Potty training success.

I think I can officially say that Twinkie's potty training has been successful. She hasn't had an accident in two weeks. Well, there was one day she peed on the ground when she was outside running in the sprinklers but I am not going to count that. She knew what she was doing because she moved her swimsuit to the side so she could 'make a puddle.' She has been wearing a diaper to bed but she has been dry for about a week. The other night she even woke me up in middle of the night to tell me she had to go pee. The funny part is that the bathroom is closer to her than my room but oh well. She usually goes herself and I only ask her once or twice a day. She is obsessed with going to the bathroom at Mr. Man's work. Anytime we are there to pick him up or drive by she wants to go pee at daddy's work.

It's funny at night when she has a diaper on because she tells us "I am a baby now." But when she takes off the diaper she is a big girl.

We went and picked up a playhouse that we bought off someone on a yahoo group. I love it. I will take a picture tomorrow and post it. I had to bribe my brother to haul it for me. It's like a smaller pink version of a wood shed. It even has a porch. The man threw in the stuff he had with it so I also got a Little Tikes table and chairs, a washer and some kind of kitchen thing. He also gave me one of those big plastic cars that you ride in.

The house needs to be touched up and maybe some kind of linoleum for the floor but it's in great shape and we got it for like 1/4 of the price of a new one. We would've never bought one if I hadn't seen this one. I was lucky too because I was able to see it the next morning and they still had several people coming later that day. Even though we aren't moving for awhile, I am dreading having to beg someone to move it for me again. Oh well. The things we do for our children :). And I guess from my brother's standpoint, things he will do for his very cute nieces.

We are moving.

Well not any time soon but we have a plan. That is always a start. When we moved here, it was never meant to be forever. Now two children later, we need to figure out what we want to do. So in one and half years or so we are moving to the town an hour away. We will still be close to my family but far enough away for me to be able to keep my sanity. I love my family but it's so hard living next door to them. I have mentioned this before, but we are just so different from them. We need to get our cars paid off and by then we will be mostly out of debt.

This is kind of the straw that broke the camel's back. It isn't the reason but more of a sum of everything that happens. Twinkie did something that she shouldn't have. I think it was more parent error than toddler error so she had to sit down and that was that. Then a little while later, I am sitting there with my sister in law, brother, and mom. My sister in law says, "Don't get offended but I think you should've spanked her." Ummm...anytime someone starts a sentence like that, you know you will be offended. I just told her that we had different views about discipline and left like that. However, I was seething. I was kicking myself for not saying anything. When I complained to my mom her reply was that she would've said it if my sister in law didn't.

It is nobody's flucking business how I discipline my children. My sister in law is my friend....a very good friend and of all people knows how it irritates me when my parents criticize me like that. I was so upset and it might be a little childish but I feel betrayed by her. I will remain friends with her but it will take me a long time to trust her again. I know that might sound like an overreaction on my part but you should just take my word for it.

So it's just all the little things that add up to me hating it here. I hate that I am judged by them. I hate that my mom is so negative to me about everything. I hate how everything we do with or buy our children is compared to what everyone else has. The hardest thing is that my parents have young children at home. So even though they are grandparents, they have children not much older than mine and that makes for a very strange dynamic.

Mr. Man and I finally had a long, overdue talk and he is on board with us leaving. He loves it here. But the fact is, he doesn't interact with my family that much so why would it bother him? He doesn't live it day in and day out. Now that I have started telling him all the comments and things that happen with the kids, he believes me. Twinkie will miss her cousins and I am sad about that. I would've loved for them to go to the same school and grow up together. However, we will still see them.

I have to get out for my sanity, however selfish that may be.

My baby turned 1 today.

I know I have been a blogger slacker. I have pretty much been a slacker in my day to day life so I need to get back in the groove.

Tater turned 1 today. I can't believe how time is flying. She is a toddler now, not a baby. Well I guess she is still my baby. She is going to walk any day now and I don't know if I am ready for that. It seems like she just started crawling.

When we found out that I was pregnant with Tater, it was such a huge shock. We had tried for years to get pregnant with Twinkie. I was even on clomid for several months and it didn't work. Then one day I was pregnant. My pregnancy with her was stressful and hard. I had a severe bleeding and they thought I would lose her at 3 months and then I had another episode at 5 months. The birth wasn't great. The dr ended up using a vacuum and I had major tearing. Ouch. I know you are cringing.

Anyway, just after Twinkie turned one, I was pregnant with Tater. It's like I can't get pregnant and then I have them not even 2 years apart. I was working at the time and had plans to be there longterm. Then she came along and everything changed. Honestly, I was shocked at being pregnant but I wasn't that happy. For a few months there, I think I bordered on being depressed. I felt so horrible and guilty about not being totally happy. My sister in law thought I was horrible because how could I not already love her? Well I didn't. I loved Twinkie so unconditionally that I couldn't imagine feeling that way about another baby. At that point, I would've been happy with just one child. Now, I can't imagine my life without her.

I know so many people feel that way. My cousin just went through it when she was pregnant with her second. However, when Tater was born, everything changed. Of course I loved her. Even though people tell you that love multiplies and doesn't divide, it doesn't really make sense until the second one is here. My pregnancy was so easy with her. Even though I was induced with her, the birth was 20 times easier and faster. I pushed for a few minutes where it was a couple of hours with Twinkie. My epidural with Twinkie didn't work but it was great with Tater. How funny it was so different.

Anyway, she turned one today. We are having a party for both girls next week. Tonight, we just ate cupcakes and she opened a present. It was just the four of us.

As I type, Tater is trying her hardest to keep up with her older sister. They should be in bed but they have been playing so well together that I hate to break it up. I love the way that Tater squeals. I love how she has to touch me when she is falling asleep. I love the way she will pop her pacifier out of her mouth and expect to nurse and gets mad if it doesn't happen. She is growing up so fast. She wants to be independant but still needs me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!

Busy Weekend

My in laws came this weekend. Well they actually came Sunday and are leaving in the morning. Sunday, we met them for dinner. Twinkie had played outside all day and halfway through dinner, she fell asleep sitting up. It was kind of funny. Then today, we went and met them early. We walked around town and ate lunch. Then we went to the park and the girls had a blast. They went swimming with their Grammy and Twinkie floated on her own. I am so proud of her. They took a quick nap and we went shopping and then ate dinner. Visits are usually pretty short so we pack in as much as we can. Twinkie was so sad that they were leaving. She insisted that we move her carseat so she pretty much spent the whole day with them. It was a nice visit. My girls are lucky that they are loved like that.

So, we are eating lunch today. We are about 1/2 way through and Twinkie said that she had to go potty. I take her and she takes FOREVER. She is sitting on the toilet singing and counting. Finally she goes and we go back to the table. She is telling me that she has to finish eating. Well we get to the table and all the plates have been cleared. I was extremely irritated at my husband. Since he was done, he gives such little thought that Twinkie and I spent 1/2 the lunch in the bathroom. Twinkie was upset and kept asking for more food. I was upset because it was absolutely UNthoughtful of my husband. Anyway, I don't know why it annoyed me so much but it did.

We are having a yard sale this weekend. I mostly only have baby things so we'll see. It usually goes pretty well because there are three families. We have one every year. What is funny is that we have the same people stop by every year. I need to make money. Want to know why? hehe

I am driving home the other day when I pass this Mexican restaurant that is selling Pinatas. I stop and buy the biggest Spongebob pinata ever made. It's huge. It like comes up to my shoulders. The girls birthday is in a couple of weeks so I thought I would use it then. However, it's going to be expensive to fill. I haven't decided what to put in it but I could put anything because it's so big. Whenever I get a chance, I will take a picture. It's actually in my parent's garage because I don't even have enough space to store it. How funny.

snapshots

Here are a couple of pictures of my munchkins. Twinkie loves her some cheese in a can.

I'm home.

We are finally home. We all have the stench of campfire, sunscreen and bug spray but you know...The good news is that the camper had no evidence of mice. There were also tons of people there. Twinkie had so much fun. She partied like a rock star. She even got to swim in the lake. That was alot to take with my OCD tendencies but it was fine. Even Tater loved sitting in sand and crawling around. She wasn't a fan of the water but she still had fun.

It was soooo hot though. Seriously in middle of the day, unless you were in the water, you better hope you had air conditioning. Ugh. I am so freaking tired. Both girls have taken baths. I think I am going to take a shower and go to bed. Ohhhh....my own bed. You would've thought I had been gone for weeks instead of just two nights.

Libraries probably hate me.

I am a horrible book checker outer. Is that even a term? Anyway, in the past (aka: before children), I would read all the time. I don't as much now but I still try. I usually buy books but the problem is that I read them so fast that it is always such a waste of money. I try to become money conscious and go to the library.

When I buy a book, I read it and then it's still new looking and I donate them or sale them (except if I love it and I put it on my bookshelf). Anyway, if I check a book out of the library, it's just a disaster. About 6 months ago I checked out a book and I could never find it to return it. I ended up having to pay for it. Wouldn't you know I found it a week later under my car seat. Then last night, my cat knocked over my drink all over the book I am currently reading. So I quickly ordered it off Amazon and I hope they are nice since I am replacing it. One of the children's books I have has teeth marks and I am suspicious that those teeth marks would match up perfect with Tater. I suck with library books.

I still have a book from another library (you know, the porn one) that I can't find even though I really thought I returned it. I am usually an organized person. How is it then that I can't manage to take care of a couple of books that I borrow? My books are perfect, books I borrow....something always happens.


We are going camping in the morning. Woo hoo (enter sarcasm here). So everyone have a great 4th of July!

Camping.

I guess we are going camping over the weekend. I hate camping. I always have. I am not one that can go without showers and I can NEVER pee in the wilderness. I just wasn't cut out for it. However, we now have a camper. I think it's from like the 80's but hey, it's a camper. It's been sitting outside all winter so I was positive there would be mice evidence. If you have read my blog previously, you know there can't be anything worse. I looked today and it seemed okay so we'll see. The last time we went it was last summer and I was like 9 months pregnant. It was not fun at all. Especially when everyone gets drunk and I am sitting there fat and sober. I am still nursing so I guess I will still be the fat and sober one.

The only reason I am going is because everyone is going. I have a huge extended family and they use this as kind of an unofficial reunion. My grandparents have a 'homemade' campground about a mile from a lake. It's pretty nice. There are bathrooms and a playground. I know Twinkie will have tons of fun. So wish me luck that I survive the wilderness (well semi-wilderness).


Potty training is going okay. Twinkie didn't want to put on a diaper for bed tonight so I know she will wet the bed. Oh well. Today, she peed her pants in the car. Being the bad mom that I am, I didn't have any extra clothes. I tried to rinse out her panties and shorts in the bathroom at the restaurant and then dry it with the auto dryer and it kind of worked. I am sure the people that came in loved my 2 year old standing there half naked. Plus, I kept running the dryer and it made it soooo hot in the bathroom.

Then we went to Walmart to buy things for our 'camping' trip. Going camping is expensive after all. We bought marshmallows but we already opened them and me and the girls ate some. I should've bought an extra bag. When will I learn? How can you resist a huge marshmallow? Okay, I admit that I opened the bag before we even pulled out the parking lot. If you would have seen the way that Twinkie said marshmallow, you would've caved too. She said it right, it was just the way she moved her mouth that was funny.

We were watching Dora this afternoon and it was an episode about Dora and Boots celebrating Best Friends Day. Twinkie came and hugged me and told me "Happy Best Friends Day Mom." Then she told me I was her best friend.

It just doesn't get any better than that.