The Princess and the pee

I told you I would get to this potty training post.

(Sorry that we've been on vacation from blogging, our summer has been jam-packed with tons of weddings, all kinds of shower planning & throwing, a trip out to YonderWay Farm, and an extended stay at Mimi's. Just to give you an idea of how behind I am in the blogging world, my GoogleReader has 389 unread posts...and I normally only have 10-15 unread posts at a time.)

If you've ever talked to me about potty training, you know that I will brag all day on the 3 Day Potty Training method. I love it. I completely believe in it. I recommend it to everyone. Most everyone I know that has stuck with it (over 15 toddlers that I can think of right now) and followed the plan precisely, has had success with it...in only 3 days. 

I'm sure I sound like an infomercial.  But, it really did click for Asher on Day 3 at 27 months old.

WARNING: The 3 Day method is NOT for the faint at heart.  Let me warn you now.  You clear out your schedule for 3 days, so that you can be by your toddler NONstop.  You're under house arrest and no cooking or cleaning (other than the accidents) allowed.  No checking email.  No phonecalls. Nothing, while your child is awake.  It is worth it, but it is hard.  I really can't imagine doing any other method- some take months!

So...I say all that to let you know how devoutly we believe in this method.

We had a difficult (yet insightful) 3 (which turned into) 6 days of potty training McKlayne.

I never thought that potty training would teach me so much about her.  It was difficult...but good for this momma to learn a few things that she hadn't seen before.

McKlayne was doing great with the 3 Day method.  By Day 2, we really thought she was starting to "get" it.  Her bladder control was impressive.  Not once during the whole potty training period did I have to change her sheets because she'd wet the bed during naps or at night.  She stayed dry all night long.

I'm telling ya, the girl could hold it when she wanted to....but that was the key, it was when she wanted to.  We were on her terms.  And she could care less about pleasing us.  (This was just so opposite than Asher, that I never saw this coming.)

By the evening of Day 4, I was very discouraged....wondering where we'd wandered from the plan.  Then a sweet friend discernly asked, "Do you think McKlayne is strong willed?" 

"Ummm...not really," was my response as I pondered about how laid back she was most of the time.  (Later this same sweet friend, told me she already knew the answer to that question...and that I had answered incorrectly.)

As I began to watch McKlayne closer with a fresher perspective, I began to realize how stubborn she was being...and how much control this whole potty training thing was giving her.  (How hadn't we seen this?  Was it because she was "the baby" and so we let her get away with so much more than we'd let Asher at her age?)  She totally knew when she had to go, she was just refusing.  It was no longer, "if" she could...it was a battle of the wills with her.

On Friday evening, (Day 5) McKlayne told me, "I want a sucker."  I told her that she could choose the flavor she wanted, but that it would have to go on the potty and would be her reward for tee-tee-ing in the potty.  She marched over to the sucker jar and chose the one she wanted.  Then she put it right on the back of the potty and told me, "I need to go tee-tee."  Sure enough, she did.  A ton. 

To celebrate, we went to Spoons and let her choose her frozen yogurt with any toppings she desired.  We really wanted to make a big deal out of it, since it was the first time she had initiated it.  She loved the celebration.  We told everyone that we saw that we were celebrating that McKlayne was a big girl with dry panties. 

Afterward we went to Target to let her pick out a few prizes for going on the potty.  And while we were at Target, she eyed this princess potty seat:

Desperate and worn out, we consented, even though it wasn't much different than the Elmo seat she'd been using all week.  And you know what happened next?

As soon as she got home, she ran in to go potty on the "princess potty".  Three weeks later, she's only had 2 accidents.

Could it be?  That all that the little princess needed was her throne?

Friday Funnies

M: Okay kiddos, lunch is ready.

A: It is?

M: Yup.

A: Ohhhhhhhhhhh, Momma. You're a hero!

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Mimi gives Asher a handful of m&m's.

A: I know you love me, Mimi.

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A man at the grocery store asked McKlayne her name.  

Me: Her name's McKlayne.

McKlayne: No, I'm Princess Klayne

Bringing Up Boys

A first happened in my kitchen tonight.

After a rough week of potty training (more on that later)and being locked up in the house all week, Char and Asher went to pick up dinner. And this is the conversation that these two had on the way:

C:  Hey, buddy, do you know where we're going?

A: Yeah. Chick-fil-a. {grumpily}

C:  Aren't you so excited to eat Chick-fil-a?

A: No. I don't want to eat Chick-fil-a.

C: WHAT?! It's your favorite...what if tonight you just eat poop? (see where the conversation goes when I'm not around?)

A: WHAT!?!?!

C: Or what if you just eat worms?

A: Yeah. I want to eat worms.

The rest of the car ride home, he talked about how he wanted to eat worms. As soon as he bounded through the door, he announced that he was eating worms instead of chicken tonight.

Char went out to dig up a worm from our compost pile as I pleaded with Asher about how disgusting it would be and how it would make him gag and throw up.*

My protesting did not phase him.  If anything it only fueled the insanity.

And...so like any good mother would, I pulled out the Flip so that I could record the silly escapade as he chickened out:



I will no longer be accepting compliments from Asher when he tells me, "You're a really good cook, Momma."

(Now, go back to 14 seconds into the video and look at how disappointed Asher's face is when Charlie didn't put the worm directly into his mouth.)

*Charlie has convinced me that he cannot get a tapeworm from eating an earthworm.  Only time will tell.

Friday Funnies

If you've had a week like us (it's potty training week in the Apel home) then you're definitely due for a little humor:

Charlie was grilling in the backyard.

M: Asher, will you take this plate to Daddy?  Ask him if this will work for the chicken or if he needs the cutting board.

Asher opens the back door and holds out the plate.

A: Daddy, will this work for the chicken? Or do you need a diving board? Oh,I mean...do you need a diving board for the chicken? Oh. Whoops. Here we go again. Will this plate work or do you need a cutting board?

I love that precious boy.  I don't want him to ever stop mixing up words....little cutie.

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Asher was typing a bunch of keys on my cellphone:

M: Don't you be calling anyone, Mister.

A: I'm not.  I'm just texting.

M: You're what?

A: Just texting.

M: Who are you texting?

A: I just texted Daddy.

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I was carrying McKlayne out of church on Sunday morning and felt her diaper.  (Charlie had gotten her dressed that morning and it was a new dress.)

M: Hey, honey, where are her bloomers?

C: I don't know. I didn't see them.

M: Oh.  Nevermind.  Here they are:

Friday Funnies

 Meet Ryan Price. (Formerly known as "Ry-Ry" to Asher. He recently graduated to calling him "Ryan Price"-most always with his first and last name together.) If Asher were to have one, Ryan would definitely be on his "Top 10 Favorite People" list. Partly because he's an incredibly gifted piano player. And if you know our Asherboy, you know how dear music is to his soul.

Ryan plays the keyboard at our church, New Life.  We've known and loved Ryan for a long time...way back before we were even married he was in our Hope Group as a silly, but thought-provoking college guy.  It's been neat to see how much Ryan has matured (in most areas) and how he loves the Lord with all that he is.

Ryan and his adorable wife Sara have become good friends of ours.  Here they are at Asher's circus birthday party.  (I will post about this soon.)  They kindly obliged to take all the pics for our photo booth.

They are also the ones who took our awesome family pictures when we were originally starting the adoption process (I don't think I've mentioned that yet here on the blog.) The Prices LOVE adoption. (If you're adopting, go check out Ryan's "Photos to Adopt" post here.)   In the last couple months, our plans have changed a bit, as we believe that God is calling us to go the foster (with the intention to adopt) route.  Ryan and Sara are also taking foster training with us right now.  (We should all be certified in June! Woohoo!)

Anyway...sorry....I got side tracked from the Friday Funnies with my long introduction.  Now that you know Ryan and Sara...

A few weeks ago, I was busy cleaning the house while Asher was making "music" back in his room. Since the Hendrick's gave us Hayden's old (complete!) drumset there has been a bunch of music-making going on in the Apel home.  I walked back to his room to return some lost toys, when he was pounding on the keyboard.  He proudly said, "Look, Momma, I'm being Ryan Price."  and this is what I saw:

Friday Funnies: Nursing Home Edition

We've been visiting a nursing home with a few friends and their young children for a couple months.  

Our first visit upon arriving at the nursing home each week is to "the lady in the blue chair".  We follow the same routine each time with Ms. Alma.  As soon as we walk in, we see Ms. Alma in her blue chair, she greets us and Asher runs up to give her a hug.  She lovingly slaps his cheeks so hard with excitement.  (I wish I could have recorded the expression on Asher's face the first time we went to visit this sweet lady. Asher's "What on earth on you doing to me, lady?" look slowly turned into a sweet little sheepish grin as she told him "what a pretty little girl" he was.)

Lately, Asher's gotten so bold as to correct her by saying, "Hey, Lady! I am NOT a girl! I am a BOY!!"  But, sweet Ms. (Hard-of-Hearing) Alma just replies with more hard slaps and, "Yeah, you sure are! Pretty girl!!" 


Same.Routine.Every.Time. (But, Asher hasn't quite figured out that she can't hear his desperate rebuttal.)

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I try to "prep" the kids before each visit.  Any time "nursing home" is mentioned Asher immediately says something about "the lady in the blue chair".  I tried to capture the scripted conversation that goes on between us each time we talk about visiting the nursing home, but for some reason it's just not the same when the camera is rolling.  Maybe I am a little irritating with all my prompting? :

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Ms. Alma's not the only one who thinks Asher looks girly.  Megan and I were chatting with some ladies while painting their nails.  We were pointing out which kids belonged to whom, when Ms. Mildred cut me off, "Did you say that was your son?  Well, you listen to me--don't you go letting him be a sissy!!" 


I politely tried to reassure her that he was ALL boy but she continued, "Well he may run around and act like a boy, but he looks like a sissy!  The first impression paints a good picture, so don't let him look like one!"  


How do you argue with that?  (Luckily for Ms. Mildred, Megan was painting her nails.)  And sweet Ms. Helen kindly cut in and said, "Well, he sure is pretty enough to be a girl, anyway..."

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While visiting Ms. Leona, (who gave us permission to come visit her for "just a little while,") Melissa and I were gushing over how great she looked for being 97 years old.  Asher quickly took notice and wanting to be included in praising her himself, walked up and said, "Wow, you have a really great imagination!!!"

After a few minutes of conversation we sensed that it was time to move on, so we started saying our goodbyes.  When it was Asher's turn he leaned in to give Ms. Leona a tight embrace around the neck and unintentionally sent him and Ms. Leona flying across the room in her wheelchair.*  After that, it was, indeed, time to make our exit.

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We made our next visit to Ms. Cleo.  (She is definitely one of the kids' favorite residents for her constant "I love you, I love you, I love you's", her willingness to go outside and feed the ducks with them, her continuous hand squeezes and her love for singing songs, especially Old MacDonald. Oh, and McKlayne likes her for her 'pretty necklace(s)'.)  


Last week, Asher picked up her aged hand and brought it right up to his eyes, "Whoa! Those things are WRINK--LE--YYYYY!!!"  Sweet Ms. Cleo just responded with "I love you, I love you, I love you."

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Bloopers:

(Ashley, what is up with the "dirty" kisses?)

*Disclaimer: No elderly were injured in the makings of this Friday Funnies.

What's a Mother to do?

When....

her thoughtful three year old proudly presents a carefully crafted beaded necklace just for his "Momma to wear"?

She wears it, of course.

Then...when packing up to head to Kroger the three year old says, "Momma, where is your necklace I made you?  Will you PLEASE wear it to Kroger?"

The mother (vainly) hesitates and squirms a bit...then see this face:

"All the mans and ladies will like it.  Especially William," (William is the produce guy.) the three year old assures his mother.

The mother gets many double takes from other ladies and "I feel sorry for you" gazes from college girls at the grocery store.  But, as the proud three year old marches right up to William to show off his mother's new necklace, this mother is even prouder.  "I made this necklace for my Momma.  Doesn't she look beautiful?"

I love you sweet, Asherboy.  Thank you for my beautiful necklace.  It perfectly accessorized my pink cardigan, how did you know?