2:30

My oldest daughter is smart and independent and loves to do things for herself. This is GREAT about 99% of the time. You know, she loves to get her own drink, or go play outside (in the fenced in backyard) by herself, or take care of the baby while I am helping her sister. She also brushes her own teeth, HOWEVER, I have GOT to give them a "review" when she's done, because she doesn't LIKE actually brushing them, which is why she volunteers to do it so she can race through!

Tonight after brushing, I asked her to come over so I could inspect. She smiled and I asked to see the inside, since the back of teeth are not only harder to brush, but easy for kids to "forget". Well, lo and behold when she opened up wide I got a big surprise! Her first adult tooth has broken through! I began screaming and cheering and told her what a big girl she was and how exciting! She began to celebrate with me, the baby laughed maniacally and Iris giggled along.

She was one of the few kids in her K class that hadn't lost any teeth yet, and I wasn't too surprised as I still had 3 baby teeth in 8th grade that were pulled in order to start my orthodontic work. Wow...my big girl! I do have a few concerns, like the size of this tooth in comparison to her small mouth and also, how far away from her current "tooth line" it is. I expect all my children to need braces since terribly crooked teeth run in the family. We'll have to see how this all goes. I *think* her from left bottom tooth is slightly loose, so maybe in the next week or so she'll get to put it under her pillow for the Tooth Fairy! Whooo hooooo!

Adventures in Potty Training!

I would NEVER suggest to someone to start potty training before two...usually. My stance is typically that when a child is ready, not only will it be easier and less messy for you, but it will be easier emotionally on the child. Some kids are ready at 2...others are still not ready at 4. Gentle encouragement after a certain age is great, but honestly, your kid won't be in diapers forever...don't push it!

My girls were both trained right around 2.5 years old. It was quick, easy, and painless. I had always heard boys are so much harder to train than girls and that they usually aren't going to use the potty till age 3 or later, so I never expected this. Alexander first used the potty at a year old. He loved it, thought it was great, plus, he got to play with his favorite toy...if you know what I mean. He continued to randomly use the potty for a while, with no pushing from me, but just happy encouragement when he wanted to go.

For the past 2 months he's consistently pooped in the potty (hooray for not having to wash poo diapers anymore! LOL) and has been hit or miss with his tinkles. Some days, we could have gone all day with no accidents, even during nap, others, I went through every pair of undies he owned in an hour. Needless to say, that was perfectly fine, I HARDLY expected a potty trained 18 month old. Now, at 2o months old today, he went consistently, even at the grocery store, in underwear. While shopping he even "told" me he had to go pee, and went IN the potty, on the other end of the store, without so much as a drip in his underoos. I am SO proud of him. This is AWESOME. I don't know if it's because of his sisters, I don't know if it's because of cloth diapering, I don't know if he's just a genius (haha) but this is such new and uncharted territory for me...and I LOVE it.

So, wish Alexander and I luck tomorrow (today) with our new adventures in underwear!!

Just a day in the life!

So it was not even 9 am and Alex was already painting the cabinets with butter. How, pray tell, did he get butter?

Well, Maggie has a cut on her finger that she insisted needed bandaging, so she ran to the bathroom to get the stepstool, to reach the counter, to get the band aids. However, she did not put it back, so a few bored minutes later Alexander made his way to the stool to find the butter that I had used to put on their toast not long before (we were still EATING breakfast!) and he decided that what he wanted to do with the butter was to give the cabinets a shine...so he did.

Shortly after that, while I was cleaning up the cabinets and putting the butter away, he decided to take off his undies and sit on the couch to pee. If he knew he had to pee, and he knew to take off his underwear, I really don't know why he chose the couch as his target. *sigh*

While cleaning up the urine, he climbed up on to the end table, let out a loud "Ta da!" threw his hands up in the air and launched to the ground, unharmed, thankfully.

I get a diaper on him, because today just doesn't feel like a day to work on potty training and relax for a few minutes before chaos ensues again...it's just another day but man, these days are long!

Photo OP

I had mentioned in a previous blog that I would be creating a blogspot for my photography, so that those of you not interested in those musings could avoid talk of it on a regular basis and because, aside from that, this blog was created to chronicle my life as a mom to my 3 darlings.

So, for anyone who was curious about it, I want you to go here and check it out. Let me know what you think about how it looks and feel free to comment on the posts/pictures over there. Thanks ladies!

School's Out for the Summer, School's Out for Forever...

Today is Maggie's last day of kindergarten but more than that, it is her last day of school. Next year we will officially kick off homeschooling. The method is still to be decided, but we're leaning towards charter school, at least for the first year. I am both excited and sad. There are just too many issues with the school system and our family. I thought that a private school would have been better, but alas, politics and bullshit follow you everywhere.

All in all, she had a good year and made some good friends, one of whom is an angel and I hope never loses touch. There were many instances that occurred with other children (bully type issues) that I feel were not handled well, if at all, by the school and staff. It brought back my own memories of how horribly my brother and I were treated, but ours were because of our hand-me-down clothing and our obvious naivety. Nonetheless, it started a course of bullying that followed me from school to school. It didn't help that I developed breasts in fourth grade, owning a C cup in 6th grade. In 8th grade a rumor started that I had implants. I remember thinking, even at the age of 13, how preposterous that notion was, but it did little to sway the popular belief that my breasts were fake.

That has taken me off on a tangent! My goodness. Well, in a few minutes I am leaving to bring our 4 kittens to school for Maggie's last show and tell. I am excited, as is she, to share the kittens with the kids and go to the class one last time. There is a party at the park afterward for all the K students that she wants to attend, so I think we'll have to make an appearance.

I am excited to start a new phase in our life and am looking forward to a busy summer.

Acrobatic Nursings

From the time he realized he had feet, Alexander has taken it upon himself to make nursing time into a game. This usually serves to entertain himself, not so much me. It was innocent enough when it started, he'd gently stroke my cheek or chin with his foot, or rub my collar bone...but then, it became more, so much more. The gentle strokes soon turned to kicks FOLLOWED by loving touches. Eventually the kicks were all that remained and not long after that he would simply THRASH about in my arms, typically causing me to say "Enough! You're done!" and end the whole session right then and there.

The thing is, he's not doing it to be mean, the opposite in fact. I think he just so enjoys his nursies but really and truly doesn't know how to sit the heck still! I definitely enjoy still nursing him, as it's usually the one time in the day we are NOT dealing with utter chaos, but when he's in an ornery mood it just makes me irritated!

I think I'm going to purchase some football gear and stay completely suited up throughout the day, this is what my toddler has driven me to! If it's not one thing, it's another. Is it too late to back out of this? *snicker*

What I've been up to

So what exactly do I do when I am neglecting my blog here? Well, other than wiping noses and bottoms, picking up toys while balancing dishes and picking up and dropping kids off at school I am working on my photography. I started taking pictures for fun years ago, *never* serious about it whatsoever. However, after having Alexander I've really started to focus on what I am doing. It is slowly growing in to a business and I recently invested in a new camera to aid in that even more.

I love it and hope to see it really become something. The kids, however, are not always as fond of me having a camera in their face, but the people I have had the pleasure of working with so far have been thrilled. To me there is nothing more fulfilling than taking pictures and capturing someone's life, especially growing bellies and sweet new babies. *melt* The baby bug is biting again...how is this possible?



On top of picture taking I am dealing with the emotions that every mother deals with when her baby has progressed from baby to toddler. On top of the emotions that accompany the quickness in which children grow come the emotions of DEALING with a toddler. For me, I am experiencing many new things because Alexander is my first boy, my first nursling, my first cloth diapered baby, etc. But he is also the first child that has truly tried my abilities as a mum. He has always been "all boy" but now that he's gained new abilities as a rough and tumble tot he is even more intense. Some days all I can do to keep myself from running to the loony bin is to literally run away and hide. If he can't find me for 5 minutes, maybe it'll be long enough to calm down and not string him up by his toes!

Remember that book "I'll Love You Forever" by Robert N. Munsch? He reminds me oh so much of the little boy in that book...

Margaret has one week left of school after which she will be a 1st grader! Holy cow! I cannot even begin to believe I have a first grader. She survived kindergarten, and at a Catholic school, no less. It is official, though, that next year she'll be homeschooled, most likely through our local charter school...that is, unless, we end up in the great state of Texas. Which is a story for another post!

Iris seems to both despise and enjoy preschool, which is typical Iris fashion to be basically fickle as all get out! She only goes two days a week and will also be out by Friday. I am wondering what I am going to do with these kids all day come summer...I better start planning now!

As much as I could keep writing, and oh how I do want to, I must saunter off to bed. I've gotten in to the habit of staying up far too late working on pictures and it's getting the better of me come afternoon each day!

I promise to keep the blog updated and plan to start one specifically for photography so I don't bore those of you not at all interested in it! Thank you to anyone who still reads these ramblings! Nighty Night!