Death by Cars Potty

Now that Nate is 2, we have started talking about potty training.  A few other friends, who's kiddos are around the same age, have started.  So I guess we are jumping on the bandwagon.  Jocy got her first potty seat at 18 months.  She loved it at first but lost interest after a few months.  She finally was potty trained by 2 1/2.  Elly was about the same age.  I trained them myself in the middle of winter.  Let me tell you the joys of having to clean up accidents from carpet.  I was so excited when we had hardwood floors with Elly... but she still managed to find the little carpet in the house to pee on.  It's like the dogs.  They would only get sick or whatever on the carpet.  Ugh!  Even downstairs where it is 99% wood!  They would go after my rugs!


I was walking thru Target one day, my favorite past time, and spotted a Car potty chair.  There was a handle that was the "flusher" that looked like a gear shift.  COOL!  And when you push it made the sound of an engine revving.  For anyone that knows me, I am just slight car obsessive.  A good V8.... mmmmm..   The price was right, Nate's birthday was the end of the month... SOLD.  So I got my son a potty for his bday.  I was pretty excited about it.  The first potty seat we bought was pretty boring.  But back then, everything was.  We didn't get the cheapest.... but Joel sure put up a fight about it, so we settled for the second cheapest.  It worked... was rarely used as a potty chair.  They liked putting the seat on the big potty and using the rest for a step.  But hey, they both were potty trained pretty quickly.


The day of Nate's birthday I was pretty excited.  The cool potty chair, Disney undies, his first Detroit Tigers tee and the expensive Woody to go with his Buzz he got for Christmas.  He loved all his gifts.  Especially the undies!   Joel unpacked the potty and put it together.  Nate loved the noises it made.  Joel got him to take the diaper off and sit on the potty.  Success.... he likes it.  We couldn't keep him out of the bathroom.


Fast forward to a week later.  I had told Joel ever since Nate was born, he was potty training this one.  I did the last two!  Plus I don't know how that thing works.  I think it is a good arrangement.... I take the girls and he gets the boy.  He gets one less!!!  Nate walked in the bathroom behind Joel, so what better time to start working on it.  Worked on the pants down thing, took the dipe off.  Told Nate to sit on the potty..... and ALL.HELL.BROKE.LOOSE!!!  Screaming, crying, foot stomping, then he ran out of the room.  What?  He just loved that thing last week.  Joel went and got him and put him on the potty.  Again, the screaming started and he ran from the bathroom faster than I've ever seen him run.  It was like Lightening McQueen was coming after him.  Sigh.


So we are at over a month since his 2nd birthday and the potty is still a scary monster.  Potty training = FAIL.  For now.  We will try again in 5 months.  Maybe in our family it is that 30 month mark that works.  Nate still wants to run around in his undies.  Just having flashbacks of all the cleanups with the other two.  Oh well.... guess I will be moving those diapers to Turkey!   Hmm... one thing I didn't check while we were there.  Diapers in Istanbul anyone?

Is it really summer??

The last day of school was really rough this year.  Knowing all I had to do with three kids at home will put anyone into a panic attack.  But it was exceptionally hard because the girls wouldn't be returning to their schools next year. 

 Poor Jocy is on her third school in 4 years.  I know its our fault but I'm hoping it improves her adaptability.  But she had an absolutely amazing year at Manor Hill.  I was so skeptical about sending her to public school.  Especially after a year at an amazing private school.  But I just couldn't take another year of that drive or the penny pinching.  Private school and a year of no overtime is no fun.  But it turned out well.  Jocy had a very observant and caring teacher.  She saw immediately how far ahead Jocy was and didn't hesitate to push her.  And we were very excited to receive the letter that Jocy qualified to be tested for the gifted program.  She past all the testing in the 99 percentile.  She's one smart cookie.  Wonder where she got it?? 

Elly spent her first year at St. Gabriel's in Ms. Jo's class.  LOVE her!  I totally believe that Ms. Jo is the reason the Jocy has had such success in school.  Elly didn't start school as well as Jocy did.  Jocy cried when it was time to go home.... Elly cried when it was time to go into class.  It took most of the year but the last two month, I could barely get a bye out of her.  It was amazing to watch her forming friendships without her sister.  She grew so much this year.  And it makes me very sad that she will not be with Ms. Jo next year.  Her two BFFs, Lauren and Evalyn are so sad she won't be there next year.  I had taken a bunch of pictures but me and my Bloggie are not doing well.  The second time I have lost all my pictures.  Elly was so emotional the last day of school, it was hard for me not to cry.  But I held it together for her.  Thankfully, we had met the teacher of Reception (pre-K) at their new school and I am pretty sure Elly will love her.  Very different from Ms. Jo.  From an Italian from Detroit to a New Zealander.....  but it will be great.

Since this is our last summer here, I planned to make it a fun filled time.  Visit everything we hadn't yet, do a little geocaching again, Jocy loved it and I think Elly is old enough now, go swimming all summer and just wear them out!  But before summer break could even start..... sick Jocy.  The same symptoms that sent us to Urgent Care a few months ago.  She was coughing some the day of the tornado... yes good times.  After over an hour of the sirens and crazy weather, I had Joel pull her out of school early.  Just in case the storm circled around like they said.  Thank God, nothing happened.  Anyways, the next day was field day.  She was so excited.  But her cough was much worse.  Of course she had just ran out of allergy meds, so I gave her the inhaler and sent her to school.  I was still at Elly's school when I got the call from the school nurse.  Luckily, one of Elly's friends mom is a respiratory therapist and I was stand right next to her and I got her advice.  Then off to Jocy's school with allergy meds and to administer the inhaler.  She seemed better and was hoping she could finish out the last two days of school.  By 12:30, I got the call.  If Jocy felt bad enough to miss field day, then she was sick.  She slept it off and said she felt better in the morning.  Her fever the day before was under 100 so she could go.  I didn't want her to miss her last day.  It was only a half day, so I was pretty sure she could make it.  She did but it was so obvious she was so sad.  Even the bus driver gave her a big hug and the tears rolled.  A bit for me too.  I enjoyed the bus stop time.  With three kids, its hard to catch up with the neighbors.  She didn't seem to improve so I got an appointment on Wed... off to the ped.  Of course Elly was saying she was sick and started having the coughing fits but it was dry cough.  So I thought she was faking... but she got an appointment too.  She said either Elly was very early with a cold or she might had some allergies.  Jocy thankfully didn't have pneumonia or anything bad, but she was having restricted airflow.  Excellent.  And finally someone agreed to allergy testing!  Yay!!  She got an antibiotic to fight off the ickies and a steroid to clear her lungs.  So hoping everyone would get better.  Then Friday.... Nate got a fever.  Welcome to my life.

Did I mention I had to go to the doctor too!  Stomach issues and they have no idea what it is.  But I am NOT pregnant. LOL.  Joel was amazing and met me at the doctor to entertain the kiddos. I went in for a CT on Friday.  Crazy week, since Jocy had her allergy test on Thursday too.  Thankfully, the CT was in a new fancy open scanner.  The drink was nasty and the dye was super painful.  But it was a nice quiet 30 minutes!!  Joel took the morning off to watch the kids and drive me to my appointment.  I don't do well when I have to fast.  Took me the day to recover!

So, I am praying that the sickies stay away from my house and doesn't interfere anymore!!!  This week we are heading to Shatto Dairy Farm and hopefully the pool a few times.  Elly's first friends party is Saturday.  I feel bad because we just threw it together.  We will be in the ville for her actual birthday.  But I think she will LOVE it!

My whiny little boy (he's a snotty mess now) needs some cuddle time.  So back to life....