Potty training

For the past 2 weeks we have been serious on the potty training wagon with Xander.  I didn't get my Christmas wish of "all I want for Christmas is a potty trained boy," but we've had some serious progress in this house!  Because we've had so much time together, we've worked on mornings and nights on using the toilet and getting familiar with recognizing when he needs to go.  Today after school we decided to work on afternoon potty training.  It's gone great!  He's had undies on for 4 hours and only 1 accident.  He's even told us "uh-oh, it's coming," and we make a mad dash to the bathroom.  I made the mistake earlier today while we were upstairs of telling him to use "his" toilet in his bathroom.  Well now that's the only bathroom he wants to use.  Not any fun while you're in the middle of making dinner!

During the last 2 weeks his training was quite hilarious.  He'd go, get off, get a sticker, then have to go again.  And he'd go again (not just dribbles either!).  And he'd repeat this process at least 4 times!!  In the very beginning he was concentrating on going number 2.  I think it helped because every time he was working on that, he'd pee too.  Now we're working on going all at once and not up and down.  So far today (which is nearly over), he's not been up and down at all.  He's recognizing.  I may ask him every second while he's in undies if he needs to go potty, but he knows when he does.  I just don't want him to forgot that he needs to stop what he's doing and go potty on the toilet.

Sterling...we'll she sits on the toilet A LOT.  Has yet to go pee, but for the first time tonight she went number 2!  YAH Sterling!  Way to go!!!  We have a long way to go with her but I'm hoping that her wanting to sit on the toilet so much and seeing brother go, will get her going :) 

On Sunday and Monday we will go all day in undies and hopefully he'll go to school on Tuesday in undies!  That's our goal :)

Way to go kiddos!

COLD

It's more like a bitter, brutal cold out there.  This past fall we reached record breaking temps (107) and our air went out...boy was that a hot one!  Yesterday our temps were -32 and our heat goes out!  BRRRRRRR!  What's with the record breaking weather and the furnace/ac going out?!  Good thing yesterdays was just the pilot light needing to be reset, but man was it some trouble figuring out how to do that.  We've never had to do it before so we didn't know where to begin.  Good thing for Dr. Google :)  An hour later our heat was blazing again.

Schools in the area are closed today.  Kids and I will be staying in and staying warm today and then the rest of the week, they'll be at PDO.

I started working on organizing all of our stuff that was sent to long term storage while we were living in Germany.  I feel like throwing it all out the door!  We didn't use it for the 3 years we lived in Germany.  Obviously didn't need it.  If we did, we bought new in Germany.  Why keep it?  My lovely husband has a hard time letting go of stuff.  He can just imagine himself reusing an item 20 years from now, so why get rid of it?  So while he's at work this week, I will finish this task and he won't even know what's missing because it's been so long since he's seen it :)  For me, I have a hard time letting clothes go.  The clothes I outgrew.  2 sizes too small.  Work clothes.  Shoes.  Purses.  Those are my weaknesses.  I'll be purging those as well.  Nothing will be left out.  Ok, maybe I'll leave all his military crap alone (for now).  A huge box of cords?  Not looking forward to going through that, but we seriously do not need that many of one item!  Desktop style computers, you'll be taken to best buy to be recycled!  Things that someone could benefit from, they'll be donated.  Other things will just be tossed to the curb!

This shall be a fun week :)

Five on Friday

Linking up again with Darci from the good life blog this week.  

{One}

I've been so excited all week for Thursday to come.  The kids started back with PDO and it was their first Thursday.  I was also a bit nervous since there would be different kids and their favorite teacher was not teaching Thursdays.  They did awesome and talk non stop when they get home about what they did at school.

Xander wanted to get himself dressed for school that day.  Top shirt on backwards and bottom shirt is a tank top down around his waist.

{Two}

On Tuesday Nick went to work and an hour later he called me on his way back home.  He didn't know it was a down day.  After he got home, we took the kids to the zoo and we celebrated New Years Eve with the animals wearing fun character masks, disco ball necklaces and lollipops.  What could be better?

{Three}

New Year, new possibilities!

{Four}

Gymboree.  My absolute favorite store and I found a steal this week.  They had 4 racks of $5.99. I found Xander 2 summer outfits and Sterling a top and leggings, plus headbands for .99 :) I just love getting a good deal!  I now have $125 in Gymbucks to use at the end of the month on the new line that will be coming out.  Beyond excited!

{Five}

We have been presented with an option that will impact our future a great deal.  Right now we are weighing the pros and cons and hope to have our decision made in the next two weeks.  We're both really excited about new possibilities.  My excitement was a bit of a shocking surprise for Nick, I'm usually a bit more reserved and cautious when dealing with our future.