our sanity is questionable

In addition to potty training, I made the call to convert the girls' beds from cribs to toddler beds. Except I chickened out part way through the remodel. So, only the front railing has been removed. That means, if this is all a horrible disaster, it will be easy to replace the railing and go back to the safe, warm and cuddly place that provided us all a good night's sleep.


As of midnight, the evening has gone as follows:

7:30pm
Just closed the door on the RGs and R is already out and climbing in with E. Thnx video monitor

Now they're singing, running in circles and swapping Nannie blankets. Oh crap! And getting into their dresser.

8:00pm
It's like the camping with the raccoon army all over again. Why did we let them out!

8:30pm
Just finished the first (of many, I'm sure) barge-into-room-restore-order-return-shortpeople-to-beds.

9:30pm
2nd time in. This time at a dead run. Vomit. Ruby hurling after trying to swallow a penny. She & Em were in bed together. Barf in E's hair.

10:20pm
J's just gone back in, with clean, vomit-free Nannie blankets and is putting Ruby back in her own bed. Again.

10:40pm
Watching Ruby take ALL her stuffed friends + blanket over to Emme's bed. She's moving in. Guess we'll push their beds together tomorrow.

Now Ruby's singing, 'We did it. We did it." Clever little things. The camera is on Ruby's bed and we can only hear them now.

11:15pm
Oh.my.word. We've been back in there twice more. Ruby has so much of her stuff in Emme's bed, neither of them can lay down.

11:20pm
J declared the parent involvement over and said they have to work it out themselves. This is more humorous but just as agonizing as cry-it-out

11:40pm
Quiet. But both in Emme's bed. Video monitor still aimed at Ruby's bed. Can't see a thing. But, can't hear anything either. Good?

Weebegon Update

Potty Boot Camp wasn't quite as exciting today. I think the girls thought that was a fun Friday activity, but now on to our normal Saturday routine. They were both less than excited when the requested diapers did not appear.

They made it to lunch time without peeing once. Despite lots of liquids and much encouragement. Once M&Ms were mentioned as a bribe, Em was on board and got her business done a few times. Roo held out until right before naptime. The afternoon brought much of the same. Em had an accident on purpose, just testing what might happen and if rewards were offered for pee even if it wasn't in the potty. Roo forgot to pull off her panties while she sat on the potty.
So, a bit more clean up today, even though there was less pee. We'll see if they're more resigned to the new routine tomorrow.

Also, I may have to offer up more tempting beverages. The juice boxes are old hat and lemonade and orange juice have lost their appeal. Maybe just more salty snacks so they're thirsty. Ideas?

Lake Weebegon

What a difference 5 months make.

Em picked out her panties this morning, proceeded to drink 32 ounces of liquid and then hold her pee for 3 hours. Obviously, at critical mass, flooding was imminent. I was watching her like a hawk. Then, Roo told me she had the stinky pants. In the moments it took to clean Roo up, Em darted away to pee her pants.

I caught her quickly, managed to help her finish in the potty and then handed out rewards like a drunk, happy Santa.
It must have done the trick. Because she got herself to the potty the rest of the day and cleaned out my prize closet!

Nap time was somewhat successful. Meaning, Em took a great nap and woke up with damp undies, not soaked. We'll keep working on that and are choosing to go the pull-up route for night sleeping.

But the biggest surprise was Roo! She watched all the goings-on and decided to get her potty train on for the afternoon. I couldn't be more thrilled. She missed a few times, but got herself on a potty 5 times this evening for success. She's excited about going for "F" tomorrow. Because she gets a letter sticker for each pee in the potty.

Em's currency is, well, currency. The girl is mad for money. Each time she sat on the potty today she got a penny. Every time she peed, she got a 'box' for her pennies. The boxes are tiny drawers in a small chest. Six of them all together. She earned them all today. And dubbed it her "Penny House". Tomorrow, I'll let her choose more things to go in the 'house' (pennies, nickles, colored beads, polished stones). Em just adores tiny trinkets.

Here's hoping the news from Lake Weebegon is good tomorrow, as well.

unpaid and unskilled labor

Not that I'll be getting paid for it, but Project Potty Training is on, as of tomorrow. For Em. Roo gets to put it off one more week. Bribes have been purchased and pull-ups are running low. Please, Lord! Have mercy on us!

next, the kitchen sink

Dear Em,

Tonight I went to change the sheets on your bed. The following is a list of things I had to remove to actually get to your sheets.
*beach ball
*foam ball
*tea cup
*6 shapes blocks
*pennies
*beads
*4 blankets
*2 pillows
*2 books
*a baby doll
*the spinny speller
*a sticker

You were, understandably, disappointed when you retired for the evening and found your bed clear of everything but blankets and a pillow. I'm sorry.

love,
Mama

neighborhood of make believe

Tonight Em made the most magical make believe toy out of 1 foot of skinny metal pipe.

It was..
- a flute
- a guitar
- a twirling baton
- a shovel
- a conductor's baton
- a drum stick
- a paint brush
- a violin
- a music note
...and a candle
She pointed it up to the sky so that, from her perspective, the bright ball of the setting sun was poised at the tip of the pipe. Then, she proudly exclaimed, "IT'S A CANDLE IN THE SKY!"
(Em usually speaks in all caps with lots of dramatic gestures).

fishing

Dear Roo,

We're on to your tricks. Aunt Kaki just briefed me on the green bean incident tonight. About how you kept a wad of veggies tucked in your cheek for the better part of an hour and refused to chew them. And how she coached you on chewing them up and you would play along, then stop. Eventually, she fished the whole, barely chewed mess from your mouth so you could, you know, go.to.bed. So, just know this... next time, green beans have to go all the way to the party in your tummy first! Then. Then, you can have bacon. Or dessert.

Love,
Mama