Lia, potty training - Day 2:

Lia had a full day of potty training today. It started out great with a successful pee on the potty! Lia was very proud, as were Jason and I.
The day continued with about another six attempts to use the toilet, and three accidents.

We're still in the initial stage of the potty training process where Lia is just figuring out what her body does, and then she tells us either during or after it has already happened.

Thank goodness for Resolve Carpet Cleaner!! :)

Lia, potty training: day 1

Is there such a thing as a perfect time to potty train a child?
I'm gonna say "no" to that...

However, there are two areas Jason and I feel need to be covered before the potty training process can begin in order to make it a much easier time :
1) when the child shows signs of readiness, and, 2) when the parents are mentally ready, with mindset to follow through until the end.

Of course, no matter when you decide to start, potty training is always going to be a "big event" for both the child and the parents, requiring lots of extra effort put forth by everybody involved.

Well, we're as ready as ever --let's go for it, Lia!

Day 1 (8/15/12):
Lia made about 6 attempts to use the toilet, 1 successful poop on the toilet (yay!), and only 2 accidents. It was a very good day! Aside from putting up a fight for not wanting to wear the underwear, Lia did well with the 5 hours we worked on potty training. The rest of our day was filled with running errands and a visit to one of the grandparents' house, so we chose to diaper her during those times.

Visit from the Tooth Fairy!

Jackson lost his first tooth (8/9/12) while we were at Jellystone! He bit into a nut (apparently using his front teeth for some reason?), turning his slightly wobbly tooth into a definite loose tooth. Jackson must've experienced a moment of sharp pain, followed by an initial shock of disbelief; and then, he yelled in excitement, "Mom, my tooth is loose!"
It took about 24 hours from when his tooth became loose, until he actually lost it. And, instead of his usual talkative, energetic self, Jackson just chose to sit on the couch and work at getting his tooth out. In fact, he became obsessed with getting that tooth out! But who can blame him?...I can remember the pain of having a loose tooth --not too mention, the difficult time a loose tooth can cause while trying to eat.
So, after becoming loose around dinner time on Wednesday, he ended up pulling the tooth out around dinner time on Thursday.

It was a proud and happy moment for Jackson. And, what a neat memory for him to lose his first tooth while vacationing at Jellystone!


And, wait! The story doesn't end there...



only 2 days later...



the tooth fairy struck again!!...



Saturday morning, there was some playful activity happening between Jackson and Jessica, there was a gentle tug on a blanket, followed by a slight BONK to Jackson's mouth, and presto...another tooth came out!

Jackson ended up losing his first 2 teeth within 2 days.

And, apparently, we have a very generous tooth fairy that pays top dollar for your first tooth - $5!! ($1 for all teeth lost thereafter).

I can remember losing teeth as a child, and thinking it was pretty fun and exciting. Have fun on your new adventure, Jackson! :)

Jellystone 2012!

We had another fun trip to Jellystone this year!

It was a little chilly at the outdoor waterpark on the first day, but we were able to make a few happy memories...

Thank goodness for the hot tubs!...

...and the snacks :)

Our mode of transportation during our stay at Jellystone park...

Jessica really liked the craft center this year...she painted a dog and a Christmas ornament.

Jessica and Lia spent some time playing at the outdoor sand park...

...and had a fun time burying Dad! ...leaving him with a bit of "itches in his britches" - not too mention, a bit of sand in his ears and mouth too! Poor Daddy ;)

Jackson had a great time at the indoor waterpark!

Jason and I spent a small fortune at the arcade this year. But...

...once we saw the high-quality, top-notch toys, our kids were able to get after trading in all their tickets, we knew our money was well spent! lol:)

Jason and Grandpa Terry grilled up a nice steak dinner for the family - despite the torential down pour we received over the dinner hour!

Cousin, Maddy, and the girls with Cindy Bear...

Train ride around the park...

Our fun three days spent at Jellystone were also accompanied by Grandma Barb, Grandpa Terry, Uncle Zach, Uncle Ryan, Maddy, and Logan. Although I failed to get pictures of everyone in our group, I was able to capture everyone in a video. The 7 minute video clip highlights our fun campfire. It also contains some bonus video footage of the luxurious interior of our park model cabins. ;)

Night Terrors on Well Street

There are a few difference between a nightmare and a nightterror. Most noteable are the ability to wake, and the ability to remember the dream. When someone has a nightmare, they can be woken up (or wake up on their own), they can be comforted, and usually they can remember what that nightmare was about. During a night terror, however, it's just the opposite, the individual is hard to wake, difficult to comfort, and cannot recall the dream. And, unfortunately, we believe Jackson may be suffering from occasional night terrors. It happened just before kindergarten last summer, once during his kindergarten year in school, and now for the third time just a few nights ago. It is a fact night terrors are more common in boys, but, the onset of a night terror could be for any number of reasons, like, too much stress/anxiety, sleep deprivation, big change or drama, etc. When it comes to Jackson, Jason and I feel it is simply the loss of a normal and early bedtime routine. During the summer we become more relaxed with our kids' bedtimes, and as a result, their bedtime routines suffer as well. While the girls tend to get pretty tired and are good about falling asleep around 8 or 8:30 every night, Jackson can stay up until 10:30 without any trouble at all. It'll be 10:30 one night for him, and then 8:30 the next night. Not to mention his normal routine with reading books before bed also gets pushed to the wayside, especially on the late nights. So, when Jason and I discussed some ideas as to why Jackson may be having night terrors, his bedtime inconsistency turned out to be the best answer. In order to fix the problem, we have to focus on creating a more "normal bedtime routine." Obviously, there will be exceptions, i.e. our family Jellystone and Detroit Lakes trips, when an early bedtime will not be feasable, but for the most part, Jason and I will be making a conscious effort to regain and maintain control over bedtime. Night terrors are scary and horrible for all those involved. I'm hopeful our plan will work, and may Jackson please never have to go through such a difficult night again!

Fun summer activity!

Riverside Amusement Park in La Crosse has mini golf, batting cages, and go-karts. It's a little taste of heaven...for a kid!

The mini golf course was a big hit for everyone...

Jason was able to take Jackson and Logan for a ride on the go-karts. Jessica chose not to go this time around...

Jackson and Logan also had a fun time in the batting cages! I'll have to get pictures next time.

Slide happy!

Jason and I took the kids to the Onalaska Aquatic Center last night for a family swim. It was lots of fun as it always is when we go; however, the most enjoyable moment for Jason and I was the satisfaction we felt watching Jessica enjoy herself on the big slides. It started with a simple question from big brother Jackson, "Hey Jess, you wanna go on the big slides with me?" After thinking for only a moment, Jessica replied, "OK!" Jason and I were thinking, WHAT? Where did that come from? Not only did we think she was too short (you have to be 42 inches tall, which Jess just barely meets), we also didn't really believe she would go through with it. So, Jason took both Jackson and Jessica up the long staircase to the top of the slides. I waited down at the bottom with Lia, expecting to see him turn back around and walk back down the stairs with Jessica. And then a moment happened that I'd like to preserve in my mind forever -Jackson came out the faster yellow slide smiling and laughing a few seconds before sister, Jessica, came out the slower blue slide...also smiling and laughing. Yay Jess! You did it! It was a very proud moment for us all. And about 50 times (literally) down the blue slide later, we decided it was time to call it a night and head back home. Although I didn't take any pictures of Jess during her big adventure, BOO:( --here's the only picture of the Onalask Aquatic Center I could find. The yellow and blue big slides are way in the background: