated.  She's doing her best to hold it in, but we need it out!
 
 

Friday, July 20, 2012

Friday Fun

Friday Fun Day at swim lessons!  All morning today was rainy and thunder-y.  Which means the kids can't get in the water.  I checked weather.com multiple times to see when the thunderstorms were supposed to end, and it kept creeping further and further in the day.  We showed up at swim lessons, anyway, if for no other reason than to get their 'report cards', and after a brief wait, were able to get into the water!  Yay!


Both Mac and Leiden really liked their teacher.  Their teacher really had her hands full with this group of kids.  In her words, "They are all so confident, but they can't swim!" 


I set my camera on multiple shot mode, focused, and started shooting while Mac was still at the top of the slide.  Got it.


Leiden is so excited that she passed Level 2!  So next year, we'll start her in Level 3 and keep on learning!  Mac will remain in Level 2, but she doesn't care, as long as she gets to go to lessons.

Go Leiden!  She has learned how to open her eyes underwater, treading water, and can swim with rhythmic breathing in deep water.  Pretty awesome!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Today was a laid back day, training Mimi, and all.  The girls were misted outside by Brad.


The training took a turn for the better today!  After a couple days of no can do, Mimi had two successes!  I am so relieved by this.  I don't remember being this emotionally tied up when training the other two, but I've probably blocked it.


Yippee, the zippee!

Today is also Bapa's birthday--Happy Birthday, Bapa!  Hope your day is awesome and know that we love you!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Mac has been hanging out with Leiden even more than normal, these days.  I felt bad that she was always staying home while Leiden went to friends' houses, so I told her she could go with Leiden.  And then I hoped Leiden's friend would be okay with it!  They were sweet, walking down the street together, and you could hear Leiden directing Mac to stay in the gutter as they went.


Mimi didn't have a single wet accident today!  Hooray!  And I'm trying not to be super frustrated about the poopy accidents she did have.  We've come to the same stumbling block Mac seemed to have, and she is refusing to use the toilet for its intended purpose.  I know when this is over, probably sooner rather than later, it will not be a big deal, but I feel like my patience for this is wearing so thin, already.  But I keep reminding myself that she had no wet accidents!
 

 

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Mimi and I stayed home from church, today.  I didn't feel like she was ready to trot off to nursery.  Upon further reflection, it seemed like yesterday afternoon went a little more haywire--and it happened when the girls were here at home and there was a lot more distraction for the Meems.  So a few hours to ourselves this morning were great.

So as of today, Mimi is doing pretty well.  I forgot to mention that she woke up from her nap yesterday dry!  And then again today!  Nighttime is a different matter, but that will come.

I think Brad got sick enough of stuff on the carpet that even though today is Sunday, he got out the vacuum and Mimi insisted on helping.  Here's hoping she still wants to do it when she's big enough to actually do the chore by herself! 

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Potty Training

Check that out!  It's Mimi in underwear!  We said bye-bye to diapers, today.  Mimi and I stayed home alone to focus on how to be a big girl!  She has done really well, today, although not as well as the book said she would be doing by this evening!  I should remember that it never works out quite like it's advertised, but somehow I always forget.  She is figuring it out, and that's good.


This was this afternoon after she had a particularly ...er...messy success.  After getting in the toilet what was supposed to go in the toilet, she put her arms in the air, and yelled, "Yippee the Zippee!"  completely unprovoked.  It was pretty cute, and I was pretty excited about the ...ahem...movement forward myself.  That bit of potty training was very difficult for Mac, so I'm glad to see success so early in the game with Mimi.


Brad took the older two out to enjoy a day of fun and to stay out of the house.  They went to the eye place.  Good to know they would both be super cute with glasses! 
 


Then they took a trip to the zoo, where they got to perch on a giant mosquito. 


And where they got to ride on a camel! 


Our zoo had the dinosaurs like Hogle Zoo did last year.  They love that they spit and roar. 


They had a great day, and Mimi has made huge strides in just one day.  Yay!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Arboretum

For our anniversary, I gave us a date per month.  I think I told you about it.  Anyway, here we are, already running behind, doing June's date in mid-July.  This month's activity was to go to the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, which we've never been to.  Of course, it was raining and I forgot bug spray, but we still wandered around and saw some pretty awesome stuff.  They have a crazy herb garden (ever heard of lime basil?  I'm totally growing some next year!) and an awesome backyard-sized greenhouse.  (I guess to show how 'easy' it would be to have your own--and it would be easy, but a fortune to keep heated!)  Anyway, like I said, it was moderately drizzling most of the time, so I really didn't get any pictures of us together.  I did, however, get a picture of my favorite part of the night.  We drove around a driving trail there, and we saw some wild turkeys.  Brad immediately pulled over and jumped out and started chasing them!


We were both there. 
 


Here was a separate set of turkeys, these with babies!  I didn't realize turkeys had babies so late in the season.  I thought they were spring babies like most other birds?  Guess not. 


We had a great time, and then went to dinner together.  I love going out on dates, and spending time with the guy who started this whole endeavor with me!  I love you, Brad!  And you can chase turkeys like nobody's business!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Mimi is doing so well at swim lessons!  She's not in the water, but she keeps herself busy while the girls are, and has never tried to run out of the concession area.  I will absolutely have to get her in lessons next year.  We've been working with her in the water ourselves, and she's getting pretty good at holding her breath when we dunk her, and has no fear about jumping in the water.  She's good up to about shoulder height water, and then things get hairy!


She's a super helper in the kitchen these days as long as I let her be!  Tonight she helped me put the wheat berries in the grinder for bread--no small feat, as it's LOUD!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Leiden has just recently discovered bubbles.  She can get her tongue to go the right way to make them, and she has been asking for bubble gum non stop!  By the way, what ever happened to all the flavored bubble gums?  Bubblicious has to come in more flavors than just 'bubble gum'!  Right?


We did another science experiment this afternoon.  We talked about how water always goes down on the earth, unless a force is being exerted on it to go a different way.  And even then, as soon as the force stops exerting, the water comes back down.  We talked a little about gravity, and watched some awesome videos on YouTube about astronauts playing with water in space.  Then we talked about one of the times where water moves up--capillary action!  They don't really care what it's called, they just like to see the flowers turn colors! 


I coudn't find carnations, so I used daisies, in hope they would work--they did!  See the bits of green?


And pink? 


I'm very excited that I've finally finished my blog book for 2010.  I use Blurb, which I really like, and I populate my own book, so it's like scrapbooking with templates.  It takes a while to get it to work out right.  And then all the editing!  And the little changes that have to be made because the words are originally written on a blog right by the pictures.  Anyway, I uploaded 2010 for printing, and should receive it by the 24th.  I'm currently working on 2011.  My goal is to have all the pictures of our family stored both electronically and in books to look at. 


Brad seems to be having a good time--the only time we went to Brussels, we got lost--literally lost, like for hours, and that kind of turned me off to the city.  Unfairly, I know.  We'll have to try again together, someday!